Report Summaries

2018–01 02-Jan-2018 to 03-Jan-2018 (7–0): One; Dugway Bridge Road, West Kingston; Kevin Rogers (R, P), Alan Straus (R, P).

2018–02 A, B, C 13-Jan-2018 (7–0): (A) Two; Little Compton; January 3, 2018; Evan Lipton (I, R), Jonathan Eckerson (I, P); (B) Two; West Main Road, Little Compton; January 13,

2018–04 16-Jan-2018 (7–0): Four; Waite’s Corner Road, West Kingston; Sue Talbot and Dan Finizia.

2018–07 19-Jan-2018 (7–0): One; Card’s Pond Road, South Kingstown; Wayne Munns (I, R), Barbara Sherman (R, P), Kevin Rogers (R, P).

2018–08 22-Jan-2018 to 25-Jan-2018 (7–0): One; Marsh Meadows, Jamestown; Matt Schenck (I, R, P), Jessica Kiamco (R, P).

2018–09 14-Feb-2018 (7–0): Three; Sakonnet Point Road, Little Compton; Evan Lipton (R, P).

2018–03 03-Jan-2018 (6–1): One; Little Compton; Evan Lipton (I, R), Jonathan Eckerson (I, R, P).

2018–10 21-Feb-2018 (7–0): One; Warren; Liam Waters (I, R, P).

2018–12 08-Apr-2018 to 13-Apr-2018 (7–0): One; Clay Head Swamp, Block Island; Heather Hatfield (I), Kim Gaffett (P), Nigel Grindley (P), Heather Spontak (P).

As breeding populations of Trumpeter Swans continue to expand in western New York State and the St. Lawrence and Lake Champlain valleys, additional Rhode Island records are to be expected. Although Tundra Swans occur regularly in the state, their numbers are so small, and the potential for confusion with Trumpeter Swan is so great, that all individuals of both species deserve careful documentation and review.

2018–05 16-Jan-2018 to 17-Jan-2018 (7–0): Two; Ninigret NWR, Charlestown; Dan Finizia and Sue Talbot (I, R, P).

This Eurasian species occurs regularly in Rhode Island, possibly due to long-lived individuals returning. The presence of two birds at Ninigret Pond in January 2018 is recorded above as a single occurrence, although these two individuals could have arrived independently. The drake at nearby Trustom Pond just days later was probably one of these birds.

2018–06 21-Jan-2018 to 12-Feb-2018 (7–0): One; Trustom Pond NWR, South Kingstown; Jeff Linkinhoker (R, P), Bill Thompson (R, P).

2018–11 02-Mar-2018 to 04-Mar-2018 (7–0): One; St. Mary’s Pond, Portsmouth; Jan St. Jean (I), Tim Metcalf (R, P), Richard Garrigus (R, P).

2018–41 24-Nov-2018 to 08-Dec-2018 (7–0): One; Trustom Pond NWR, South Kingstown; Michael McBrien (P).

2018–29 20-Dec-2018 (7–0): One; Mohegan Bluffs, Block Island; Michael McBrien (I, R, P).

2018–31 23-Dec-2018 to 30-Dec-2018 (7–0): One; Weekapaug Breachway, Westerly; Shai Mitra (I, R, P).

2018–39 01-May-2018 to 05-Jul-2018 (7–0): One; Tillinghast Pond MA, West Greenwich; Matt Schenck (recording), Bill Ostiguy (recording).

2018–25 04-May-2018 to 07-May-2018 (7–0): Two; Goosewing Beach, Little Compton; Carolyn Zaino (I), Geoff Dennis (R, P).

A very rare vagrant to the coastal Northeast, Wilson’s Plovers have occurred almost a dozen times along Rhode Island’s shoreline. The presence of two together is especially notable; this record is treated in our statistical summary as one occurrence, although it could be argued that their arrivals were possibly independent.

