THE 1991 STATISTICAL REPORT

by Robert H. Stymeist, Statistician



During 1991, the Brookline Bird Club listed 291 species on 154 recorded field trips. A total of 192 trips were scheduled: 76 all day, 94 morning, 17 afternoon or evening and 5 weekend trips. Five trips were cancelled due to bad weather, and 23 trips went unreported.


The following write-ins to the Massachusetts Audubon Society (MAS) Checklist were reported by the Club in 1991:

 

Sandhill Crane                     Belchertown                February 3

Sandhill Crane                     Newburyport                July 15 & Sept.29

"Lawrence's Warbler"               Mount Auburn               May 9

"Brewster's Warbler"               Groveland                  May 11

Cerulean Warbler                   Quabbin                    May 11

Yellow-throated Warbler            Martha's Vineyard          May 19

Curlew Sandpiper                   Monomoy                    May 26

Curlew Sandpiper                   Plymouth                   June 1

Prothonotary Warbler               Great Meadows              July 13

American Avocet                    Plum Island                Aug.24, Sept.1,22,28

Gull-billed Tern                   Plum Island                August 24

Sandwich Tern                      Plum Island                August 24

Sandwich Tern                      Monomoy                    August 24

Clay-colored Sparrow               Nantucket                  September 28

"Ipswich Sparrow"                  Plum Island                October 20

Greater White-fronted Goose        Concord                    November 2

Sprague's Pipit                    Clinton                    November 2

Gyrfalcon                          Plum Island                November 17



The Sprague's Pipit at Wachusett Reservoir was only the second record for the species in Massachusetts and a new species for the Club's overall list.

At Island Pond, Vermont, John Kennedy led 12 members around and found 88 species, including Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Black-backed Woodpecker, Gray Jay, and Boreal Chickadee - four species not found on any Massachusetts field trip.

At Machias, Ida Giriunas and 23 members recorded 126 species on the July 4th weekend. They found Sooty Shearwater, Common Murre, Atlantic Puffin, and Red Crossbills - four additional species to the overall list. They also saw Yellow-bellied Flycatcher and Boreal Chickadee. They did not find a single House Sparrow!
 
The missing birds are the most interesting. Those not recorded in 1991 include Northern Fulmar, both Wilson's and Leach's storm-petrels, Wild Turkey, Golden Eagle, Clapper Rail, King Rail, Western Sandpiper, Red Phalarope, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Royal Tern, Black Skimmer,

Dovekie, Thick-billed Murre, Chuck-will's-widow, Acadian Flycatcher, Western Kingbird, Sedge Wren, Loggerhead Shrike, Blue Grosbeak, Pine Grosbeak, and Common Redpoll.

Essex County field trips topped the locations most visited with 74 trips (49 to Plum Island and Newburyport, seven to Ipswich, and additional trips to Ipswich River Sanctuary in Topsfield, Crooked Pond in Boxford, and Lynnfield marshes). The Greater Boston area was birded by the Club on 61 trips (34 to Mount Auburn Cemetery and 16 to nearby Fresh Pond). Twelve trips to Cape Cod and the islands, seven to Great Meadows and four to Quabbin made these locales the next most visited areas. Rounding out the locations that BBC members visited were Plymouth, Lakeville, Lincoln, Natick, Mount Tom, Tyngsboro, Newton and, of course, Brookline.

Sixty-five leaders guided our members around the state and eight leaders did it nine or more times. Jim Barton was listed 26 times, followed by David and Dennis Oliver, who led ten trips. John and Josh Nove, Bill Drummond, and Bob Stymeist each led nine trips. The May 18 trip to Newburyport led by Bill Drummond and 49 members recorded the Club's 1991 highest day total of 126 species. That trip recorded the "Lawrence's" Warbler and a Little Gull that was a life bird for many of the participants.
 
On the disaster side, Bill Drummond wins again. The Club trip to Stellwagen Bank with 79 participants recorded just seven species on September 8.