1998 STATISTICAL REPORT

by Robert H. Stymeist, Statistician

During 1998, the Brookline Bird Club listed 300 species of birds on 233 reported trips. A total of 277 trips were scheduled, 69 all-day, 170 morning, 34 afternoon or evening, and four weekends. Forty-four trips were not reported; in addition four unscheduled trips were arranged (three additions to Mt. Auburn, a special trip to see the Long-billed Murrelet in Narragansett, Rhode Island), In Massachusetts the Club reported a total of 290 species on 212 trips.

On six trips to New Hampshire, highlights included an Olive-sided Flycatcher and Gray Jay in the Connecticut Lakes region Two scheduled Mass trips were extended into the Granite State to see a Varied Thrush just over the border and the Little Egret in Newmarket. The remaining trips were along the coast and another to Star Island.

Two weekend trips to Maine added two Spruce Grouse, six Common Murre, 3000 Atlantic Puffins and five Boreal Chickadees in the Machias area; and a trip to the Ranglely Lakes area listed 98 species with nine Gray Jays,10 Ravens, 29 Boreal Chickadees, two Olive-sided and five Yellow-bellied Flycatchers, four Philadelphia Vireos, and 26 White-winged Crossbills.

The following write-ins to the Massachusetts Audubon Society (MAS) Checklist were reported by the Club in 1997:

Eared Grebe                Gloucester                   January 24

Tufted Duck                Plymouth                    February 1

Common Murre          Rockport                     February 14

Whooper Swan           Ipswich                       February 16

Bullock’s Oriole         Reading                       March 1

Fork-tailed Flycatcher P.I.                              August 8

Red-necked Stint        Plymouth                    August 23

Rufous Hummingbird Agawam                     Sept.13

Curlew Sandpiper       P.I.                              September 19

Harris’ Sparrow          P.I.                              November 12

Mew Gull                    Lakeville                     November 14

Missing from the Club list in 1998 were: Northern Fulmar, Tricolored Heron, Cattle Egret, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Clapper and King rails, Marbled Godwit, Baird’s Sandpiper, Ruff, Red Phalarope, Pomarine Jaeger, Little Gull, Royal Tern, Black Skimmer, Dovekie, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Chucks-wills-widow, Acadian Flycatcher, Golden-winged and Orange-crowned and Hooded warblers, and Blue Grosbeak.

Essex County was visited by the Club most often, with a total of 120 trips (67 to Newburyport

and Plum Island and 25 to Cape Ann and 28 other county locations). Mount Auburn Cemetery in

Cambridge was second with 39 trips. Other trips were led in over 30 different locations, including 8 pelagics.

A special thank-you to the72 leaders who guided our members throughout the year. Several leaders deserve special mention. Steve Grinley led an impressive 30 trips, Bill Drummond led 19, Bob Petersen 12, John Nove 11, and Dennis Oliver 10 trips.

The biggest trip list was as always Bill Drummond’s spring trip on May 16 with 132 species. Thirty-four members saw lots of warblers in Newburyport Cemetery and had trouble leaving the area.