To say that the arrival of ruby-throated hummingbirds is eagerly anticipated is an understatement. People have been talking excitedly about their arrival, when to put out their hummingbird feeders (now), and they parse the map of the progress of hummingbird migration up the Atlantic Coast. And now the wait is over. John Nelson reports the first hummer of the season arrived at his Harthaven feeder on April 19.
Eastern towhee (I prefer calling them by their former and much more descriptive name of rufous-sided towhee) arrived on the Island on April 19, at Sioux Eagle’s feeder. Holly Mercier, Tim Rush, Laurie Meyst, Kathleen Kinsman and Elizabeth Leo all report hearing and seeing their first of the year on April 20.
Bird Sightings
The most unexpected sighting of the week is that of a brown pelican, which was observed by Bea Whiting and Patrick Ruel at Quansoo Beach on April 12. This is likely the same bird that was seen at Wellfleet on April 10 and then on Nantucket on April 11. It undoubtedly was carried north by one of the recent strong weather systems coming up the Atlantic Coast. Whether pelican or songbird, they are spring overshoots, well north of their intended destination.
Another overshoot is Mike Tinus’ sighting of a male Baltimore oriole in the hedgerow along the southeast corner of the Farm Institute on April 18. This bright orange and black bird popped up to the top of the hedgerow as he drove by, but it could not be relocated 10 minutes later when Chris Connors, Mike Tinus and I searched for it. This individual was seen about a week earlier than normal, but how long was it out there before it was observed?
The migration of indigo buntings is now reaching this far north. They breed all the way up into Canada, but are infrequent breeders on the Island. Romilly Straight spotted one at her Chilmark feeder on April 16, and Dardy Slavin saw one on the West Tisbury side of Tisbury Great Pond on April 17.
John Nelson spotted a blue-gray gnatcatcher at Harthaven on April 19. The migration of these hyper but diminutive birds is starting to peak about now. They are not found very often on the Vineyard, with only a few sightings during the northward and southward migrations.
Jeff Bernier found a wood thrush on April 17 in an unexpected location. Perhaps it thought it was a robin (a close relative) because it was hopping around in the middle of his yard. I saw one at Quansoo Farm on April 19 in a more expected habitat — the woods.
The last new arrivals for this week are an American coot at Squibnocket, spotted by Allan Keith on April 13, and barn swallows spotted by Lanny McDowell at the Farm Institute on April 14. John Crocker spotted an adult bald eagle being harassed by an osprey at the south end of Lake Tashmoo. Elsewhere on the predator front, Bob Woodruff finally has barn owls in his nest box. He saw one on April 19 and is hoping there is a pair. And a sharp-shinned hawk showed up in an unexpected place on April 17. Tara May spotted it perched on the back of a front-porch chair in downtown Oak Bluffs on Kennebec Avenue. And Allan Keith visited Katama on that same day, finding both a kestrel and a merlin. On to the waterbirds, where northern gannets continue to steal the show. On April 16, two observers (Anne Whiting and Don Gosselin) reported thousands of gannets feeding of East and West Chops. On April 19 there were hundreds of gannets there, with more foraging off State Beach reported by Hans Goeckel, Sharon Simonin, Olsen Houghton and Catherine Deese. Meanwhile, there
were “tons of gannets” spotted by Bob Shriber off Aquinnah. They must all be migrating through the Sound as I only spotted about 10 of them feeding off Quansoo Beach that same day.
Allen Keith saw three greater yellowlegs at Lobsterville on April 13, while Sharon Simonin spotted one at Farm Pond on April 16, and I observed one at Black Point Pond on April 19. The white-fronted goose that first showed up in Katama on Feb. 18 is still hanging around two months later. Jeff Bernier spotted it at the Farm Institute on April 19. And Tim Johnson spotted a first year great blue heron on April 15. The adults of this species have probably left for their nesting colonies.
Ira Certner reports eastern bluebirds, pine warblers, chipping sparrows and a brown creeper visiting his feeders on April 19. Bluebirds were also seen by Kathleen Kinsman at the Polly Hill Arboretum on April 17. Matt Pelikan found his first field sparrows of the year at the northeast corner of the state Forest on April 19.
Finally, a dead barn owl was found at Farm Neck on Feb. 9. It was banded and now we know where it was born. Bob Kennedy reports that he banded that owl in Quidnet last year on June 27, when it was five to six weeks old. Quidnet is at the eastern end of Nantucket only 32 miles from Farm Neck, but 14 miles of that is Muskeget Channel. Mr. Kennedy and Ginger Andrews have banded hundreds of young and adult barn owls on that island and this is the first recovery outside of Nantucket.
The American woodcock are still courting at the Frisbee golf course at dusk. I heard and saw his spectacular courtship display on April 19. It will be worth it for you to go there.
Watching birds helps relieve the isolation of social distancing! Stay healthy and report your sightings to birds@mvgazette.com.
Robert Culbert is an ecological consultant with Nature Watch LLC living in Vineyard Haven.
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