Last week I wrote about great horned owls starting to nest even though it is mid-winter. Common ravens are, too! As Wendy Culbert and I were walking in Vineyard Haven on Feb. 4, Wendy heard a familiar croak and saw two ravens sitting on a platform; that is likely where they will nest this year and it would be a new location and may be a new breeding pair. I have not checked the other known nesting locations and I do not know where the ravens seen at Wasque or in Aquinnah nest.
Allan Keith reports that a female Barrow’s goldeneye showed up unexpectedly on a pond on his Chilmark Farm on Feb. 4, and Bob Shriber saw it the next day. The most recent prior sighting was on Dec. 6-7 of last year, by Bob Shriber and Chris Scott on Crystal Lake. In the previous winter a Barrow’s was frequently seen in Vineyard Haven harbor.
A number of migrating purple finches were seen last October and November. We should see them through the winter. Nancy Nordin saw the first one of the year at Thumb Cove in Chilmark Pond on Feb. 3.
Another species — this one not seen since last winter — is the canvasback. Chris Scott, Nancy Weaver and Nancy Nordin saw a male at Black Point Pond on Feb. 3.
We have seen fox sparrows recently. Shea Fee spotted two at Wasque on Jan. 22; on Jan. 27 Laura Lennihan found one at the Gay Head Cliffs and Lisa Maxfield observed one at Doctor’s Creek near Chilmark Pond; Frederick Khedouri watched one in Menemsha on Feb. 2; and Nancy Nordin saw one at Thumb Cove in Chilmark Pond on Feb. 3. Elsewhere on the sparrow front, Nancy Nordin visited the Gay Head Cliffs on Feb. 4 and found one field sparrow.
Both types are uncommon, contrasting with the abundant and frequently-observed song and white-throated sparrows.
Red-breasted nuthatches have been scarce this winter. Thaw Malin and Cynthia Bloomquist spotted one at their West Tisbury feeders on Feb. 1. The only other sightings this year: Chris Scott saw two at Bold Meadow on Jan. 3 and David Benvent found five in the state forest on Jan. 6. This contrasts to the closely related white-breasted nuthatch that frequents most, if not all, feeders and is common in all woodlands.
Feb. 4 was a bright sunny day, the likes of which we have not seen recently. Pairs of red-tailed hawks were conspicuous as they were up on soar together. Wendy and I observed a pair soaring together at the Margaret K. Littlefield Greenlands on Feb. 4 and Luanne Johnson and Nancy Weaver saw two at Runner Road in West Tisbury the same day. On Feb. 3 single birds were seen by Matt Pelikan on Feb. 4 at the Oak Bluffs pumping station, Thomas Colligan on Saddle Club Road in Edgartown, Heidi Lang in her Edgartown yard and Nancy Weaver at her Vineyard Haven home. Rebecca Waterman also saw one near the Whiting Farm on Feb. 1.
In other hawk news, Nelson Smith saw one northern harrier at Katama on Feb. 3 and the next day Nancy Nordin saw one at West Basin and another at the Gay Head Cliffs. One Cooper’s hawk was reported by the troika of Chris Scott, Nancy Weaver and Nancy Nordin at Black Point Pond on Feb. 3 and Matt Pelikan saw one at Wiggy’s Pond in Oak Bluffs on Feb. 4.
Chris Scott spotted an American kestrel, along with two snow buntings, at Katama Farm on Jan. 29. Nancy Nordin found one merlin at the West Basin on Feb. 4.
Something is keeping all the turkey vultures between Lobsterville Beach and downtown West Tisbury; this includes 17 sightings in January and all six of this month’s sightings. Nancy Weaver spotted two at Chilmark Pond on Feb. 1 and Dana Bangs found three at Lucy Vincent Beach on Feb. 2. On Feb. 3 Nancy Nordin saw nine at Thumb Cove and the threesome of Nancy Nordin, Nancy Weaver and Chris Scott observed two at Black Point Pond. On Feb. 4 Nancy Nordin, Amy Houghton and Olsen Houghton counted a large flock of 30 at Thumb Cove and Nancy Weaver and Luanne Johnson located two at Runner Road. Why are they missing from the rest of the Island?
Common loons are more common than red-throated loons. There are 15 sightings of common loons this week — too many to detail — usually of one or two birds with a high count of 12 by Frederick Khedouri at Menemsha on Feb. 2. There were only six sightings of red-throated loons this week, all of only one or two birds.
Out of all this scanning of the ocean, Dana Bangs found the only razorbill. It was off the Gay Head Cliffs on Feb. 2.
Several species are still lingering, so maybe they will survive the winter? Lingering birds include an eastern phoebe seen by Nancy Weaver at her Vineyard Haven home on Feb. 4. Tree swallows were at two locations: Nancy Weaver, Nancy Nordin and Chris Scott found a flock of 20 at Town Cove on Jan. 3 and Nancy Weaver saw five at Mink Meadows on Feb. 2.
On Feb. 3 Chris Scott, Nancy Weaver and Nancy Nordin observed one greater yellowlegs at Quansoo Farm and four at Black Point Pond, while Cynthia Bloomquist and Thaw Malin spotted two greater and one lesser yellowlegs at Black Point Pond. The next day Nancy Nordin found one greater yellowlegs at West Basin in Aquinnah and Luanne Johnson and Nancy Weaver saw three at Town Cove.
There are likely two snow geese lingering on the Island. Nancy Weaver saw one at the Grey Barn and Farm on Jan. 31 and Chris Scott found one at Sweetened Water Farm.
Finally, the orange-crowned warbler is lingering near Brush Pond; Lisa Maxfield saw it again on Jan. 30.
Please email your sightings to birds@vineyardgazette.com.
Robert Culbert is an ecological consultant with Nature Watch LLC living in Vineyard Haven.
Comments
Comment policy »