Frank's post reminded me that early this morning I had a FOS Red-breasted Merganser on the N side of Stratford Point. Brant were indeed moving in small groups the last two days, and I had four Mallard fly in this AM. Last week I had a FOS White-winged Scoter. We have had a few Common Loon and a couple Red-throated Loon. It's slowly beginning and the dramatic freeze should push them all here rapidly over the next week. Stratford Point continually amazes me in that we can have people visit, or pop outside from the office at different times, and find a completely different set of birds in such a small area. This is expected for tidal species, but it happens with songbirds nonstop. It's been like that for years. I can't emphasize enough that if you visit you have to keep cycling through species and give it some time..you may come up with something no one has seen yet or finally find what you were looking for all of a sudden. Walking in circles for hours is far more productive than you would expect. It's how I dug out the Blue Grosbeak yesterday and many other nice birds there over the years. One last thought - yesterday Patrick thought he heard a Tufted Titmouse distantly behind us, and I said it was probably a Mockingbird. He was right, I was wrong, and there it was a minute later. This is a rare bird on the site and assuredly a migrant. I often get a few there in the spring, and usually one or two in the fall, all in expected windows. In 2012 I had continual bunches of them coming through Stratford Point from late September through early December, peaking with a flock of 26 individuals on October 17! It made me think of irruptions in general and how little we have seen here in terms of typical irruptive species so far. I have yet to see a Purple Finch, Pine Siskin, or Red-breasted Nuthatch. We'll see if anything picks up with this frigid cooperative air, but it doesn't seem to be our year for the earlier ones. Scott -- Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History 311 Curtis Street Jamestown, NY 14701 716-665-2473 x224 skruitbosch@rtpi.org rtpi.org <http://www.rtpi.org> Celebrating Wild America 2015