Northbound migration is now rapidly increasing with the arrival of much anticipated colorful songbirds and a few shorebirds. The northward migration peaks in mid-May.
The arrival of ruby-throated hummingbirds is certainly one of the most anticipated events of the year, and they are starting to appear. This week Rita Brown spotted one in Edgartown on April 21, and Mary Jane Nevin observed one near Quansoo on April 22.
On April 24, Jane Katch saw one in Chilmark, Colin Floyd located one on Chappaquiddick and Judith Searle found one in Oak Bluffs.
Lucinda Sheldon watched one in Oak Bluffs on April 25. The next day Polly Basett discovered one in West Tisbury, and Ann Richards and Gary Mirando had one near Christiantown Road.
I heard a strange birdsong emanating from the shrubby thicket near John Butler’s Mudhole on April 24 — a two or three note whistled song repeated frequently. The singer finally popped into view, a first-of-season white-eyed vireo, which cooperated by singing a longer, but still incomplete, version of its full song.
Two other first-of-season songbirds were found on April 24. Ashton Almeida spotted one northern parula at Priester’s Pond and Charles Morano saw two black-and-white warblers at Squibnocket Pond Reservation South.
Yellow-rumped warblers are now singing as they flock through for points north. The largest flocks were seen by Ashton Almeida, who counted 10 at the Hoft Farm Preserve on April 23. I spotted nine at the pumping station on April 26.
On April 20, two other colorful birds were observed. Chip Vanderhoop saw a female rose-breasted grosbeak in his Old South Road yard, and Scott Goldin observed a female indigo bunting in his Katama yard.
Lynn Buckmaster-Irwin had a purple finch visiting her Indian Hill Road yard on April 22, and Matt Born observed one brown thrasher along Clay Pit Road in Aquinnah on April 24.
One of our most common nesting birds (the eastern towhee) is rapidly becoming more common. There were 15 sightings from across the Island, mostly of one or two individuals. However, Ashton Almeida counted seven at the Hoft Farm Preserve on April 23 and six at the Gay Head Cliffs on April 24. Matt Born counted 12 along Clay Pit Road in Aquinnah on April 24, and Charles Morano observed 11 at Squibnocket Pond Reservation South on April 25.
It is not just colorful songbirds that are passing through; shorebirds are being seen in increasing numbers. Nancy Weaver spotted a willet at Eel Pond on April 20, Ashton Almeida saw a willet at Felix Neck on April 23, I heard and then saw three willets flying over John Butler’s Mudhole on April 24, and Nancy Weaver and Janet Woodcock observed seven willets on Norton Point on April 24.
The other new shorebird for the year is a short-billed dowitcher. On April 22, Charles Morano found four on Norton Point.
Matt Pelikan observed a flock of about 200 common terns off West Chop with a few possible roseate terns mixed in on April 24.
There have been six barn swallow sightings this week. On April 24, Ashton Almeida saw three at the Gay Head Cliffs, and I saw two at Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary. Charles Morano had four at Squibnocket Pond Reservation South on April 25, the same day that Shea Fee spotted five at Presbury-Norton Preserve and Ashton Almeida counted 10 at James Pond Preserve. I watched three flying around the pumping station on April 26.
Larger flocks of northern gannets have been seen this week along the south shore. Bob Shriber reports 33 gannets from Aquinnah on April 22. Kyleigh Miklos had three gannets at Long Point on April 23, Nancy Weaver and Janet Woodcock found eight gannets from Norton Point on April 24, and Chris Schmandt observed one from Lucy Vincent on April 24 and five from Long Point on April 25.
Larger flocks of gannets on April 25 include Charles Morano’s 410 from Squibnocket Pond Reservation South, and Katharine and Lindsay Allison estimated thousands diving in unison close to the Wasque shoreline.
Fish crows are present in small numbers. Ashton Almeida spotted seven fish crows at Felix Neck on April 23 and two at the Gay Head Cliffs on April 24. I observed three on Circuit avenue on April 23 and then two at Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary on April 24. On April 25, Andrew Harrington saw two in Ocean Park and Ashton Almeida found one at James Pond Preserve. These are likely year-round residents, as Penny Uhlendorf and Daavid Stanwood each have homes under the route of the seasonal commuter crows, and recently they have only heard a couple of fish crows.
A few white-throated sparrows are still lingering before heading further north. Stephanie Mashek observed one along Martha’s Park Road on April 20, and Charles Morano found two at the pumping station on April 21. Bob Shriber counted six in Aquinnah on April 22, Frederick Khedouri saw one near Peaked Hill on April 22, and Ashton Almeida spotted one at the Hoft Farm on April 23. Matt Born observed two at Clay Pit Road in Aquinnah on April 24, and Shea Fee watched four at the Presbury-Norton Preserve on April 25.
Jeff Bernier saw a song sparrow carrying some soft vegetation at Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary on April 23, which confirms that they are nesting.
Both species of teal were seen this week. Nancy Weaver and I both saw one green-winged teal at Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary on April 24, and Charles Morano had two blue-winged teal at Squibnocket Pond Reservation South on April 25.
Finally, Randy Rynd reports a leucistic grackle with white streaks, spots, and patches covering about half of its body in her Vineyard Haven yard.
Please email your sightings to birds@vineyardgazette.com.
Robert Culbert is an ecological consultant living in Vineyard Haven.
This article appears in May 1, 2026.