A white-throated sparrow had never been seen before in July. It is a common winter resident, but the records show that it is not found here between mid June and mid September, and it does not nest in southeastern Massachusetts. But as reported in last week’s column, Seth Factor heard and saw one white-throated sparrow on July 4 at Cedar Tree Neck, and I spotted and then heard it along the brown trail near the goats on July 20. I was watching a group of three noisy distressed American robins when a sparrow popped up in the shrubbery, then hopped up even higher and perched out in the open, tossed its head back and sang.
There it was — an adult in breeding plumage, more than two weeks after the initial sighting. Are there two of them? Did they attempt to nest?
Another surprise is Matt Pelikan and Lori Shaller finding an apparent family group of two adult and three fledgling spotted sandpipers that acted like they were together and very at home along the Major’s Cove shoreline in Sengekontacket Pond on July 14. Matt suggests that they probably nested there. This might be the first record of them nesting here, and is welcome news as I have had numerous conversations over the years about why we do not find them nesting here. They nest over most of North America north of Virginia.
In other news of nesting birds, Seth Buddy spotted a mallard with five ducklings and a black duck with eight ducklings, both families along the beach between Mink Meadows and West Chop on July 18. Jonathan Tenerovoch spotted three adult black ducks on Norton Point on July 15. Mallard are much more common and there are multiple reports this week. Chris Scott found a mallard with young ducklings at Butlers Mudhole on July 15, and on July 20 there were 11 at Crackatuxet Cove, six at Caleb’s Pond and eight at Trapp’s Pond. Philip Edmundson spotted three at Watcha Pond July 16, Seth Buddy found four at Quansoo Farm on July 17, Francesca Zeta located two at Long Point on July 20 and Steve Allen observed four at Felix Neck on July 22, the same day that Nancy Weaver observed three near Mink Meadows.
Scott Bliss watched a fledgling northern cardinal on his Oak Bluffs porch July 17, Shea Fee and Danielle Stebbins found a flock of 25 adult and fledgling chipping sparrows at the state forest headquarters on July 20 and Jessica Shafer saw a mother woodcock with three babies along a dirt road in Aquinnah on July 15.
As if shorebirds were not hard enough to identify, the task just got a little harder. So far this season the migrating shorebirds have been adults in mostly complete breeding plumage. But on July 18 I spotted an adult and a juvenile black-bellied plover on Little Beach, the latter with a brownish and heavily speckled back. Juvenile shorebirds often look very different from their parents, and the adults have a varied appearance because they are now molting into their much drabber winter plumage. Right next to these two birds, on the same peat bed exposed at low tide, was a flock of 29 piping plovers, including seven juveniles. This is the largest flock of piping plovers I recall seeing.
Whimbrels are one of the larger sandpipers we see. Their long down-curved beak makes them easier to identify. As mentioned in last week’s column, Sky Kardell found the first one of the season at Long Point on July 11. This week Walt Looney saw one flying over Little Beach toward Chappaquiddick on July 18. And John Nelson observed one in the salt marshes of southern Sengekontacket Pond on July 19.
Seth Buddy found a stilt sandpiper — somewhat similar to a yellowlegs in appearance — along the beach between Mink Meadows and West Chop on July 20.
On July 15, the Martha’s Vineyard Bird Club’s field trip to John Butler’s Mudhole at Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary found a pectoral sandpiper, a first for the season. They also spotted two Virginia rails, three American oystercatchers, four killdeer, two piping plovers, eight short-billed dowitchers, one spotted sandpiper, one greater yellowlegs, one least sandpiper and two semipalmated sandpipers either there or at Eel Pond. Chris Scott added two white-rumped sandpipers at Butler’s Mudhole, complete with a white patch across the base of their tails.
More Bonaparte’s gulls were reported this week. On July 20, Francesca Zeta saw one at Long Point while Susan Whiting and Bob Shriber spotted one on Tisbury Great Pond — these could have been the same birds.
Seth Buddy observed a little blue heron along the beach between Mink Meadows and West Chop on July 16, and Bob Shriber found one at Menemsha Pond on July 18.
Ruby-throated hummingbirds are widespread, although John Nelson reports much reduced hummer activity this year. July 17 was a busy day. Sharon Simonin saw one at her Oak Bluffs feeder on July 17, Susan Whiting had three at Old Fields Path and Mary Point reports they returned to her feeders that day after a 40 day absence.
Mickey Karpa spotted one in Chilmark on July 18, and on July 20 Seth Buddy observed three between Mink Meadows and West Chop and Chris Scott located one at Bold Meadow. Both Marnie Gauley and Walter Ricciardi have been seeing them daily.
Scarlet tanagers continue to be reported. Iya Labunka got a close-up view of a male (wow!) perched on her deck at Seven Gates on July 14, Seth Buddy found two at Waskosim’s Rock Reservation on July 15 and Jenna Albaugh located one at Blackwater Preserve on July 19.
Finally, John Nelson spotted a fall plumage bobolink on June 19 at Katama Farm. And in another sign of the start of the songbird migration, Seth Buddy observed a flock of 120 common grackles at Quansoo Farm on July 17.
Please email your sightings to birds@vineyardgazette.com.
Robert Culbert is an ecological consultant with Nature Watch living in Vineyard Haven.
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