New England: Spring 2025

Waterfowl

Six Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks drew a crowd to Stamford harbor, Fairfield Co, CT, and a nearby cemetery on 17 May (John M. Cote, m.ob.). Singles were found on 27 April at Great Duck Island, Hancock Co, ME (Bridger Buck, phs); and on 25 May at Short Beach Park, Stratford, Fairfield Co, CT (Frank Mantlik et al., phs). The only Ross’s Geese were in MA: one on 1–2 Mar in Great Barrington and Sheffield, Berkshire Co, (Greg Ward et al., phs), and one that wintered on Nantucket was present to 9 Mar (Trish Pastuszak et al., phs). Reports of single Pink-footed Geese were scattered through the Connecticut River Valley and its environs through mid-March; farther afield and much later was one at Charlton, Worcester Co, MA, on 19 May (Paul Vanderhoof, phs). The wintering Tundra Bean Goose stayed to at least 9 Mar in Portsmouth, Newport Co, RI (Alan Kneidel et al., phs).

One or more Trumpeter Swans likely accounted for reports of singles from Worcester Co to Berkshire Co, MA, from 1 Mar to 15 Apr (m. ob.). Up to three were in western VT during the same period, with one as late as 25 May at Fairfield Swamp WMA, Franklin Co, VT (Taj Schottland et al.). About a dozen reports of Eurasian Wigeon were all from the southern tier counties. A Tufted Duck was on L. Champlain from Shelburne to Charlotte, Chittenden Co, VT, through 10 Mar (Hudson Sawyer et al., phs). Others inland were on the Connecticut River at Longmeadow, Hampden Co, MA on 1 May (Steve Moytl, phs) and at Turners Falls, Franklin Co, MA on 3 Apr (James P. Smith et al., phs). The only coastal report was of a wintering bird on Nantucket to 15 Apr (Trish Pastuszak et al., phs). 

Doves to Sandpipers

The only White-winged Dove was found on 10 May during a brief visit to a feeder in Winterport, Waldo Co, ME (John Wyatt, phs). As expected, the only Chuck-will’s-widows were in MA, at four locations on the Cape and Islands (var. obs.). An unprecedented flurry of Black-necked Stilt reports from 26 Mar to 31 May  (involving an unknown number of individuals) centered on MA, with reports from the North Shore (at least two), Boston, Cape Code and Nantucket. ME had reports from six locations, and CT and RI each had two reports. The much rarer Northern Lapwing was well-represented by singles on 1–11 Mar in Jamestown, Newport Co, RI (continuing from winter, m.ob.); on 6–7 Mar near Newburyport, Essex Co, MA (John Keeley et al., phs); and on 12 Mar at Turners Falls, Franklin Co, MA, (James P. Smith et al., phs). A Wilson’s Plover was a great find on 15–19 Apr at Quonochontaug Breachway, Washington Co, RI (Tim Metcalf et al., phs).

Following a first report of Wilson’s Phalarope on 30 Apr at Dead Creek WMA, Addison Co, VT, (Matthew Yantz, phs), additional reports, all in May, consisted of five in MA, two in ME and one in CT. There were no inland reports of Red Phalaropes. The only inland Red-necked Palaropes were in VT: at Dummerston, Windham Co, on 15 May (Ben Whittington, phs) and at Middlebury, Addison Co, on 25 May (Scott Schwenk et al., phs). A Solitary Sandpiper was early on 30 Mar at Hammonasset (Molly Zahn, Peter Grund). A Ruff stirred excitement on 9–12 May at Walsh Preserve near Todds Corners, Cumberland Co, ME (Derek Lovitch et al., phs). An alternate plumage Curlew Sandpiper, always an exciting discovery, was present one day only on 26 May at Monomoy NWR, Barnstable Co, MA (Alan Kneidel et al., phs). Five early Pectoral Sandpipers on 18 Mar at Silver Sands SP, Milford, New Haven Co, CT, were about a week ahead of general arrivals in the region (Greg Hanisek).

Gulls to Anhinga

A Laughing Gull was far inland on 26 Apr at Gill, Franklin Co, MA, (Ted Gilliland, James P. Smith, phs). Three Franklin’ Gulls were an astounding find on 24–25 May in a flood plain in West Salisbury, Addison Co, VT, (Caleb Frome, Nate Shipley, Neil Gilbert, et al., phs). One was a first for Aroostook Co, ME, on 19 May (Bill Sheehan, phs). Another was at Misquamicut SP, Washington Co, RI, on 29–31 May (Sue Palmer, m.ob., phs). A Common (Kamchatka) Gull wintering in the Stamford, Fairfield Co, CT, area was last seen on 2 Mar (Frank Gallo et al., phs). There was also a sighting on 1 Mar in West Haven, New Haven Co, CT (Julian Hough, Paul Smith, phs). An adult Common (European) Gull was at Mansfield Lake, Windham Co, CT, to 11 Mar (Jeff Fengler, phs).

A Tufted Puffin, presumably a bird that has been appearing since 2022, was seen on 22 May off Dyer Point, Cumberland Co, ME, (Noah Gibb, Stacey Huth, phs) and subsequently on 28 May at Matinicus Rock and on 29 May at Eastern Egg Rock, both Knox Co, ME (Stacey Faber, Keenan Yakola et al., phs). Wintering Eared Grebes lingered to 2 Mar at Marblehead, Essex Co, MA, (Kienan Reilly et al., phs) and to 23 Mar at Stonington Harbor, New London Co, CT (Michael Curtis et al., phs). Another was present on 4–6 Apr at Burying Hill Beach, Fairfield Co, CT (Zach Shaoul et al., phs). A few of the now expected coastal Pacific Loons were in ME, NH and MA.  More noteworthy was one at Pontoosuc Lake, Lanesborough, Berkshire Co, MA, on 9 May (J. Kyron Hanson m.ob., phs). An Anhinga was unique for the season on 17 May at West Barnstable, Barnstable Co, MA (Rebekah Ambrose-Dalton, phs).

