No confirmed osprey sightings have been reported as of my writing this column on the evening of March 20, even though spring technically arrived at 6:29 a.m. that morning. Several people have reported osprey, but there have been no verified sightings where two people see the bird, or, if only one person sees it, there is also a photograph. For our records to be valid, we must be cautious in reporting first arrivals for any species.

Dunlin. — Lanny McDowell

The following observers have reported an osprey: Mary Elizabeth Suprenant observed one at State Beach on March 8, Gordon Healy heard one at the Animal Shelter on March 15, but did not see it, and Jamie Stringfellow observed one close to her house on Farm Pond on March 17. To my knowledge, no-one else has reported seeing this eagerly awaited species.

I am eager to see the osprey returning, so I visited eight nest platforms in Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs on March 19. The results were two great black-backed gulls and one American crow perched on nesting platforms. Recently I also observed a pair of pale red-tailed hawks flying over Lagoon Pond. They could easily have been mistaken for osprey since they were pale and almost hovering, as they were fighting to fly into the wind.

According to the website ebird, there have only been three osprey sightings in New England, with none of them east of the Connecticut River. There have been four sightings on Long Island, and many sightings south of New York. It must be the preponderance of northeast winds (and cold temperatures) that are preventing their arrival throughout all of southern New England. An avalanche of sightings is due soon.

Bird Sightings

Those same easterly and northeasterly winds that are keeping osprey at bay are also delaying the arrival of other migrants. Hopefully, things will pick up soon.

American oystercatchers have returned. — Lanny McDowell

Dan Bradley had two turkey vultures visit his yard on March 19. Also on March 19, John Nelson found 18 black-bellied plovers and 28 dunlin at The Farm Institute.

The elusive barred owl has showed up again, this time near Jim and Debbie Athearn’s house near Morning Glory Farm on March 17. This bird has been heard over the past year in a relatively small area between the Edgartown School and Morning Glory Farm, and as far north as Chase Road. There have been audio recordings to confirm the identity of this bird but no photographs that I know of.

Jeff Bernier observed an American oystercatcher at Eel Pond on March 20. And Joe Jims observed two of them near the drawbridge on March 17.

Also on March 17, Norma Holmes observed at least two golden-crowned kinglets and a brown creeper along the blue trail at Waskosim’s Rock Reservation. The creeper was behaving perfectly, climbing a tree trunk then flying down to base of the next tree, climbing it, then flying on to another, and so on. A fun and almost diagnostic behavior.

Brown creeper blends in. — Lanny McDowell

Lynn Martinka twice observed an American woodcock in broad daylight as it waddled along through the not very deep snow on March 15.

Allouise Waller Morgan had a strange-looking bird show up at her feeder on March 14. It was about the size of a junco, had a gray back, small crest and a yellow belly. Possibly it was a phoebe, but a photo was not possible and the bird was not seen again.

Many of our winter residents will soon be leaving for more northern breeding grounds. We are so conditioned to seeing our winter residents that it is hard for us to notice their disappearance. For example, I only observed about five fish crows in Vineyard Haven on March 19. Have some of them left already? Last week there were about 50 of them, still many fewer than their mid-winter abundance.

The brant are still abundant in their Ocean Park as I counted 140 of them on March 19. Their numbers will start thinning out pretty soon, although some may linger into May.

Winter residents are plentiful and the first northbound migrants are starting to arrive; can spring be far behind? Please report your sightings to birds@mvgazette.com.

Robert Culbert leads Guided Birding Tours and is an ecological consultant living in Vineyard Haven.

Photos of recent bird sightings on Martha's Vineyard.