MD Osprey:

FYI ... Below is the species account from the ABA 
Checklist, 6th edition (2002), which has more 
detail than the 7th edition (2008). I think it's 
OK to quote this under the "fair use" exemption.

The 1900 Maryland record was published in Stewart 
and Robbins (1958) and is considered to be an 
"accepted" record, even though what became of the 
specimen is currently uncertain.

So, here's more than you (n)ever wanted to know 
about Corn Crakes in N.A. ... (at least through 2002) ...

Corn Crake Crex crex
(Breeds Faeroes, Scandanavia, and Eurasia e. to 
c. Siberia. Migratory. Winters mainly in e. Africa.)
Formerly casual, now accidental, a total of 20 
records from Baffin Island to Maryland, but the 
majority are from the l9th century. All are of 
single individuals, all but one with known dates 
are from the fall (mostly late fall), all but the 
Albany Co. record are from on or near the East 
Coast, and all but the most recent record (1997) are documented by specimens.

Records in approximate order from north to south are as follows:

Cape Dorset, Baffin Island, Nunavut, 24 September 1928 (Godfrey 1986);
at St. Shotts, NF, in 1859 and 28 September 1928 (Godfrey 1986);
on St. Pierre (*), SPM, 22 October 1989 (AB 44:46);
near Pictou, Pictou Co., NS, about 1874 in October (Godfrey 1986);
at Little Harbour, Shelburne, Shelburne Co., NS, 
28–30 November 1997 (Young 1998, includes cph.);
Dyke Marsh at mouth of Presumpscot River, 
Falmouth, Cumberland Co., ME, 14 October 1889 (Palmer 1949);
near Cranston, Providence Co., RI, in 1857(Conway 1979);
near Cohoos, Albany Co., NY, 5 November 1883 (Bull 1974);
at Saybrook, Middlesex Co., CT, 20 October 1887 (Ball 1944);
at Orange, New Haven Co., CT, 20 October 1887 (Zeranski and Baptist 1990);
on Long Island, NY, n.d. or more precise location (Bull 1974);
at Oakdale, Suffolk Co., Long Island, NY, 2 November 1880 (Bull 1974);
at Amagansett, Suffolk Co., Long Island, NY, 18 August 1885 (Bull 1974);
at Montauk, Suffolk Co., Long Island, NY, 1 November 1888 (Bull 1974);
at Orient, Suffolk Co., Long Island, NY, 2 November 1963 (Bull 1974);
at Salem, Salem Co., NJ, fall 1854 (Walsh et al. 1999);
at Bridgeton, Cumberland Co., NJ, January 1856 (Walsh et al. 1999);
at Dennisville, Cape May Co., NJ, 11 November 1905 (Walsh et al. 1999);
and at Hursley (now Stockton), Worcester Co., MD, 
28 November 1900 (Stewart and Robbins 1958).

A spring record on Brier I., Digby Co., NS, 4–5 
May 1993 (AB 47:390) falls outside the temporal 
pattern for any other record and is best regarded cautiously.

There appears to be no actual record from e. 
Pennsylvania despite numerous references (e.g., AOU 1998).

The preponderance of old records is also 
reflected from Greenland, where only two of the 
25 recorded, including 19 from w. Greenland, are after 1960 (Boertmann 1994).

On the other hand, three of the four records (all 
fall) from Bermuda are recent (Amos 1991).

Populations have declined severely in w. Europe, 
and the species is currently listed as 
“vulnerable” there, although the world population 
is still high (BirdLife International 2000).


===================================================
Phil Davis, Secretary
MD/DC Records Committee
2549 Vale Court
Davidsonville, Maryland  21035     USA
301-261-0184
mailto:[log in to unmask]

MD/DCRC Web site:  http://www.MDBirds.org/mddcrc/rcindex.html
===================================================

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