Warblers abound this week, with 17 species seen — a low number only when compared to last week’s 26 species.
Yellow-rumped warblers were spotted 20 times, and blackpoll warblers and pine warblers were found six times each. Both yellow-rumped and blackpoll warblers are indicative of the ending of southbound warbler migration; some yellow-rumped and pine warblers will stay through the winter.
The following is a list of the 20 yellow-rumped warbler sightings: Ruth Richards (Dogfish Bar, seven, Oct. 4); Nancy Weaver, Janet Woodcock, Shea Fee and Luanne Johnson (pumping station, two, Oct. 4); Bob Shriber (Aquinnah, three, Oct. 4); Charles Morano (Wasque Reservation, six, Oct. 4); Nancy Weaver (Dogfish Bar, two, Oct. 5); Adam Balick (North Neck, two, Oct. 5); Bob Shriber (Aquinnah, three, Oct. 6); and (Aquinnah, eight, Oct. 7); Nancy Weaver (Long Point, one, Oct. 7); Nancy Weaver (Felix Neck, two, Oct. 8); Cynthia Bloomquist and Thaw Malin (Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary, one, Oct. 8); Bob Shriber (Gay Head Cliffs, one, Oct. 9); Nancy Weaver (Gay Head Cliffs, one, Oct. 9); Bernice McIntyre and Lisa Maxfield (John Biutler’s Mudhole, one, Oct. 9 ); me (pumping station, two, Oct. 9); Bob Shriber (Aquinnah, 35, Oct. 10); Nancy Weaver (Hoft Farm, eight, Oct. 10); Tracy Winn (Quansoo Road, 14, Oct. 10); Olsen Houghton (Mink Meadows, one, Oct. 10); and Cynthia Bloomquist (Quansoo, two, Oct 10).
Blackpoll warblers were spotted six times: Nancy Weaver (Pancake Hollow, one, Oct. 5); Bob Shriber (Aquinnah, one, Oct. 6); Charles Morano (near Aquinnah town hall, two, Oct. 6); Bob Shriber (Aquinnah, three, Oct. 7); Shea Fee (Trustees of Reservations office, one, Oct. 7); and Bob Shriber (Aquinnah, four, Oct. 10).
The remaining warbler sightings this week are: Ruth Richards spotted one common yellowthroat, one Cape May warbler, one blackburnian warbler and one chestnut-sided warbler at Dogfish Bar on Oct. 4.
Nancy Weaver, Janet Woodcock, Shea Fee and Luanne Johnson found one American redstart, one magnolia warbler and one pine warbler at the pumping station on Oct. 4.
Jacob Llodra observed three palm warblers at Katama Farm on Oct. 4.
Bob Shriber located one northern waterthrush, two black-and-white warblers, two American redstarts, one magnolia warbler, one pine warbler and one black-throated green warbler in Aquinnah on Oct. 4.
Charles Morano watched one Nashville warbler at Wasque Reservation on Oct. 4.
Nancy Weaver identified an American redstart art at Pancake Hollow on Oct. 5.
Adam Balick watched one palm warbler at North Neck on Oct. 5.
Bob Shriber spotted one black-and-white warbler and one magnolia warbler in Aquinnah on Oct. 6.
Charles Morano located one northern parula near the Aquinnah Town Hall on Oct. 6.
Bob Shriber saw one American redstart, one northern yellow warbler and two pine warblers in Aquinnah on Oct. 7.
Nancy Weaver observed one pine warbler at Town Cove on Oct. 7.
Bob Shriber watched two black-and-white warblers, one Cape May warbler, one northern parula and one black-throated green warbler on Old South Road on Oct. 9.
Steve Eick spotted one pine warbler at his Makonikey feeders on Oct. 9, and Bob Shriber had one orange-crowned warbler, two common yellowthroats and one pine warbler in Aquinnah on Oct. 10.
There were five sightings of both red-eyed vireos and blue-headed vireos this week, all in Aquinnah. Red-eyed vireos: Bob Shriber found two on Oct. 4, two on Oct. 6 and 7, and three on Oct. 10. Charles Morano saw four near the Town Hall on Oct. 6.
Blue-headed vireos: Bob Shriber spotted one on Oct. 4, one along Old South Road on Oct. 9 and two on Oct. 10. The quartet of Luanne Johnson, Shea Fee, Janet Woodcock and Nancy Weaver located one on Oct. 5, and Marilyn Barone watched one along on Oct. 8.
Three species will be departing soon — will these be their last sightings until next year?
On Oct. 7, Tracy Winn spotted five piping plovers 0.7 miles east of Lucy Vincent Beach. Later that day Chris Schmandt saw four of them there.
Ray Ewing observed one green heron at Felix Neck on Oct. 3.
The quartet of Janet Woodcock, Shea Fee, Nancy Weaver and Luanne Johnson found another at the pumping station on Oct. 4.
Nectar is becoming scarce for ruby-throated hummingbirds. Harry Beach (remember the rufous hummingbird last winter?) reminds us that keeping feeders out later into the year may lead to stray western hummers showing up, only to become dependent on your feeder, staying until cold winter temperatures do them in.
Anyway, Thaw Malin and Cynthia Bloomquist hosted a ruby-throated hummingbird at their home on Oct. 5, and Rick Karney had one very plump ruby-throated at his home on Oct. 8.
Winter resident seaducks are starting to become more abundant, although still well below their winter numbers. Two of the recent sightings are especially indicative. Helena Firlings spotted 50 common eiders and all three scoter species (three surf, 20 white-winged, and 15 black-winged) from Norton Point on Oct. 4.
Nancy Weaver saw five common eiders, five white-winged scoters and a flock of 500 scoters that were too far offshore from Squibnocket Beach to identify to species on Oct. 9.
Other species are only now arriving. Bob Shriber spotted one rusty blackbird in Aquinnah on Oct. 7, and the same day Jennifer Slossberg observed one indigo bunting at Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary.
Thaw Malin and Cynthia Bloomqiest watched one dark-eyed junco at their West Tisbury feeders on Oct. 6, and Bob Shriber found two dark-eyed juncos at the Gay Head Cliffs on Oct. 9.
Two sightings of the first white-crowned sparrows of the season were reported. Bob Shriber had one in Aquinnah on Oct. 7, and Cynthia Bloomquist and Thaw Malin saw one at Quansoo on Oct. 10.
There were three reports of golden-crowned kinglets this week. Charles Morano spotted one near the Aquinnah Town Hall on Oct. 6. On Oct. 10, Bob Shriber watched two in Aquinnah, and Olsen Houghton watched one from Franklin street.
Dennis Goldin observed a bald eagle at Wasque on Oct. 7.
On Oct. 8, John Nelson saw an immature American kestrel at Katama Farm on Oct. 8. He also reports that black-capped chickadees and tufted titmice are finally present at his Harthaven suet feeders, after their long absence since April.
Please email your sightings to birds@vineyardgazette.com.
Robert Culbert is an ecological consultant living in Vineyard Haven.