or many birds Martha’s Vineyard is a great spot to spend the winter. Despite the cold and blustery weather it is better than the frozen tundra. And warmer too.
Many birds migrate: north in the spring and south in the fall. They have a “winter” home and a “summer” home.
The breeding season tends to be the main focus. It is the time the birds are in full color and omnipresent. However, it is a very short time period compared to the winter home for birds. There is a direct connection to survival with habitat loss whatever the season.
Let us use the Woodcock as an example. There is a large population that spends the winter here on Martha’s Vineyard. They migrate away from their breeding areas inland where they get frozen out. Their long bills can not penetrate the ground to probe for earthworms and food. They come to the coast where it is milder. Theses coastal wintering grounds are their survival bunkers. If they can’t find quality habitat in the winter they return to the breeding grounds in poor physical condition if they can even survive migration.
The woodcock during the day needs dense overhead cover (thickets) to hide from hawks and predators. At dusk and at night they need open areas to perform their displays. If we lose the thickets they have no protection during the day. Without dense cover they are forced into smaller patches where predators can easily find them. To support these birds, conservation efforts need a full cycle approach.
A bird cannot successfully raise a brood in the north if it cannot survive the winter in the south. Protecting birds and their habitat is a year-round effort. Not only during a breeding season.
Enjoy the woodcock this spring. They begin their famous mating displays as early as mid February. Listen for their repetitive “peent” call at dusk near a thicket with an open field nearby and you may be rewarded. It is a load of fun and it means spring is here!
Highlights for the week.
On Monday, Jan. 19, Charlie Morano was out surfing around Squibnocket point and had 31 harlequin, 26 razorbills and 1 dovekie swimming quite close. I hope he has waterproof binoculars.
Also on Monday, Jeff Bernier shot some terrific photos of a horned lark flock at the Farm Institute.
Matt Pelikan got out and birded Crystal Lake and had over 80 american widgeon and 100 ring necked ducks. We are getting some nice concentrations of ring necked ducks on the Vineyard. Crystal Lake, when not frozen, is a great location to view these birds.
On Tuesday, Jan. 20, Sioux Eagle had two evening grosbeaks at her feeder. Evening grosbeaks love flat table feeders. Use them if you got em.
Richard Couse had two field sparrows at Hoft Farm, a nd Diane Lucey saw a bald eagle flying over Menemsha. We are getting multiple sightings of Bald Eagles which years ago were a real rarity.
On Wednesday, Jan. 21, Nancy Weaver had 20 cedar waxwings at Short Cove in West Tisbury. Shea Fee was at Katama farm and had 37 horned larks and 19 Eastern Meadowlarks. Also on Wednesday, Martha Moore saw a bald eagle on the osprey pole at long Point.
Off Aquinnah there were schools of fish that attracted a tremendous quantity of birds. Most of the birds were quite far out and too distorted to see distinctly, but one could make out 200 or more razorbills, 500 herring gulls, 50 ring billed gulls, 20 great black backs and 25 bonaparte’s gulls and a mix of loons, long tails and buffleheads. Many more birds were specks in the distance to see clearly. On Thursday, Jan. 22, Nancy Weaver, Janet Woodcock, Matt Born and Ruth Richards joined me to witness these flocks.
Matt Born counted 300 ruddy ducks in Menemsha Pond.
On Friday, Jan. 23, Nancy Weaver, Ruth Richards and I trekked out to Norton point. Highlights were a glaucous gull and a nice variety of winter shorebirds, including sea ducks and gulls. Nancy found a pintail at Tashmoo springs. Also on Friday there were 150 razorbills sitting on the ocean along Moshup Trail.
Nancy Weaver has been killing it all week. The cold windy winter weather doesn’t stop her. On Saturday, Jan. 24, she went out to Tashmoo Springs with Janet Woodcock and found the pintail.
Also on Saturday, Cynthia Blomquist and Thaw Mailin had busy home feeders. Highlights were a red breasted nuthatch, hermit thrush, bluebirds and a pine warbler.
Lisa Maxfield has been having some terrific birds visiting her feeders at her home by the lagoon. The orange crowned warbler is a daily visitor. Recently, she had a small flock of cedar waxwings. Birders should carefully watch the waxwing flocks they encounter around the Island. You might be lucky enough to find a bohemian waxwing. It is a winter vagrant that looks very similar to a cedar waxwing but it is larger, grayish rather than brownish and has rufous undertail coverts. That would be a real treat.
On Sunday, Jan, 25, the snow arrived and the birdwatchers were still watching. Feeders became very active. Lisa Max had a couple of new visitors: a sharp shinned hawk and a swamp sparrow. Richard Couse at Hoft Farm had a yellow bellied sapsucker.
Finally, on Tuesday, Jan. 27, Elaine Vanderhoop had a brown thrasher and a fox sparrow at her feeder.
It is cold and snowy but hang in there. Spring is right around the corner. Pitchers and catchers show up for spring training Feb 10.
Thanks Bob! My intrepid Carolina Wrens have learned to balance on a window tray and let me know if their favorite suet runs low!