The calendar says spring is here, even if our temperatures do not agree. Our temperatures still seem to be five to 10 degrees below average, but the sun — when we see it — does make it feel warmer. My guess is that most of us are ready for something warmer, although if we can’t have that, at least the spring migrants are starting to show up.

While the first American oystercatcher of the season showed up on March 16, as I reported in last week’s column, since then there have been numerous reports of oystercatchers from around the Island, including pairs at Lagoon Pond, State Beach, Little Beach, Edgartown Great Pond and Long Point.

First osprey of the year was observed March 20. — Lanny McDowell

John Nelson was excited to call on March 19, after he found what may be this year’s first piping plover for the state. It was at Red Beach on Menemsha Pond, with six sanderlings. He had surmised that it might be there, as he has found one on that day at that site for the past three years. Its arrival is so regular for both date and location that it is likely the same individual.

Other reports of piping plovers have also arrived. Jeff Bernier visited Red Beach and found not one, but two piping plovers on March 22. And Michael Ditchfield observed three plovers at Katama Bay on March 23. And Ken Magnuson found a close relative, a killdeer, at Herring Creek Farm on March 22.

The first report of ospreys goes to Thomas (Boyz) Rogers, who observed one flying over the Lily Pond across the road from the Vineyard Veterinary Clinic on March 20. Terry Appenzellar reports that an osprey has returned to the Crystal Lake pole on March 21, and John Nelson spotted his first osprey of the year flying over the southern end of Sengekontacket Pond on March 22. Gus Ben David reports that Phil Stanton observed two osprey in Woods Hole, also on March 22.

An annual rite of spring for me is to go see the courtship flights of the American woodcock. At dawn on March 22, I was driving by the frost bottom near Metcalf Drive, and thought to stop there to check for courtship flights. Sure enough, a male was there, courting away. I then stopped by the frisbee golf course in the State Forest, and a woodcock was displaying there too. It is not possible to tell whether these birds survived the winter here, or whether they are part of our breeding populations that just arrived or whether they are bound for points north.

Bird Sightings

On March 20, Martha Moore reported that she observed a second-year bald eagle perched on the osprey pole at Long Point in West Tisbury.

Cedar waxwing. — Lanny McDowell

Marilyn Miller and Ron Zentner found their first ever cedar waxwings, three of them, in their Oak Bluffs yard on March 15. Sharon Simonin got some close-up looks at a red-tailed hawk right by the state police barracks in Oak Bluffs. On March 22, Nelson Smith observed three northern harriers, one female at State Beach and both a male and a female along different parts of Atlantic Drive in Katama. Shep Shove reported that a winter-plumage goldfinch made its first visit of the year to their feeders on March 22. And many of us have noticed the ever-increasing volume of birds singing. Keep an ear out for the returning phoebes, which should arrive soon.

It is always more difficult to determine when our seasonal avian residents leave, after all, they do not stop by to say good-bye. Along these lines, on March 15 Sharon Simonin found a common loon in Oak Bluffs harbor, which was starting to molt into its breeding plumage. Listen for them to start calling if the weather ever warms up. Michael Ditchfield found both ring-necked ducks and green-winged teal at Sheriff’s Meadow on March 19. John Nelson and Jeff Bernier reported a large snowy owl on South Beach in Edgartown on March 22. Gus Ben David reports that he has had pine siskins at his feeders for a few weeks, but today there were also six redpolls. And snow geese are back in the news. Susan Straight observed two snows on March 23, grazing with a flock of Canadas in a field near her house, and Allan Keith observed two (perhaps the same ones) in the fields near his farm on March 24. These may (or may not) be the last sightings of the season for any or all of these winter residents, which will soon be heading for their more northern breeding grounds.

We have known that this unusually cold and snowy winter has been a tough one for barn owls. Any barn owls still alive will now have a much greater chance of surviving the rest of season since the rodent population can no longer remain concealed under the snow. Terry Morrison and Peter Guest found a dead barn owl on March 22. It was hanging in a bush about 50 yards west of the boat launching ramp on Edgartown Bay Road. The bird was at least five years old, having been banded on Nantucket five years ago. At some point in those intervening years, it obviously thought that life would be better on the larger Island.

The dead Cooper’s hawk found by Susan Straight is a little more surprising, as there would seem to be plenty of birds around for them to eat. That carcass was found on March 15.

Lastly, please keep an eye on any cedar waxwings you see. Check them carefully for a rusty patch under the tail, and white and yellow tips to their wing feathers. These characteristics make them the larger northern cousin, a Bohemian waxwing, which was photographed by Ken Blackshaw on Nantucket on March 23.

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.