The Farm Institute has come through in a big way this week, with two unexpected sightings. John Nelson spotted an upland sandpiper in the farm fields on April 28. Both Jeff Bernier and I were able to see the bird later in the day. This unusually shaped shorebird has a head that appears to be too small for its body.
The next day multiple observers, (Luanne Johnson, Margaret Curtin, John Nelson, Lanny McDowell and Ken Magnuson) found a golden plover that is molting into breeding plumages — it is starting to show some black on its belly. Both species are much more likely in the fall than in the spring, as most of them migrate northward through the middle of the country rather than along the Atlantic coast.
Dan Bradley is the first to report a black-and-white warbler this spring. It visited his suet feeder on April 28. Another warbler arrival is that of the yellow warbler, observed by Warren Woessner at the Oak Bluffs Pumping Station on April 28. And Allan Keith spotted the first northern parula (a warbler) at Waskosim’s Rock on April 27. He also found a blue-headed vireo back on April 21 and a broad-winged hawk at Abel’s Hill on April 22.
I find it interesting that migration is so much earlier in the Midwest. My family and I were in Missouri over the school vacation week and we found scarlet tanager, ruby-throated hummingbirds, five species of warblers (black-and-white, prairie, yellow, yellow-throated, and northern parula); species that are only now arriving on the Vineyard. Ah, the difference between earlier warmer springs inland compared to our colder and later springs along the coast.
Red-headed woodpeckers are uncommon visitors to the Island. Identification of this species is difficult because the red-bellied woodpecker is so common and has a lot of red on its head. Other characteristics are helpful here, like the large white patches on the wings/back of the red-headed or the zebra-like striping on the back of the red-bellied. Warren Woessner found and carefully identified an adult red-headed woodpecker in the woodlands at Wilson’s Landing (the public access to Edgartown Great Pond) on April 28. Laura Lennihan also found this bird on April 30.
Some of the migrants we are seeing now include species that nest on the Island. To that end, Lisa Maxfield reports a willet in the marshes near Brush Pond on April 28. That same day, I heard a willet calling from the salt marsh at the southwestern corner of Norton Point Beach.
Terns are another eagerly anticipated arrival. David Stanwood spotted the first terns of the year. Both least and common terns were near the entrance to Lake Tashmoo on April 29. It is unusual that both species showed up on the same day. Leasties normally arrive a few days into May, so they are early.
Green herons arrived on April 27, when Allan Keith spotted one at Squibnocket Pond. The next day, Warren Woessner found one at Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary.
Ruby-throated hummingbirds continue their gradual return. On April 26 Dan Bradley observed one at his feeder, and Luanne Johnson spotted a hummer (her first of the season) in her yard on April 29. Rita Brown also reports a male hummer on the same day. Hummers returned to four feeders on April 30: Laura LaVigne’s, Diana Roy’s, Tom Hodgson’s and Connie Alexander’s.
A few other species are continuing to filter in. Last week Jack O’Callaghan spotted a different-looking species visiting his feeders: a rose-breasted grosbeak. As reported in last week’s column, a large number of these showy seed-eating birds showed up last week, but this is the first one he has seen in his almost 30 years of feeding birds at his Vineyard Haven home. More eastern towhees arrived this week. Two of them showed up in Debby Mello Orazem’s yard on April 25, and there were a few of them that my Edgartown Public Library bird tour found at the Caroline Tuthill Preserve on April 28. We also spotted five pairs of pine warblers scattered through the woodlands there.
Eleanor Stanwood heard and saw her first Baltimore orioles of the season on April 28.
Some species are continuing their northward trek to their breeding grounds. Gus Ben David reports that he observed a flock of seven great blue herons flying over his house on the morning of April 29. In recent years it has been unusual to see flocks of these large waders; the flock circled over his ponds and then headed off toward Edgartown Great Pond.
Red-breasted mergansers are still here in small numbers. My April 28 library bird tour found two of them on Sengekontacket Pond, and Lisa Maxfield observed several of them on Brush Pond on April 29.
Allan Keith comments that northern gannets are at their migratory peak, and he saw a huge flock of them off Squibnocket Beach on April 30. There also were eight harlequin ducks closer to shore.
Three sightings should have been reported in previous columns, but better late than never! Brigitte Cornand reported an immature bald eagle perched in a tree near Tisbury Great Pond on April 17. I do not know of any subsequent sightings of eagles on the Vineyard. Martha Moore reports a most unexpected sighting back on April 12. She observed a brant perched on the osprey nest at Long Point. What was it doing perched that high off the ground? A third belated report is Ellen Leverenz’ sighting of an adult little blue heron near the canoe launch at Sepeissa Point on April 7.
And then there is news about our year-round resident species. Olsen Houghton reports a horned lark singing on State Beach. They are inconspicuous but can always be found between the Jabberwocky handicapped parking and the big bridge. It is easier to locate them at this time of the year when they are singing their softly warbled twittering song.
Pamela Brock has a pair of red-bellied woodpeckers drilling a nesting cavity in a tree in her yard. She comments that they have drilled an almost perfectly round entrance hole, something that we need an electric drill to do.
And Norma Costain found a dozen cedar waxwings feeding on maple buds in her yard on April 29.
Spring migrants are showing up every week. Please report your sightings to birds@mvgazette.com.
Robert Culbert is an ecological consultant living in Vineyard Haven.
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