The disc golf course in the State Forest is the place to be, whether you are searching for golfing birdies or those of the feathered persuasion.
On April 1, Jeff Peters reported that a woodcock was displaying there. This seems like an unusually late date for the first report of the season; perhaps this is because nobody has gone there looking for them?
I visited on April 7 and there were two woodcocks displaying — peenting while on the ground and then launching into their courtship flight. I would say it is a sight worth seeing, but for me it is really sounds worth hearing. After all, seeing is more difficult at or after dusk. One of the nice aspects about what I heard was that the pinkletinks were not yet chorusing, so the woodcock’s amazing sounds were plainly audible.
Beware of flying frisbees if you visit there before dark, however, as frisbee golfers are a hardy lot and some are still finishing their rounds as it is getting dark.
Bird Sightings
It has been a quiet week with few sightings of note. Kestrels are always of interest, and the kestrel that Bob Kimberly spotted at Sepiessa Point on April 2 — reported in last week’s column — was still around on April 6, spotted by Denguole Budris.
Ira Certner spotted four sanderlings at Long Point April 7. They were in a sort of odd place, as they were resting in water that was about halfway up their legs; they tend to rest on sand above the waterline. They were also the only shorebirds there, which seems odd to me, but no sandpipers were there on March 30 even though the pond was low and there were lots of tidal flats.
Cliff Erich visited Felix Neck on April 3 where his most notable sighting was a swamp sparrow, complete with reddish-brown on the wings, a gray face with a black eye-line, and a rusty cap. He also spotted tree swallows, oystercatchers, osprey, red-bellied woodpecker, tufted titmouse, and red-tailed hawk.
Shelley Edmondson reports finding several gadwalls in Tiah’s Cove on April 3. A good find, as these ducks are never common.
Dark-eyed juncos normally feed on the ground, but Maggie Bresnahan reports recently they have been getting seeds from feeders. Other observers — Catherine Brennan, Sheilah Hughes, and Holly Mercier — have also noted this change, which perhaps is due to their approaching migration back to their breeding grounds. As this species does not nest here, most of them will have departed by the end of April. Allan Keith reports that his juncos have already departed.
Norma Holmes found a flock of seven cedar waxwings at Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary on April 7, as well as red-winged blackbirds, cardinals, blue jays, black-capped chickadees, song sparrows, and American crows.
Osprey continue to report back to their nesting platforms. Kath MayWaite reports that one of the Veterans Memorial Park birds has returned, while Cliff Erich notes one back at its Harthaven nest, and Jeff Bernier reports the pair is back and building their nest at Katama Point. An osprey has returned to the Oak Bluffs pumping station building and there is a new way to view these birds without even leaving the comforts of home. We can watch all the action via our computers as a webcam is installed up there (go to www.ipcamlive.com/obwdospreycam to watch all the action). The birds are not yet staying on the nest at night, but at least one of them comes and goes during daylight hours.
Finally, Gus BenDavid is interested in the nesting history of purple martins on the Island. We are not aware of a record of their attempting to nest here for several decades, although they are seen every spring and fall as they migrate through. Mr. BenDavid suggests this may be due to a lack of suitable nesting sites, as they nest elsewhere in Massachusetts, often near large salt marshes. To test this, he has put up a number of nesting gourds in his yard to attract these colonial cavity-nesters.
Spring is here and the northward migration of birds has only just begun. Please report your sightings to birds@mvgazette.com.
Robert Culbert schedules private guided birding tours, and is an ecological consultant with Nature Watch LLC living in Vineyard Haven.
View more bird photos here.
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