It is finally March, even though the weather does not feel like it and we still have at least a foot of snow on the ground. And, as I write this, we are getting another three inches of snow, bringing the winter’s total to 40 inches. Mark Lovewell reports that this is not a record for the Vineyard, but what is unusual is that we have not seen bare ground since mid January!

We know that the calendar spring comes in March, but that seems of little comfort when temperatures are still below freezing and are more or less predicted to stay that way. With no spring weather in sight, here are a few items that might cheer us up and give us hope that spring will come soon.

Female red-winged blackbirds are showing up at Island feeders. Could spring be on the way? — Lanny McDowell

Daylight is ever increasing. The time between civil twilight before sunrise to civil twilight after sunset is about 12.25 hours, and on March 20 there will be 12 hours of sunlight between sunrise and sunset.

We have heard the increased volume of birds singing, especially in the mornings. These early vocalists include black-capped chickadees, tufted titmice, song sparrows, house finches, house sparrows, and northern cardinals, which have been tuning up since mid January. I have even observed territoriality in the cardinals, with neighboring males singing together to establish their territorial boundaries. And one amorous male was even in close contact with his mate!

I have gotten some reports of male goldfinches finally returning. They have actually been here through the winter, but their dull winter plumage is changing into their bright yellow and black breeding plumage.

We have usually observed some of the early migrants by the time we get to March. But not this year. To further pick up our snowy and icy spirits, let’s consider what we might be seeing by now if we had been having a more normal winter.

Mid to late February usually brings back the first of the male red-winged blackbirds that nest here. Just to confirm how well they understand winter, they have not yet showed up (but see best bird of the week, below); why would they return to still frozen marshes and wetlands? There are some overwintering red-wings (brave souls!) that are denizens of woodlands and meadows and bird feeders; we will know the migrants because all of a sudden many of them will be singing as they establish their breeding territories in and near the wetlands. This will certainly be a welcome sound!

Also returning in March will be some of our most recognized birds. Ospreys, a true sign of spring, will return later this month. As will American oystercatchers and most likely eastern phoebes.

Bird Sightings

The best birds of the week were observed on March 2, with Penny Uhlendorf’s and Scott Stephens’ report of several female red-winged blackbirds at their feeder, as well as increasing numbers of male red-wings. The females are certainly migrants, as we have not observed any females through the winter. Some of the increased numbers of males may also be migrants, but they are forced to feeders because their usual haunts are locked in snow and ice. In normal years, the female blackbirds show up several weeks after the first males return. They have also had a male brown-headed cowbird show up at their feeder on Feb. 28; this may be another migrant.

There are many reports of the usual ducks in what little open water remains in our ponds, and I have noticed that bufflehead and greater scaup are quite prevalent in Nantucket Sound, especially off East Chop. When ice is not prevalent, these diving ducks are most frequently found in our coastal ponds.

February 24 was a good day on the waterfowl front. Lanny McDowell found a gadwall in Quitsa Pond. That same day, Jeff Bernier found a Barrow’s goldeneye in a small flock of common goldeneyes just off shore from Little Beach in Edgartown. This sighting is a result of his patience in examining every flock of common goldeneyes, and after several winters of looking, he finally found one. The Barrows can be tricky to separate, but they will stand out as different once one is familiar with the common goldeneyes; the former have more black on their back and have a white crescent between their beak and eye, whereas the common has a white circle. Lanny McDowell found the Barrow’s again on March 2, this time in Eel Pond near the public boat ramp at the end of Pease’s Point Way.

Lanny McDowell, Matt Pelikan and I have all observed and heard fish crows in Vineyard Haven, anywhere from Woodland market area down to the Steamship Authority and over to Tisbury Marketplace.

Alan Slater observed a flock of snow buntings at Wasque on Feb. 24 and 25.

Mike Savoy reports a brown thrasher visited his feeder in late February.

If you are so inclined, mealworms can attract different birds to your feeder. On March 1, Rick Karney discovered a hermit thrush — not a typical feeder species — gobbling up some mealworms.

Happy and Steve Spongberg went up-Island on March 1. At the West Basin they found a pair of common mergansers as well as the more usual common loons, great cormorants, scaup, and white-winged scoters. At their feeders they still have a male towhee (their female towhee has not been seen for a week), tufted titmice, both species of nuthatches, and both downy and red-bellied woodpeckers. On Feb. 27, as Happy Spongberg was putting out a new suet cake, a black-capped chickadee landed on her glasses frame and pecked two to three times at her left eyebrow. A completely unexpected treat, she reports.

There are lots of birds around, so please get out looking for them, and be sure to report your bird sightings to birds@mvgazette.com.

Robert Culbert leads guided birding tours and is an ecological consultant living in Vineyard Haven.