2018–18 01-Jun-2018 to 03-Jun-2018 (7–0): One; Napatree Point, Westerly; Carlos Pedro (I, R, P).

2018–38 24-May-2018 (7–0): One; south of Block Island; John Loch (I, R, P), Nick Metheney (I).

2018–26 08-Dec-2018 (7–0): One; Beavertail State Park, Jamestown; Zachary Millen (I, R, P), Brian Quindlen (I, R, P).

2018–40 20-Aug-2018 (6–1): One; Point Judith, Narragansett; Shai Mitra (I, R).

Given the paucity of documented records of this species in Rhode Island, photographic documentation is much desired, but not possible for this record. However, a detailed description of plumage and structure was provided by the observer, who is intimately familiar with all plumages of this species and has found and photographed many dozens of them on Long Island, New York. The date is unusual for coastal southern New England away from breeding sites, as most records of Arctic occur from late May through mid-July (Mitra 2009).

2018–20 16-Jul-2018 (7–0): One; Sachuest Point NWR, Middletown; Matt Schenck (I, R, P), Rey Larsen (P).

2018–33 20-Dec-2018 (7–0): One; Block Island; Michael McBrien (I, R, P).

2018–28 03-Sep-2018 (7–0): One; Block Canyon; September 3, 2018; Wayne Munns (I, R), Phil Rusch (I), Scott Tsagarakis (I), Carlos Pedro (I).

2018–32 03-Sep-2018 (7–0): Nine; Block Canyon; Wayne Munns (R), Carlos Pedro (P), Bill Thompson (P).

Records of Audubon’s Shearwaters in Rhode Island waters remain few. This species often occurs in groups, and for this reason, and because not all the birds were photographed, this record was counted as a single occurrence in our summary statistics.

2018–30 22-Dec-2018 (7–0): One; Point Judith, Narragansett; Phil Rusch (I, R), Glenn Williams (I, R), James Restivo (P).

2018–36 24-Jun-2018 (6–1): One; Sapowet WMA, Tiverton; Evan Lipton (I, R, P).

2018–17 26-May-2018 (6–0): One; A: Newport B: Warren River, Warren; A: Charles Avenengo and Francisca deLima (I, R, P); B: unknown fisherman (I, R, P), fide Rachel Farrell.

2018–22 04-Aug-2018 to 05-Sep-2018 (7–0): One; Napatree Point and Weekapaug, Westerly; Barbara Gearhart (I, R, P), multiple observers (P).

This individual bird was often difficult to find, but was seen and photographed by many during its month-long stay.

2018–14 02-May-2018 to 03-May-2018 (7–0): One; Trustom Pond NWR, South Kingstown; Susan Carlson (I, R), Robert Weaver (P), Alan Strauss (P).

2018–16 21-May-2018 (7–0): One; Sakonnet Point, Little Compton; Evan Lipton (I, R, P).

The discovery and documentation of this astonishing first state record is to the great credit of Evan Lipton’s attentiveness and skills. It was seen only briefly, and not re-found. As unexpected as this spring record might have seemed, it foreshadowed Massachusetts’s first, just less than a year later, on April 21, 2019, on Martha’s Vineyard.

2018–34 10-Nov-2018 (7–0): One; Trustom Pond NWR, South Kingstown; Dave Mozzoni (I, R, P, eBird).

2018–35 12-Nov-2018 (7–0): One; Scarborough Beach, Narragansett; Barbara Gearhart (I), Sam Miller (P).

2018–13 10-Apr-2018 to 13-Apr-2018 (7–0): One; Big River MA, West Greenwich; Dylan Pedro (I, R, P, eBird), Carlos Pedro (P).

2018–24 31-Oct-2018 (7–0): One; Block Island—The Maze; Clara Cooper-Mullin (I, R, P. eBird). Banded.

2018–23 18-Oct-2018 (7–0): One; Jamestown; Chris Powell (I, R, P).