What a difference one week makes. Last week included 14 species, eight of which were migrating through rather than species that nest on the Island. This week is very different; the warblers reported this week include ovenbird, common yellowthroat, yellow, prairie, pine and black-and-white — all species that nest here.
There are several new-for-the-season species seen this week. The trio of Bob Shriber, Lanny McDowell and Pete Gilmore spotted eight green-winged teal at Black Point Pond on Augist 29. While there, they also saw an American golden plover and two red knots. Nancy Nordin observed a migrating yellow-throated vireo in her West Tisbury yard on August 26, a songbird not found here every year.
The MV Bird Club found the horned grebe first observed at Eel Pond last week by Francesca Zeta. The MV Bird Club observed and photographed this breeding plumaged individual on August 27 at Eel Pond.
Herons and egrets are abundant now, none more so than the great egret. Jenna Albaugh watched three of them on Cape Pogue on August 21, Susan Whiting located three at Tisbury Great Pond on August 25, Steve Allen saw a remarkable 16 of them at Felix Neck on August 28, and Mollie Feldman spotted two at Menemsha Harbor on August 29. The smaller snowy egrets have also been seen. Judd Nathan found two at State Beach on August 19, while Steve Allen observed one at Felix Neck on August 21, the same day Jenna Albaugh observed two on Cape Pogue. She also spotted a little blue heron on Cape Pogue. Shea Fee found an adult near Dike Bridge on August 27.
Other herons spotted this week include green heron, great blue heron and both black-crowned and yellow-crowned night-heron. The latter species is less common but they have recently been present at Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary. Skip MacElhannon found one on August 23 and Lisa Maxfield found one on August 26. The year-round resident black-crowned night-heron is also around. Brian Bobowski observed three of them at Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary on August 20.
The smallest heron, the green heron, is still here. One individual was seen this week by Judd Nathan at State Beach on August 19, Brian Bobowski at Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary on August 20, Steve Allen and Jenna Albaugh at Felix Neck on August 26, and Matt Born at Clay Pit Road in Aquinnah on August 30. And Mollie Feldman found three of them in Menemsha Harbor on August 29.
The largest heron, the great blue heron, is also around. Sharon Simonin watched two chasing each other at Tisbury Water Works on August 20 and Steve Allen found two at Felix Neck on August 29. Other sightings of single individuals included Nancy Weaver at Major’s Cove on August 21, Jenna Albaugh on Cape Pogue August 21, me at Waterview Farm on August 22, the trio of Susan Whiting, Bob Shriber and Pete Gilmore at Tisbury Great Pond on August 30.
Other less than common shorebirds are still here. Susan Whiting found two Baird’s sandpipers at Tisbury Great Pond on August 26. The following people have seen the marbled godwits on Norton Point: Lanny McDowell August 26, David Padulo, Chris Scott and Charles Morano August 27, Luanne Johnson August 29, Nancy Weaver August 30, and Bridget Dunnigan and Sea Williams August 31. Susan Whiting, Pete Gilmore, Bob Shriber, and Lanny McDowell spotted one Hudsonian godwit, one whimbrel, and a remarkable 14 white-rumped sandpipers at Tisbury Great Pond on August 30. And Pete Gilmore, Lanny McDowell, and Bob Shriber added saw one pectoral sandpiper and a western willet at Black Point Pond on August 29.
Belted kingfishers are fairly abundant, having been seen by John Frelinghuysen at Butler’s Mudhole on August 19, Brian Bobowski at Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary on August 20, Jennifer Slossberg at Short Cove Preserve on August 20, Steve Allen at Felix Neck August 21, Susan Whiting saw two at Tisbury Great Pond on August 25, and Walt Looney one at Edgartown Great Pond on August 27.
Great crested flycatchers are becoming scarce. Jenna Albaugh found one at Felix Neck on August 26, Philip Edmundson spotted one in the woods near Watcha Pond on August 27 and Steve Allen counted three at Felix Neck on August 28.
Eastern kingbirds are slightly more common. Charles Morano had three at the right fork of South Beach state park on August 20, Brian Bobowski found four at Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary on August 20 and again on August 30, Brian Bobowsky saw one at Cape Pogue on August 20, David Benvent spotted 29 (wow!) at the Gay Head Cliffs on August 21, Matthew Born “only” saw 25 at Clay Pit Road in Aquinnah on August 24, and the MV Bird Club observed one at Eel Pond on August 26.
Pete Gilmore found one eastern wood-pewee at Nat’s Farm on August 26, the same day that Nancy Nordin saw one at her West Tisbury yard, and Philip Edmundson observed one near Watcha Pond on August 27. Pete Gilmore spotted one eastern phoebe at Nat’s Farm on August 26 — Jenna Albaugh located one at Felix Neck the same day, and Walt Looney saw one near Edgartown Great Pond on August 27.
Sky Kardell watched a scarlet tanager at the Gay Head Cliffs on August 21.
Skip MacElhannon found one common raven at Katama Farm on August 28, while Philip Edmundson saw one at South Beach in West Tisbury on both August 25 and August 30.
On August 26, Jenna Albaugh observed one northern harrier at Felix Neck. Philip Edmundson also located one near Watcha Pond and Madeline Weinstein saw one at Chilmark Pond on August 27, and Skip MacElhannon found a male and female at Katamaa Farm on August 29.
Other predators seen include a peregrine falcon. There were two sightings on August 29 David Padulo at Katama Farm and Bob Shriber, Lanny McDowell, and Pete Gilmore at Black Point Pond. And Steve Allen spotted a bald eagle at Felix Neck August 23.
Robert Culbert is an ecological consultant with Nature Watch LLC living in Vineyard Haven.
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