Ibis to Thrushes

White-faced Ibis has developed a very consistent coastal profile of arrivals in mid-April with a presence through the season from the central CT coast into RI, Essex Co, MA, Rockingham Co, NH, and north to Scarborough marsh in Cumberland Co, ME. The many records are primarily singles, but there are scattered reports of two birds. Western Cattle Egrets were well-spaced with three in MA, two in ME and one each in CT and VT.

The high count of five Swallow-tailed Kites on 28 May was from the expected cluster of records on inner Cape Cod (Rick Heil et al., phs). Away from the Bay State, other reports were four in CT and one in NH. A high count of three Mississippi Kites was at Chatham, Barnstable CO, MA, on 4 May (Gonzalo Giribet, phs). A single light  morph adult Swainson’s Hawk, apparently an individual that wintered in the Gloucester, MA, area, produced a number of April sightings at Plum Island (m.ob., phs). This was overshadowed by a dark morph Ferruginous Hawk on 5 Apr on Martha’s Vineyard, Duke’s Co, MA (Nancy Nordin, phs). A Crested Caracara on 30 April at Scarborough Marsh, Cumberland Co, ME continued a recent trend of appearance in the Northeast (AJ Ryan, phs).

Loggerhead Shrike shows no sign of anything but continued rarity. The only reports were singles on 7 May at Good Harbor Beach, Gloucester, Essex Co, MA (Duncan Todd et al.), and on 30–31 May at Sandy Point, West Haven, New Haven Co, CT (Paul Smith, m.ob.,  phs). A very early Cliff Swallow, critically examined to eliminate Cave Swallow, was in Old Lyme, Middlesex Co, CT, on 9 Mar (Sean Williams,  et al., phs). It was the earliest  state record and the second-earliest for the region. The same location produced the region’s first Purple Martin on 17 Mar (Sean Williams, phs). The only Sedge Wrens were at Two Lights State Park, Cumberland Co, ME, on 20 May (John Lorenc) and at Shelburne Pond, Chittenden Co, VT, on 28–29 May (Palmer Sawyer, Hudson Sawyer et al.). Varied Thrushes were at Stow, Oxford Co, ME, on 3–4 Mar (Joe Scott, Donna Reis, phs) and a wintering bird through 4 Mar at Petersham, Worcester Co, MA (m.ob. phs).

Sparrows to Dickcissel

The nine reports of Clay-colored Sparrow were all in coastal areas and were a small proportion of the numbers now recorded in fall. There were four reports of Lark Sparrow—two on islands in ME and one each in NH and MA. The only Harris’s Sparrow was at Bellamy River WMA, Dover, Strafford Co, NH, from 5 Mar to 22 Apr (Dan Gardoqui et al., phs). Connecticut’s fourth Green-tailed Towhee was found on 9 Mar at Avalonia Preserve, Waterford, New London Co, CT. It was avidly sought through 25 Mar (Joe Attwatwer, m.ob., phs). A Spotted Towhee was at Provincetown Airport, Barnstable Co, MA, from 9 Mar to 3 Apr (Glenn d’Entremont et al., phs). Although well-represented in the south, the only Yellow-breasted Chat in the northern tier was at Rockland, Knox Co, ME on May 14 (Evan Obercian, phs). A wintering Bullock’s Oriole was present at a stakeout location to at least 9 Apr (Chad Witko et al., phs).

Louisiana Waterthrush, historically an early April arrival, was first found on 29 Mar in Canton, Hartford Co, CT (Jay Kaplan), extending a recent trend of earlier appearances for this and other warbler species. There were no reports of Golden-winged Warblers away from known breeding areas in VT. There were the typical dozen or so reports of overshooting Prothonotary Warblers in the southern tier states. The only ones to the north were singles on May 3 on Monhegan (Luke Seitz) and on the Canadian border at Rock River WMA, Franklin Co, VT, on 21–23 May for a second year in a row (Valerie Sleeper et al.). The 10 reports of Kentucky Warbler included just one in the northern tier, on 18 May on Monhegan (m.ob., phs). There were nine reports of Yellow-throated Warbler, five in MA and two each in CT and RI. A single Townsend’s Warbler showed itself on 23 Apr at Camden, Knox Co, ME (Tim Shaw, phs).

The spring invasion of Summer Tanagers continues with about 25 reports. All states but VT recorded at least one, and the northward thrust included six on the ME coast. A wintering Western Tanager was present to 15 Mar at a feeder at Merrimac, Essex Co, MA (m.ob., phs). There were about 15 Blue Grosbeaks in the southern tier. The only one farther north was all the way up in Castine, Hancock CO, ME, on 21–25 May (Joe Cullem et al., phs). Adult male Painted Buntings were at a stakeout at a private location in inland ME on 7–11 May and at a feeder on Nantucket on 19–22 Apr (Harvey Young et al., phs). The widely scattered nine Dickcissels were a fraction of the now widespread presence in autumn.

Report edited by Andrew Keaveney, 25 Sep 2025.