You thought that March Madness was a college basketball tournament? Well, the phrase also reflects the increasing pace of northward migration this month. Matt Pelikan heard and saw a killdeer — a vociferous plover that often lives in agricultural fields — flying overhead near Quansoo Road on March 6. On March 4, Francesca Zeta found a Wilson’s snipe along the shoreline of town cove. And Alex Dunn heard a woodcock peenting at Duarte’s Pond on March 3. These species are arriving right on schedule.
No rough-legged hawks were observed on the Island this winter until Bob Shriber’s Feb. 22 report of one at the Gay Head cliffs. He continues to see that bird as it flies around the cliffs at dusk. This week Albert Fischer spotted two rough-legged hawks at Squibnocket — one on March 4 and another on March 5 — obviously different birds because one of them was much darker than the other. This does not mean that there are three rough-legs on the Island. For as the hawk soars, Squibnocket is not far away from the cliffs.
On March 1, Allan Keith was surprised to find two wood ducks on a pond at his farm. And are double-crested cormorants starting their return? I observed two adults at the Oak Bluffs pumping station on March 6. The next day Jim and Chris Swozzo spotted three of them there. Are these bird recent arrivals, or did they somehow avoid detection over the winter?
Red-winged blackbirds are increasingly abundant. Holly Mercier, Kathie Case, Martha Moore, Susan Warren and Catherine Deese have seen them in their yards this week, and I heard several of them singing at the Oak Bluffs pumping station on March 6. Other blackbird sightings include a grackle spotted by Albert Fischer on March 5, and Julia Austin reports a brown-headed cowbird near Bassett Place Road in Chilmark on March 4. These arrivals are certain harbingers of the yet-to-arrive spring.
Bird Sightings
Bob Shriber spotted a red-necked grebe at the Oak Bluffs pumping station on March 5 and 6. Others who saw this bird include: Lanny McDowell, Luanne Johnson, Margaret Curtin, Jim and Chris Swozzo and myself. It seems a strange location for this species in the winter, as they tend to be on the ocean, but they breed on fresh water lakes in western half of Canada so maybe this freshwater location is not as unexpected as we thought.
Alcids continue to be spotted of the Gay Head cliffs. On March 3, Allan Keith spotted four razorbills and seven dovekies and the same day Bob Shriber spotted 45 razorbills and one dovekie. On March 7, the latter observer found a large flock of 75 razorbills. These two species are not usually seen in these numbers.
How many eagles are on the Island now? Alex Friedman spotted an amazing four bald eagles near Oyster Pond on March 2. Two of them were adult and the other two were immatures. Also that day, Jill Kratish spotted an adult at Farm Neck golf course. And there are two sightings on March 7. Two immature eagles were sighted by Hans Goeckel as they flew over Edgartown Great Pond heading west, and Martha Moore spotted an adult and a juvenile as they perched together on an osprey pole at Long Point.
At least one of the ring-necked pheasants released last fall has survived the hunting season. Mark Grandfield saw one on the side of North Road on March 7, and it was also seen by Laura Hilliard and Bill Russell. Jeff Komarinetz suggests that it may have been released last October.
Thaw Malin and Cynthia Bloomquist are still hosting a fox sparrow and an eastern towhee at their feeders as of March 5.
In news of waterfowl, I spotted a northern pintail at Sarson’s Island on March 7, which was also seen by Margaret Curtain and Luanne Johnson. On March 2, Lanny McDowell spotted male Barrows and common goldeneyes side-by-side in Vineyard Haven harbor.
Bob Shriber found one lesser scaup on March 6 in Aquinnah. And on March 7 an incredibly uncommon event occurred when Allan Keith drove all over Katama and did not see a single Canada goose.
Martha Moore reports that a lone pine siskin showed up in her yard on March 7— the yellow wing-bars gave its identity away. On a March 3 visit to Cape Pogue, Hans Goeckel found a dozen snow buntings and some brant on the beach near the lighthouse. And Tony Lima has observed a pair of ravens hanging around the Edgartown cell phone tower since March 4, which strongly suggests a second pair of nesting ravens on the Island, as the pair near the Verizon building is still present there.
Please email your sightings to birds@mvgazette.com.
Robert Culbert is an ecological consultant with Nature Watch LLC living in Vineyard Haven.
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