The merlins that nested on Chappaquiddick have fledged three chicks. Lanny McDowell, Bob Shriber and I were invited by the owners of the house next to these falcons to come and photograph the hatchlings before they flew. Lanny took some great photos as usual, and we thank the owners for their hospitality and excellent observations. This is the second documented nesting of merlins in Massachusetts, the first being in the same area two years ago.
Bird Sightings
The Vineyard birders will miss George Goetz (Gus) Daniels. There was a memorial service for Gus on July 24 and the only thing missing, aside from Gus, were pairs of binoculars around the mourners’ necks. Gus was an avid and competitive birder, and we all will miss that spirit!
Back in early July Nancy Holt photographed a parakeet at the overlook of the Gay Head Cliffs. We had technical trouble downloading the photos, but finally received some great shots and determined that the bird was a budgerigar — commonly known as a budgie. Budgies are a common caged bird that originally comes from the more arid parts of Australia. If anyone knows anything about this escapee, call or e-mail the Bird Hotline.
And speaking of escapees, Marie Larsen sent me photos of a yellow bird. After comparing it with the photos Lanny McDowell took last fall of the saffron finch at Pond View Farm, we have decided it was the same species. Now one wonders if it is another escaped finch or whether the one seen last winter survived the winter.
Back in May I wrote about piping plovers that were banded in the Bahamas and that one had been seen in Aquinnah. Now the breeding season is over and birds are beginning to move around. So far 40 of the 57 marked Bahamas plovers have been seen on the Atlantic Coast including Rhode Island, New York and Massachusetts. This is an amazing re-sighting percentage! Vineyard birders should check all the piping plovers to see if the plover sports a black flag/tab on it upper left leg. Then take note of the full band combination and report it to the Gazette hotline or directly to the piping plover project by e-mail to cheri.gratto-trevor@ec.gc.ca. The word is that groups of 25 or more have been observed on flats across New England. A spotting scope might be necessary to see the full band combination, so let us know and someone with a scope can find the plover and read the bands.
When Allan Keith visited Bea Phear on Indian Hill on July 22 there was a cattle egret roaming around her yard. Bea told Allan it had been around for about two weeks. Allan also mentioned that he had a spotted sandpiper at one of the ponds at Turtle Brook Farm on July 25 and 26. On July 28 a juvenile hooded merganser appeared at Turtle Brook Farm — one wonders if these hole nesters have started breeding on the Island.
And when Vineyard birders are confronted with young of any species they wonder if that bird is nesting here. Dick Jennings for the second year saw and photographed an immature yellow-crowned night heron on Chappaquiddick on July 24. Dick also reported an incredible duel between an osprey and the immature bald eagle at Pohoganet on July 26. An osprey was perched on a tree near its nest. The immature bald eagle flew into view. The osprey rose out of the tree as if it had been shot out of a cannon and attached the bald eagle. There was a “dog fight,” much twisting and turning with the final result being the eagle flew out of the osprey’s territory! Score one osprey, 0 bald eagle.
Warren Woessner was at Norton Point on July 21 and spotted a single ruddy turnstone, many sanderlings, two greater yellowlegs and a black tern. The next day in the same area Warren and I spotted four black terns and earlier in the day Lanny McDowell counted seven. Also on July 22 Page Rogers counted five ruddy turnstones, a short-billed dowitcher, two adult piping plovers and what she thought was a black tern —it was Page! She, and many of us agree, the parasailers and boaters are not very careful about disturbing the tern colony.
Al Sgroi was treated to a nice migratory event when he counted five glossy ibis flying over State Beach toward Sengekontacket Pond on July 22. On July 28 Al took a group around Felix Neck and their best birds were five migratory spotted sandpipers. They also saw a black-crowned night heron, a common yellowthroat, and a red-tailed hawk to name a few.
Eleanor Waldron, while conducting research on northern harriers at the Pricilla Hancock Preserve in Chilmark on July 25, spotted least and semipalmated sandpipers, a greater yellowlegs, two great egrets and a black tern.
And speaking of northern harriers, I took the Chilmark Community Center group to Tisbury Great Pond on July 27. We watched a female harrier arrive with a snake in its beak. Three young birds flew up from below and she dropped the snake. One youngster caught the snake and took off to find a roost so he could enjoy his meal. His two siblings chased him until he finally settled down to enjoy his meal. We found a good collection of shorebirds on the flats as well as a black tern. Please join me at the community center at 8 a.m. on Tuesday mornings.
Rob Bierregaard reports that the osprey Penelope made cameo appearances on the Vineyard between July 22 to 24. She hung around Tisbury Great Pond where she used to fish as a kid. Then on July 24 she headed off-Island to central Massachusetts and eventually back to the Merrimac River in New Hampshire. Rob figures that Penelope is a river rat and will end up nesting in New Hampshire around the Merrimac River. Penelope has fished rivers all up and down the East Coast and prefers it to pond or oceanic fishing. Rob will be giving a talk at the Howes House on Friday, July 30, at 7 p.m. on ospreys.
Henry Lord counted a dozen American oystercatchers in two clusters on the sand spit that separates Cape Pogue from Tom’s Neck. He noted that they were all happily smoking their bright orange cigars (great image!). I e-mailed Henry that I hoped they were not Cuban cigars!
Sarah Mayhew watched a prairie warbler eating a 1 1/2-inch caterpillar at Quansoo on July 23 and spotted a cedar waxwing on the north shore on the 19th.
Finally, Colin Floyd called to say he had seen a painted bunting at his Tom’s Neck feeder. We are waiting for photos and hope the bird is still around.
Please report your bird sightings to the Martha’s Vineyard Bird Hotline at 508-627-4922 or e-mail to birds@mvgazette.com.
Susan B. Whiting is the coauthor of Vineyard Birds and Vineyard Birds II. Her Web site is vineyardbirds2.com.
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