THE 1990 STATISTICAL REPORT

by Robert H. Stymeist, Statistician

In 1990, the Brookline Bird Club listed 286 species on 161 recorded field trips. A total of 196 trips were scheduled: 75 all-day, 94 morning, 24 afternoon or evening, and 3 weekend trips. Five trips were cancelled due to bad weather and 30 trips went unreported.   

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The following write-ins to the Massachusetts Audubon Society (MAS) checklist were reported by the Club in 1990:

Sandhill Crane	Newburyport	May 27
Clay-colored Sparrow	Plymouth	June 2
Cerulean Warbler	Quabbin	June 3
Gull-billed Tern	Plum Island	June 30
Curlew Sandpiper	Plum Island	July 7
Spotted Redshank	Wellfleet	August 11
Purple Gallinule	Fresh Pond	September 26
American Avocet	Newburyport	October 7
MacGillivray’s Warbler	Peabody	October 13
Le Conte’s Sparrow	Peabody	October 13
Lark Bunting	Plum Island	October 28.

The Spotted Redshank found at the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary on August 11 was just the second record for this species inMassachusetts and a new species for the Club’s overall list. The MacGillivray’s Warbler found at the hot Peabody Lime Pits wasalso a first for the Club’s list.

On a weekend trip to Baxter State Park in Maine, two additional species were recorded: Spruce Grouse and Black­ backed Woodpecker.

Missing from the Club checklist during 1990 were Northern Fulmar, all the shearwaters, Redhead, Clapper and King rails,Common Moorhen, Baird’s and Buff-breasted sandpipers, Red Phalarope, Pomarine Jaeger; Caspian, Royal and Black terns; Thick-billed Murre, Long-eared Owl, Chuck-will’s-widow (despite the cooperative one at Marblehead Neck), Boreal Chickadee,Loggerhead Shrike, Connecticut Warbler, Yellow­ breasted Chat, Blue Grosbeak, Dickcissel, Lark Sparrow, Pine Grosbeak, and Common Redpoll.

Essex County field trips topped the location most visited list with seventy-three trips (fifty-three to Plum Island andNewburyport, eight to Cape Ann, and eight to Ipswich with additional trips to Boxford and Manchester­ by-the-sea).

Mount Auburn, Fresh Pond, Belmont Hill, and the nearby Mystic Lakes were visited fifty-nine times by the Club, with MountAuburn being listed thirty-seven times in April and May alone.

Ten trips to Cape Cod, seven to Great Meadows, and six to Quabbin made these spots the next most visited areas. Rounding out the locations that BBC members visited were the Blue Hills, Bolton Flats, Lynnfield, Reading, Tygnsboro, Newton, Natick,Lincoln, Weston, Wayland, Westport, Mount Tom, Mount Greylock, and, of course, Brookline.

Sixty-eight leaders guided our members around the state, and six leaders did it six or more times. Jim Barton was listed twenty-three times, followed by Bill Drummond who led ten trips and John Nove who led nine trips. Bob Stymeist, Mark Lynch and Sheila Carroll led eight trips, and Dennis and David Oliver led six trips.

The May 19 trip to Newburyport led by Bill Drummond recorded the Club’s 1990 highest day total of 133 species.