When is a fish crow really an American crow?
I have been hearing fledgling American crows recently, which the app Merlin suggested were fish crows. Nope. Fledgling American crows make a virtually continuous and very nasal sound, while fish crows make the nasal but distinctly two-note call, cah-cah. Remember that Merlin only suggests what the bird is; it is correct most of the time.
The nesting season is winding down but far from over. Seth Buddy observed a prairie warbler feeding a brown-headed cowbird chick near the West Chop/Mink Meadows beaches on July 12, and Polly Bassett watched a fledgling northern flicker in West Tisbury on that same day.
I saw two fledgling American crows and two yellowthroat feeding young at Cedar Tree Neck on July 13.
On July 16, Bridget Dunnigan and Sea Williams spotted fledgling skimmers at Little Beach. The Felix Neck early birders spotted recently fledged great-crested flycatchers at Felix Neck.
Also on July 16, Cynthia Bloomquist observed a juvenile towhee at her West Tisbury home, and Seth Buddy located a family of six young black ducks at the Mink Meadows/West Chop beaches on July 17.
Some winter residents are lingering. Common eiders have been spotted at Cedar Tree Neck (me, one, July 13); Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary (David Benvent, three, July 15); Norton Point (David Benvent, nine, July 14, and Charles Morano, two, July 15); and Gay Head Cliffs (David Benvent, two eiders and one white-winged and two black scoters, July 16).
Ashley Casciotti also spotted one surf scoter at Tom’s Neck on July 15.
As for common loons, Bob Shriber discovered three in Aquinnah on July 13, David Benvent saw one on Norton Point on July 1, and Seth Buddy found one from Mink Meadows/West Chop Beaches on July 4.
Kayla Smith found the continuing horned grebe in Katama Bay on July 12, and Janet Woodcock and Nancy Weaver located it again at Quammox Landing on July 17.
Bob Shriber observed one of the lingering great cormorants in Aquinnah on July 18. Warren Woessner spotted the continuing glaucous gull at Eel Pond on July 13.
This week we added four notable shorebirds, mostly on Norton Point. David Benvent was the first to find two Hudsonian whimbrels and three stilt sandpipers on July 14. The next day David Benvent added one pectoral sandpiper, while Dave Oster had another pectoral at John Butler’s Mudhole.
On July 16, Ashley Casciotti discovered one whimbrel at Pocha Pond.
On July 17, Nancy Weaver, Janet Woodcock and I found the three whimbrels and three stilt sandpipers.
Nancy Weaver and Janet Woodcock spotted one Hudsonian godwit (later seen by Lanny McDowell, Jeff Peters and Richard Goldenberg) and one stilt sandpiper on July 18. Later that day Charles Morano spotted five stilt sandpipers.
There were 10 sightings of short-billed dowitchers: Ruth Richards counted 160 individuals on Norton Point on July 18; David Benvent counted 114 on July 15; and Nancy Weaver counted 114 on July 16, with most of the rest of us seeing “only” 50 to 60 individuals.
High counts for other species include Bob Shriber finding 55 least sandpipers in Aquinnah on July 13, David Benvent observing 40 least sandpipers on Norton Point on July 14, and Charles Morano finding 67 semipalmated sandpipers on Norton Point on July 15.
Also notable is David Benvent’s sighting of two western willets on Norton Point on July 14.
There were three notable gull and tern sightings this week. Janet Woodcock and Nancy Weaver saw one Bonaparte’s gull in Menemsha Pond on July 12, Bob Shriber identified one Arctic tern in Menemsha Pond on July 12, and David Benvent talked to two Edgartown shorebird staff and they gave a good description of the royal tern they spotted on Norton Point on July 13.
Jennifer Slossberg saw one merlin at the Vineyard Golf Club on June 30, David Benvent had another at Katama Farm on July 17, and Seth Buddy observed one at Hillman’s Point July 15.
Also of note, Jeff Peters spotted one sharp-shinned hawk on William street in Vineyard Haven on July 10, David Benvent had two northern harriers on Norton Point on July 14. I also saw one on July 17, as did Nancy Weaver on July 18. Dave Oster spotted one harrier at Red Beach on July 14.
Eastern wood-pewees are much less vocal now. Charles Morano found one at Felix Neck on July 12, Mary Beth Norton observed one along Great Plains Road on July 13, Julie White discovered one in Sea Glen on July 14, Rich Couse watched one in the western part of the state forest on July 16, and Dave Oster discovered one along Great Plains Road on July 16. For the first time this season, I did not hear or see one at Cedar Tree Neck when I was there on July 18.
Highlights of blackbird sightings include Charles Morano finding one female orchard oriole at Felix Neck on July 12.
David Benvent counted a flock of 48 common grackles at the Gay Head Cliffs on July 17, and he also had a bobolink there on July 16.
Warblers are becoming scarcer after their nesting season and before their southward migration begins. Or maybe they are just not singing and so are less conspicuous, although American redstarts, northern yellow and pine warblers and common yellowthroats are still frequently spotted. David Benvent observed one northern parula at Old Farm Road on July 17.
Finally, a flock of mute swans were observed in an unusual location. David Benvent counted 16 mute swans flying and swimming offshore from the Gay Head Cliffs on July 16.
Please email your sightings to birds@vineyardgazette.com.
Robert Culbert is an ecological consultant living in Vineyard Haven.