An eagerly anticipated arrival is that of the great crested flycatcher. Susan Shea is the first to spot one this year, in Ocean Heights on April 18. It is only a few days earlier than expected, although most will not arrive until May. Their call — it cannot be realistically called a song — is a loud “wheeep” that will be commonly heard in most of our woodlands.
The first common terns are expected in the last few days of April. But two of them arrived on April 23. I saw them as they flew past the high speed ferry as it entered Nantucket Harbor. The birds flew by a little more than 100 feet away and then headed to join a flock of gulls gathered on the nearby beach.
Broad-winged hawks are not common on the Vineyard, but they are becoming an annual spring event. This spring’s first sighting belongs to Yann Meersseman, as he found a one-year-old individual along Katama Road on April 23.
Many of the species arriving in recent weeks have arrived ahead of when they normally arrive. But the savannah sparrow that Jeff Bernier found in Katama on April 21 must have read the information about it, as it arrived when they are “supposed” to.
This sparrow resembles a smaller version of a song sparrow in that it is a sparrow that can have a spot in the center of its breast. But its head looks different, with a thin white stripe down the crown of its head and a yellow spot in front of its eye. They also tend to be in the dunes or in grasslands that lack shrubs, while the song sparrow is more likely in mixed grassland and shrublands.
Bird Sightings
The prothonotary warbler that was first reported on April 8 was still present at the Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary 10 days later, when Walt Looney spotted it.
Mr. Bernier found two species of raptors — a fancy word for hawks — an American kestrel and both male and female northern harriers in Katama on April 21. The male harrier is gray and white, and looks so different from the brown and sometimes buffy-undersided females.
Northern bobwhites have been sighted recently. Tim Johnson found a covey in Chilmark on April 23, and Judy Bryant observed a different covey along Middle Road in West Tisbury. We had a lot of sightings last summer, and hopefully they will continue to be seen this year as they make a come-back.
Wayne Smith observed eastern bluebirds in his yard on April 21. And Cheska Zayda observed an eastern bluebird at Pond View Farm on April 24 as it worked to consume a grub that was too big to swallow in one gulp.
Eastern towhees continue to filter in. Cynthia Bloomquist observed one in her yard on April 18. Suzan Bellincampi reports one at Felix Neck on April 20. Steve Parachini spotted one in his backyard on April 21. And Norma Holmes reports that there were lots of male towhees, but no females, at Fulling Mill Brook on April 24. It is normal for males to arrive before the females; who will spot the first female?
Penny Uhlendorf reports that the brown creepers are singing at the Phillips Preserve on April 24. Their song is difficult to hear, as it is very soft and high-pitched.
Screech owls are starting to nest now; they will nest in an appropriately sized nesting box. Sarah Vail observed one on April 20 in daylight as it returned to such a nesting box in her yard.
Sally Barkan reports both pine warblers and chipping sparrows in her Oak Bluffs yard on April 18. Knowing that both species are around provides a great opportunity to learn to distinguish their vary similar trilling songs; the chipping has a drier rattle while the pine warbler’s is more musical.
The spring northward migration is now obvious while winter residents will soon be departing. Please report your sightings to birds@mvgazette.com.
Robert Culbert leads Guided Birding Tours and is an ecological consultant living in Vineyard Haven.
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