The 56th annual Martha’s Vineyard Christmas Bird Count will be held on Saturday, Jan. 2, 2016. The Vineyard’s count became an annual event in 1960, and has been held every year since then. We have recorded 213 species, and have counted 1,768,640 individuals.

Our high counts are 130 species in both 2003 and 2007, while only once did we count more than 100,000 birds (134,963 individuals in 2002). In an average year we find 120 species and about 33,000 individuals. But counts in the past five years have only averaged about 21,000 individuals. We do not know why our recent results have been so far below average.

We go to great lengths to ensure that a particular bird is not counted twice. First, the Island is divided into about a dozen territories, with a field team assigned to count all the individuals of each species that they find in their area. And, especially for highly mobile species like hawks and waterfowl, teams with adjacent territories will discuss their reports to minimize any double counting. Since the territories are too large to cover completely, it is much more likely that birds will be missed rather than double-counted.

Counting birds that come to feeders is also an important part of the count. And in many years feeder-watchers add a species that was missed by all the field teams.

The data generated by the Vineyard count is sent to the National Audubon Society, where our results are combined with results of more than 2,000 other counts across the Americas. The large numbers of counts makes this the largest citizen science project in the world. It is also the oldest, as the first counts in some cities were conducted in 1900. All this data has been used to determine regional and national population trends, which discouragingly has shown that most bird populations are declining.

The Christmas Bird Count is a tradition that you can be a part of. You can either join one of the field teams for all or part of the day, or, just as importantly, you can be a feeder-watcher and report the numbers of each species you see. For more information or to sign up for this fun day, please contact compiler Luanne Johnson at biodiversityworks@gmail.com.

Bird Sightings

Many people have commented in the past few weeks that fewer birds seem to be coming to their feeders than in past years. That apparent trend seems to be changing, however, as people are now reporting that feeder birds are increasing in abundance. Such an increase is expected as migration brings us more of our winter residents. And year-round residents like chickadees and tufted titmice are also becoming more common at feeders as winter approaches and their natural food becomes more scarce. And as the weather gets colder, birds will depend even more on the seeds we provide for them since they will need to eat more to sustain their body temperatures.

Marcia Streicher had her first dark-eyed juncos of the season visit her feeder on Dec. 9. She also had a Carolina wren visiting her feeder on Dec. 14.

Dave Hobart observed a male ring-necked pheasant at the end of Sengekontacket Road in Oak Bluffs on Dec. 10.

Ken Magnuson reports American coots, pied-billed grebes and ruddy ducks on Chilmark Pond on Dec. 10. Allan Keith also visited Chilmark Pond that day, and he found a bounty of waterfowl in the pond which was recently opened to the ocean, including 188 mute swans, 50 Canada geese, more than 100 black ducks, 15 mallard, 25 American wigeon, 38 ruddy ducks, 18 green-winged teal, more than 50 coot, 25 bufflehead and one red-breasted merganser.

Other species observed by Mr. Magnuson on Dec. 10 include an American tree sparrow at the Gay Head Cliffs and northern gannets over the ocean off Katama, while Rick Dwyer has observed gannets daily as they plunge-dive into the ocean off Wasque.

On the afternoon of Dec. 11, while on the Steamship Authority bound for Woods Hole, I observed a great blue heron that was flying toward the Vineyard, about 100 yards above the water. Later that afternoon, also on the Steamship Authority, Mr. Keith found 24 razorbills flying eastward, likely our first razorbills of the season.

On Dec. 12, Michael Ditchfield found a first winter American oystercatcher hanging out with the dunlins on Little Beach in Edgartown. Luanne Johnson has also seen it there.

Geoff Kontje reports seeing two black vultures flying over the Caroline Tuthill Preserve in Edgartown on Dec. 13. This southern species is not common yet, although its range is expanding northward. Several individuals of this species have also been seen just west of New Bedford. They can be distinguished from the now common turkey vultures by the shorter broader tail and overall dark wings with their outer feathers silvery-white.

A snowy owl update has Erica Mason and Rick Dwyer observing one near the Cedars on Cape Pogue in the afternoon of Dec. 13. Mr. Dwyer also spotted one on Norton Point on Dec. 9, and one of the rangers on Norton Point reports that these are likely the same bird that is splitting its time between Norton Point and East Beach.

Connie Alexander reports razorbills and harlequin ducks at Lucy Vincent Beach and ruddy ducks on Squibnocket Pond, all on Dec. 13.

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.