THE 1992 STATISTICAL REPORT

by Robert H. Stymeist

A total of 273 species were listed by the Brookline Bird Club on 139 reported field trips during 1992. A total of 156 trips were scheduled: 63 all day, 72 morning, 16 afternoon or evening and 5 weekend trips. Seven trips were cancelled due to bad weather, and nine trips went unreported. The annual July 4th weekend in Machias, Maine, added Spruce Grouse, Black-backed Woodpecker, and Boreal Chickadee to the overall Club list. A field trip to Forest Hills Cemetery coupled with a behind the scene tour of the aviary at Franklin Park Zoo with staffer and birder Tom Aversa added 86 write-ins.

Not counting the Franklin Park “zooies”, the following write-ins to the Massachusetts Audubon Society (MAS) Checklist were reported by the Club in 1992:

Arctic/Pacific Loon                  Provincetown              April 12

Common Murre                      Provincetown              April 12

Cerulean Warbler                   Quabbin                      May 17

Cerulean Warbler                   Mount Auburn            May 18

“Brewster’s” Warbler             Newbury                     July 7

Bar-tailed Godwit                   Monomoy                   August 8

“Ipswich” Sparrow                  Newburyport              October 24

Atlantic Puffin                         Stellwagen                  November 1

The Club also recorded Ruddy Shelduck in Norton and Muscovy Duck at Mount Auburn.

Missing from the Club list in 1992 were all the pelagic species with the exception of Leach’s Storm-Petrel. This certainly is a first-time event in the Club’s long history of organizing and leading pelagic trips. Not one shearwater or jaeger was seen. Other missing birds include Northern Fulmar, Wilson’s Storm-Petrel, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Eurasian Wigeon, Northern Bobwhite, (pheasant was recorded on only three trips), Clapper Rail, King Rail, the uncommon Common Moorhen, Marbled Godwit, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Ruff, Red-necked Phalarope, Red Phalarope, Caspian Tern, Royal Tern, Black Skimmer, Dovekie, Thick-billed Murre, Chuck-will’s-widow, Whip-poor-will, Red-headed Woodpecker, Loggerhead Shrike,

Golden-winged Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Seaside Sparrow, Pine Grosbeak, and White-winged Crossbill.

The Newburyport area was the most visited birding spot with 46 reported trips. Mount Auburn was second with 30 trips, all in late April and May. Ipswich was visited seven times, followed by Quabbin six times, and five trips to Great Meadows.

Sixty-two leaders guided our members around the state. Bill Drummond was the recorded leader for ten trips, followed by John and Josh Nove, who led nine trips, and David and Dennis Oliver, Dot Davis, and Bob Stymeist each led seven trips. Bill Drummond again wins the honors for recording the most species on a single day trip. On May 16, he and 32 members listed 126 species.