The species mentioned here are sporadic breeders that mostly pass through on their way north or back south: purple martin, bobolink, snowy egret and saw-whet owl. Only occasionally do they stay to nest.
There are two reports of purple martins, both from June 13. Nathaniel Sharp and Mike Perrin found two near a nesting box along Navy Way in Edgartown. The troika of Luanne Johnson, Nancy Weaver and Shea Fee found another two along Sanderson avenue in Oak Bluffs. In Vineyard Birds, Susan Whiting notes that cold and windy three-day nor’theasters curtailed the abundance of flying insects that inevitably make their nesting attempts unsuccessful. Nathaniel Sharp and Mike Perrin also spotted three bobolinks at Katama Farm, another very sporadic breeder.
Snowy egrets were seen on June 10 by Zoe Shively at Felix Neck and by me at Little Beach on June 12. Not since the 1980s has this species nested every year. Maybe the uptick in sightings in recent years will start their comeback.
The tiny, robin-sized saw-whet owl undoubtedly nests here more frequently than we know. Their size and nocturnal habits make them difficult to find. I wouldn’t have heard one calling near my house if I had not been partially awake at 4:45 on June 14!
Most notable of all sightings is Dana Gaines’ report of an adult yellow-crowned night-heron in the west arm of Lagoon Pond on June 8. They are uncommon here. Another unusual sighting was the great blue heron found by Nathaniel Sharp near Water street in Vineyard Haven. They are common in the fall and winter but do not nest here.
Luanne Johnson, Nancy Weaver and Shea Fee had a good morning on June 13 as they birded along Sanderson avenue. Golden-crowned kinglet and white-throated sparrows are not expected during breeding season since both breed further north. For good measure they added eastern wood-pewee, eastern kingbird, house wren and field sparrow. Bridget Dunnigan and Sea Williams added a brown creeper to this list when they visited the day before.
On June 12 Lanny McDowell spotted a lesser black-backed gull on Edgartown’s south shore. He also noted grackles feeding on the orange roe of mole crabs on the beach. In past years I have seen them picking up white grub-like animals from the wrack line on the oceanside beach. They fly away with morsels to feed their nest-bound offspring.
Nathaniel Sharp visited Moshup Beach on June 13 and found a great shearwater, three sooty shearwaters and one gannet, with a willow flycatcher singing from the nearby wetland along Moshup Trail; at Norton Point he spotted three more gannets, green heron, northern harrier and saltmarsh sparrow. Kaushal Patel found three laughing gulls, four chimney swifts and a saltmarsh sparrow at Little Beach on June 13.
I spotted a red-throated loon at Lighthouse Beach in Edgartown on June 10. It was in almost-complete breeding plumage. Second grade students from the Edgartown School were there on a field trip and got to see it. It finally swam off and repeatedly dove in the very shallow nearshore waters.
Elliott Ginger reported seven common eiders along Beach Road in Vineyard Haven on June 8. Susan Whiting saw an adult bald eagle at Tisbury Great Pond on June 10. Fred Mascolo found a killdeer at Boldwater on June 12. I found 28 goldfinches in flocks of 10 and 18 at Katama Farm on June 12.
It is near the peak of nesting season and lots of birds are busy raising their next generation. Chip Winograd observed a fledgling eastern towhee at Aquinnah circle on June 7. An adult’s behavior can tell you the nesting status of the youngsters. Alysa Emden reports that the five eastern phoebe chicks finally fledged; they have been running their parents ragged.
Carolina wrens will nest just about anywhere. Jason Brescia discovered their nest in his upside down motorcycle helmet on June 10. Julia Austin saw wrens adding rabbit fur to their nest on June 8. Cynthia Bloomquist and Thaw Malin report that their young house finches have not yet fledged.
Jeff Bernier watched male and female Baltimore orioles carrying food for hungry nestlings on June 11 while Laura Hilliard and Sue Pagliccia have noted superactive orioles in their yards. Matt Pelikan noticed song sparrows re-nesting in his yard after their first attempt ended in failure. Mary Beth Baptiste reports a tufted titmouse nesting in her yard. Kaushal Patel noted that many fledglings were in a flock of 100 European starlings in a recently plowed Katama Farm field.
June 12 was a busy day. Julie Anne McNary has catbirds with nestlings about 15 feet from her house. Catbirds are on their second nesting attempt in Greg Pattison’s yard. Amy Judith observed a common yellowthroat carrying nesting material at Wasque. A black-capped chickadee nest in Mary Volpe’s yard hatched. Cynthia McGrath has a pair of great crested flycatchers nesting in a box in her yard.
Please email your sightings to birds@mvgazette.com.
Robert Culbert is an ecological consultant with Nature Watch LLC living in Vineyard Haven.
Comments
Comment policy »