It is fun to see a species when and where you do not expect it. This is doubly true when a species that is usually secretive in a marsh walks out into plain view.
The unexpected happened to Olsen Houghton on Oct. 22. He was at the cliffs in Aquinnah, walking around the traffic circle, when a plump, stocky bird with a long beak flew in and landed near some shrubs ahead of him. Wishing a better view of this bird, he walked a bit further. When it came out from under the shrubbery, of course it was on the opposite side of the shrubs from him.
He walked around the shrubs, and there, in plain view walking in the short grass was a Wilson’s snipe. Now this species usually inhabits marshes, so it is often partly to mostly concealed by the vegetation. Occasionally they may allow clearer views when they skulk along the edges of the vegetation.
But only rarely do we get a clear view of snipe in short grass.
Gus Ben David reports that he was pleasantly surprised to see a bald eagle fly over his farm early in the morning of Oct.19. So early that it was still rather dark; the rising sun was so bright, however, that he could not see the eagle clearly enough to tell how old it was.
Also surprising is John Nelson’s report of a Wilson’s storm-petrel on Oct. 9, just as a storm was brewing and the wind and rain were becoming fairly intense. He was at State Beach and the northerly winds blew it closer to shore than normal. It is out of the ordinary to see one of these seabirds so close to land. These sightings were all unexpected treats.
Bird Sightings
Gus Ben David also reports that he observed a peregrine falcon chasing after his racing pigeons on Oct. 23. The chase was unsuccessful as the pigeons were able to stay above the chasing peregrine. He also has dark-eyed juncos and a pine warbler visiting his feeders.
Five green-winged teal were in one of the Cranberry Acres ponds — next to the Wakeman Center off Lambert’s Cove Road — on Oct. 25, as observed by Jeff Bernier. These are the same ponds that have had wood ducks visiting them recently, so they are good ponds to find some of our fresh-water-loving ducks. Jeff also reports a latish semipalmated plover on Norton Point on Oct. 19; how much longer will this species stick around before heading south? He also observed greaqter yellowlegs, pectoral sandpiper, American oystedcatcher, black-bellied plover, and a great blue heron.
Another fall and winter resident duck has appeared — two American wigeon were photographed by Nathalie Woodruff on Oct. 21 at the Head of the Lagoon. They were first reported there by Lanny McDowell on October 18.
Ken Magnuson found a dickcissel, blue-winged teal and a blue-headed vireo at the Edgartown Golf Club on Oct. 24. Dickcissels are more frequently seen at the Gay Head cliffs, but these bland, female house sparrow like birds with yellow coloration on their chest can be anywhere. The day before he was at the cliffs, where his highlights were another dickcissel, a white-crowned sparrow and a clay-colored sparrow.
Lanny McDowell visited the cliffs on Oct. 25 and his highlights were eastern phoebe, red-breasted nuthatch, and golden-crowned kinglet.
Kenneth LaVigne had a flock of grackles descend on his backyard a couple of weeks ago, and Charlie Kernick had a similar flock descend on his feeders on Oct. 22. Such flocks are not always welcome as they can clean out your feeders and they can be rather noisy, but their comings and goings are fun to watch.
The nocturnal calls of the screech owl continues to impress those whom are curious about the source of that strange night-time whistled horse-like whinny. Too many people have reported their calls to list them here; the reports are still coming in from across the Island. They seem to be more vocal this year than in recent years.
A few osprey continue to hang around. Lanny McDowell found one at the south end of the lagoon on Oct. 18, and my Saturday morning guided birding tour found one at Town Cove on Tisbury Great Pond on Oct. 22. Lanny McDowell also observed one gadwall, a ruby-crowned kinglet and a white-eyed vireo. Southbound migrants are passing through in large numbers; please look for them and report your sightings to birds@mvgazette.com.
Robert Culbert leads Saturday morning guided birding tours and is an ecological consultant living in Vineyard Haven.
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