Wow, a remarkable 26 different warbler species were reported this week, out of approximately 35 warbler species that can be seen here.
There were 10 sightings of both black-and-white warblers and American redstarts, eight sightings of both pine and blackpoll warblers, six reports of palm warblers (including one western palm warbler), five sightings of common yellowthroats, northern parulas and Cape May warblers, three sightings of yellow-rumped warblers, two sightings of prairie, blackburnian, northern yellow, blue-winged, Nashville, black-throated blue, black-throated green, magnolia warblers and northern waterthrushes, and one report for Wilson’s, Connecticut, orange-crowned, mourning, chestnut-sided, yellow-throated warblers and yellow- breasted chat.
Peak migration seems to be getting later, as I recall that Labor Day was always a big weekend and that peak migration was mid-September — not an unexpected change as the seasons warm due to climate change.
At Wasque Reservation on Sept. 29, Shea Fee spotted one blue-winged, one black-and-white, one pine, one yellow-rumped, one Wilson’s, one Nashville, one Cape May, three palms, a yellow-breasted chat and a redstart.
Charles Morano birded multiple locations. On Sept. 27, he saw one black-and-white, one mourning , one yellowthroat, five redstarts, two chestnut-sideds, three blackpolls, one pine and two prairies at Wasque Reservation. On Sept. 30, he saw one blue-winged, two black-and-whites, one Nashville, five yellowthroats, one redstart, one Cape May, one northern parula, one magnolia, two western palms one yellow palm, one pine, and one black-throated green at Wasque Reservation, and three black-and-whites, three parulas, one blackburnian, four blackpolls, one black-throated blue, and one black-throated green along Donaldbin Close.
The next day, at the same location, there were one black-and-white, one parula, one blackburnian, and two blackpolls. On Oct. 3, he watched one Connecticut, four yellowthroat, one parula and three blackpolls near northern Lake Tashmoo.
Bob Shriber also had multiple days of sightings: one blackburnian at Eel Pond on Sept. 27, one parula and one yellow along East Chop Drive on Sept. 28, two northern waterthrushes, five black-and-whites, two yellowthroats, one redstart, one yellow, three blackpolls, one black-throated blue, one pine and one prairie in Aquinnah on Sept. 30, one northern waterthrush, one black and white, three yellowthroats, one redstart, three blackpolls and two yellow-rumpeds in Aquinnah on Oct. 1, and along Old South Road Oct. 2 one black-and-white, one redstart, one northern parula, one magnolia and two blackpolls.
Other sightings include Nancy Weaver and Shea Fee watched four pines and one yellow-throated at Felix Neck on Sept. 27, Nancy Weaver and Janet Woodcock spotted one pine there the next day.
On Sept. 30, David Stanwood observed six to eight redstarts along Lambert’s Cove Road, Mary Makepeace saw one Cape May at Wasque Reservation, and Nancy Weaver had one redstart at the pumping station.
On Oct. 1 Adam Balick identified one yellowthroat at Squibnocket Pond Reservation South, and a yellow two pines at Pond View Farm, Pamela Tunnell located a redstart at Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary.
On Oct. 3, the MV Bird Club recorded one yellowthroat, two redstarts and four yellow-rumped at the Aquinnah Headlands, Caroline Heald spotted one Cape May, one palm, one pine and two yellow-rumped at Chappaquonsett, Nancy Nordin saw two black-and-whites, one orange-crowned, four redstarts, one Cape May and one palm at Pancake Hollow in Aquinnah, Chris Scott observed two palms at Katama Farm, and finally Lisa Maxfield found one yellowthroat and one palm at Squibnocket Beach.
Warblers are not the only southbound migrant songbirds on the move. All six eastern species of vireos were reported.
Nancy Weaver spotted one red-eyed vireo along Blue Barque Road on Sept. 23. Charles Morano saw one yellow-throated and three red-eyeds at Wasque Reservation on Sept. 27. And on Sept. 30, he saw one blue-headed and one red-eyed along Donaldbin Close and one blue-headed and two red-eyed at Wasque Reservation. He saw one blue-headed vireo along Donaldbin Close on Oct. 1, and two red-eyeds at Lake Tashmoo on Oct. 3.
Bob Shriber located one red-eyed along East Chop Drive on Sept. 28, one white-eyed, four blue-headeds and seven red-eyeds in Aquinnah on Sept. 30, and one eastern warbling vireo and one red-eyed along Old South Road on Oct. 2.
Helena Firlings observed one blue-headed at Ice House Pond on Sept. 29, Shea Fee found one Philadelphia and two red-eyeds at Wasque Reservation on Sept. 29, the MV Bird Club watched a red-eyed at the Aquinnah Headlands on Oct. 3, and Nancy Nordin found one blue-headed at Pancake Hollow on Oct. 3.
We have yet to see flocks of thousands of tree swallows; these used to come in August and September. Bob Shriber found the largest flock, 350 on Sept. 30 and 150 on Oct. 1, both in Aquinnah, while the MV Bird Club spotted 200 at the Aquinnah Headlands on Oct. 3.
More typical this fall, Caroline Heald saw five at Chappaquonsett on Sept. 20, Janet Woodcock and Nancy Weaver found 10 at the left fork on Sept. 29 and Nancy Weaver observed one at Felix Neck on Oct. 1.
Finches (seed eaters) are beginning to show up. Bob Shriber had two rose-breasted grosbeaks in Aquinnah on Sept. 29, Merrill Eppedio located two white-throated sparrows near northern Lagoon Pond on both Sept. 29 and 30, Charles Morano identified one clay-colored sparrow at Wasque Reservation on Sept. 30, and the MV Bird Club discovered two white-crowned sparrows and one indigo bunting at the Aquinnah Headlands on Oct. 3.
Other miscellaneous sightings include Charles Morano spotting one Swainson’s thrush along Donaldbin Close on Oct. 1, and Mary Makepeace found two pine siskins along Cummings Way in Edgartown. Caroline Heald saw one chimney swift at Chappaquonsett on Oct. 2 and I observed two of them at Cedar Tree Neck on Oct. 3, and the MV Bird Club counted 75 cedar waxwings at the Aquinnah Headlands that day.
Perhaps the most amazing finding is Jon Laird hearing a whip-poor-will calling on Rustic avenue, next to Circuit avenue in Oak Bluffs on Sept. 30 and again on Oct. 1; the first time for his family in 58 years there.
To conclude with the only waterbirds for this column, Bob Shriber spotted a northern gannet and six great cormorants in Aquinnah on Sept. 29; both species will soon be seen more frequently.
Please email your sightings to birds@vineyardgazette.com.
Robert Culbert is an ecological consultant living in Vineyard Haven.
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