The beauty of fall migration is that some migrants unexpectedly persist. Of course daytime temperatures in the low 70s, help.
The most unusual persistent species is the prothonotary warbler, a mostly southern species that has been hanging out at the Oak Bluffs Pumping Station since Oct. 8. It is not easy to find; it takes patience and repeated visits. Susan Whiting found it, along with a lingering Nashville warbler there on Oct. 15, Ruth Richards saw it on Oct. 17. Cynthia Bloomquist, Thaw Malin and Nancy Weaver observed it on Oct. 20. I have spent five hours over three visits searching unsuccessfully, but will try again. Maybe I will find it.
Yellow-billed cuckoos have been seen twice this week. Charles Morano watched one near Squibnocket Pond on Oct. 17 and Tony Lima discovered two of them at Tradewinds Preserve on Oct. 20.
The shorebird scene has some persisting visitors. Rob Davey spotted two whimbrels on East Beach on Oct. 12 and Frances Clapp found 13 semipalmated plovers and three semipalmated sandpipers on Norton Point on Oct. 14, Brad Winn had three semipalmated plovers at Lobsterville Beach on Oct. 15 and Jennifer Slossberg observed one killdeer at the High School on Oct. 17. The troika of Nancy Nordin, Lanny McDowell and Pete Gilmore counted at least 60 killdeer at Thimble Farm on Oct. 18. Lisa Maxfield reports eight American oystercatchers at Eel Pond on Oct. 19. Otherwise, the shorebirds are our winter resident black-bellied plovers, sanderling and dunlin.
Ospreys are persisting. David Stanwood spotted a rather late individual at Tisbury WaterWorks on Oct. 8 and Bridget Dunnigan and Sea Williams observed one at Oak Bluffs Pumping Station on Oct. 15. Rob Bierregaard recently updated me on his annual osprey nesting survey; the Vineyard now hosts 120 nesting pairs and 10 other pairs of two-year old ospreys practicing nesting—housekeeping it is called. Remember 1971 when there were only two nesting pairs?
Also persisting is a brown pelican, whose second visit arrived at Long Point on Oct. 11, as reported by Shea Fee. The next day Nate Durawa spotted it in Edgartown Harbor, Justin Kane saw one there on Oct. 16 and Kevin Shea found it on Oct. 17. Again persistence is necessary—I have looked for it three times with no success!
A horned grebe demonstrates a different form of persistence—it is a winter resident that has persisted in Eel Pond since late August! Lisa Maxfield observed it again on Oct. 19.
A pied-billed grebe was spotted twice this week in Crackatuxet Cove. Nancy Nordin had one on Oct. 19 and Ruth
Richards found it again on Oct. 21. Lanny McDowell observed a first-of-the-season harlequin duck at Squibnocket Beach on Oct. 13 Finch migration is peaking now. Susan Whiting found a rose-breasted grosbeak at the Oak Bluffs Pumping Station on Oct. 15. Nancy Nordin observed a Lincoln’s sparrow at the Gay Head Cliffs on Oct. 20. There were four sightings of purple finches: Matt Pelikan saw two at Dogfish Bar on Oct. 15, Bob Shriber observed one in Aquinnah on Oct. 15, Susan Whiting, Nancy Weaver and Bob Shriber located two along Lighthouse Road on Oct. 16 and Thaw Malin and Cynthia Bloomquist discovered one at their West Tisbury home on Oct. 16. White-crowned sparrows were found this week: Susan Whiting, Bob Shriber and Nancy Weaver spotted one at Squibnocket Pond on Oct. 16, Ruth Richards saw two at the Gay Head Cliffs on Oct. 17 and Nancy Nordin observed three at the Gay Head Cliffs on Oct. 20. The more expected finches have multiple sightings, include white-throated sparrow, dark-eyed junco, chipping sparrow, swamp sparrow, savannah sparrow and of course song sparrows.
Bob Shriber and Charles Morano each located one American pipit at Squibnocket Pond on Oct. 17, while the trio of Nancy Nordin, Lanny McDowell and Pete Gilmore found one at Thimble Farm on Oct. 18.
Connie Alexander reports the first pine siskin of the season as well as two red-breasted nuthatches, several chipping sparrows, white-breasted nuthatch, brown creeper, tufted titmouse, downy woodpecker, black-capped chickadee, Carolina wren and mourning dove. Another species that may show up at a feeder—or anyplace with house sparrows—is a dickcissel; I spotted one in a flock of 100 house sparrows at the Edgartown transfer station on Oct. 19.
Both golden-crowned and ruby-crowned kinglets are passing through and the former will stay through the winter. Lanny McDowell, saw a ruby-crowned in Aquinnah on Oct. 13, Matt Pelikan observed one ruby-crowned and four golden-crowned at Dogfish Bar on Oct. 15. On Oct. 16 Charles Morano located four ruby-crowned and eight golden-crowned at the right fork, Nancy Weaver found three ruby-crowned and one golden-crowned near Squibnocket Beach, Bob Shriber and Susan Whiting watched six ruby-crowned and two golden-crowned at Squibnocket Point and Chris Scott spotted four ruby-crowned and three golden-crowned at the Oak Bluffs Pumping Station.
Lanny McDowell spotted a black-throated green warbler and an American Redstart in Aquinnah on Oct. 13. On October 15, Bridget Dunnigan and Sea Williams saw a northern waterthrush and two blackpolls at the Oak Bluffs Pumping Station, Matt Pelikan observed one blackpoll at Dogfish Bar and two blackpolls at the Gay Head Cliffs and Bob Shriber watched one white-eyed vireo, two blue-headed vireos, one Tennessee warbler, one orange-crowned warbler and five blackpolls in Aquinnah. The next day Bob Shriber and Susan Whiting located two blue-headed vireos, one red-eyed vireo and three blackpoll in Aquinnah.
On Oct. 17, Nancy Weaver saw one northern parula at Squibnocket Beach, Charles Morano saw one blue-headed vireo, one orange-crowned warbler, three northern parulas, one blackpoll and one palm warbler at Squibnocket Pond, Nancy Weaver spotted one blue-headed vireo, one red-eyed vireo, one blackpoll at the Oak Bluffs Pumping Station, Shea Fee observed one Philadelphia vireo and one blackpoll at the Oak Bluffs Pumping station and Shea Fee observed one blue-headed vireo at Long Point. The next day Pete Gilmore, Lanny McDowell and Nancy Nordin counted 10 palm warblers at Thimble Farm and Nancy Nordin added a yellow-breasted chat at the Gay Head Cliffs on.
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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