The first Brown Pelican of the summer appeared on Nantucket, where Richard Newman spotted it at one end of the island on July 14, then Blair Perkins/Shearwater Excursions, Inc. photographed it at the other end two days later (above). Not long after the remnants of Hurricane Dorian passed through the state, another pelican appeared off Salem; Andrew Fowlie’s initial report came shortly before noon, then Laura de la Flor and friends were drinking wine on the Salem Pier about two hours later when it passed by there.
Dave Adrien took excellent photos of a Red-necked Stint in the Bill Forward Pool of Parker River NWR on July 15. After eluding most birders for a couple of days, on July 18 the stint finally cooperated, making dozens of birders happy. After disappearing for a few more days, it was reported on July 24. Dan Prima took the photograph above.
Suzanne Sullivan seems to have the Common Ringed-Plover’s number this summer! After an initial report August 23 of a bird in less than optimal plumage, she photographed (above) a much more typical and clear-cut example of the species on September 13. The former bird was probably resighted two days later by a BBC birding trip, but the latter was more conspicuous and cooperative, and was still being seen at press time.
While competing in the Manomet Bird-a-thon, the team of Sean Williams, Francis Morello, and Max Chalfin-Jacobs encountered a wave of migrant landbirds at a farm in Marblehead that turned out to include a Townsend’s Warbler! A few groups of birders managed to relocate it later the same day, but attempts to find it the following day were unsuccessful. Sean took the photo above.
Adolfo Cuadra photographed a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher at Quaboag Pond on August 23, but did not recognize the species at first. Once he did, he quickly spread word of his sighting via FaceBook and eBird. Fortunately, the bird stuck around for a few days after that and put on a show. It was the only review-list species in its time period to show up a significant distance inland, rather than at a coastal location. Adolfo took the photo above.
Hurricane Dorian apparently pushed a number of terns north of their usual haunts, including Gull-billed. Steve Grinley and Margo Goetschkes filed the first sighting, from Ipswich on September 11. The following day, Nick Tepper was chasing a reported Royal Tern on Plum Island, and found both it and a rarer Gull-billed. Once the weekend began and birders gathered at Plum Island, the increased number of observers confirmed that at least *two* Gull-billed were on the island, and that the Common Ringed-Plover was still around as well! Andy Sanford took the photo above.