We had warm weather in October, which is great weather for searching for migrating birds. The birds we are finding now sure have an autumnal feel to them.
Ducks are passing through, and some of them will stay through the winter. Nancy Weaver spotted the first Eurasian wigeon of the season at Crystal Lake on Oct. 30, the same place where one was seen last March. It was seen and photographed by Lanny McDowell the next day and by Bridget Dunnigan and Sea Williams on Nov. 1.
Charles Morano observed the first two long-tailed ducks of the season at Wasque on Nov. 3.
Bufflehead and brant continue to increase their numbers. On Nov. 3 Charles Morano discovered 145 bufflehead at Wasque, Wendy Culbert and I estimated there were 60 bufflehead at the southern end of Lagoon Pond’s west arm, and Matt Pelikan counted 85 brant on Ocean Park. The numbers for both species will continue to increase.
Northern gannet numbers are also increasing. Charles Morano counted 64 flying past the Gay Head Cliffs on Oct. 28 and Bob Shriber watched 35 of them in Aquinnah on Oct. 31.
An American Coot is not a duck even though it swims and acts like one. Instead, it is in the rail family. Bridget Dunnigan and Sea Williams saw one at Crystal Lake on Nov. 1 and Matt Pelikan found it there on Nov. 3.
Short-eared owls used to be common year-round on the Island as recently as the 1970s, especially at Katama and along the south shore. Used to be is the operative phrase here — now we get excited when we see one. Margaret Curtin is “pretty sure” she saw one flying around the fields at Long Point on Nov. 2, which would be the first sighting of the year. Hopefully, someone will confirm that sighting.
Snow buntings are on our beaches and fields through the winter. Lanny McDowell spotted a flock (the first of the season) at Eel Pond on Oct. 30.
The MV Bird Club’s field trip to the Gay Head Cliffs found an eastern meadowlark on Nov. 2, and the next day Francesca Zeta saw a flock of 20 at the Katama Airfield.
Not all birds are arriving for the season. Some linger into or even through the winter. Baltimore orioles (a common summer resident) are one example. Susan Whiting and Nancy Nordin saw one along Old Fields Path on Nov. 2, and Charles Morano spotted one at Wasque on Nov. 3.
American pipits are also staying longer. Nancy Weaver found one at the Gay Head Cliffs on Oct. 28, and Charles Morano observed nine of them at Katama Farm on Oct. 29.
Shearwaters are lingering, often with gannets. Bob Shriber observed one Cory’s shearwater along with 420 gannets at Pilot’s Landing on Nov. 1. On Nov. 2 Frederick Khedouri watched one great shearwater and two gannets at the Gay Head Cliffs, and Chris Scott located five Cory’s shearwaters and 15 gannets at Wasque. Birds that eat insects are lingering too. I spotted an eastern phoebe at the Gay Head Cliffs on Oct. 27 and another at Thimble Farm on Nov. 2. A few warblers are also lingering. Nancy Nordin, Lanny McDowell and Bob Shriber found one orange-crowned warbler at Squibnocket Pond on Oct. 29. Charles Morano observed five palm warblers at Short Cove Preserve on Oct. 31, and I counted seven pale western palm warblers and one very bright yellow eastern palm warbler at Thimble Farm on Nov. 2. Charles Morano located another six palm warblers and two pine warblers at Wasque on Nov. 3.
Both winter and marsh wrens are still hanging around. Chris Scott saw a winter wren at the Oak Bluffs pumping station on Oct. 30, Bob Shriber had one in Aquinnah on Oct. 31, on Nov. 2 Charles Morano found one at Donaldbin Close and I found two at Thimble Farm.
Susan Whiting and Nancy Nordin observed a marsh wren along Bassett Place Road in Chilmark that same day.
There is a profusion of swamp sparrows. On Oct. 28 Charles Morano three at the Gay Head Cliffs, Cynthia Bloomquist saw one at home, and Jennifer Slossberg four at Lucy Vincent. Chris Scott observed seven at the Oak Bluffs pumping station on Oct. 30, Charles Morano spotted four at Short Cove Preserve on Oct. 31, and Margaret Curtin and Nancy Weaver found two at Cove Meadow Preserve on Nov. 3.
Other sparrows sighted include Charles Morano’s one field sparrow at the Gay Head Cliffs on Oct. 28 and Chris Scott’s Lincoln’s sparrow at Quansoo Farm on Oct. 31.
Common grackles are on the move. Chris Scott observed a flock of 1,000 grackles moving through the forest in waves of 50 to 100 for five minutes Bold Meadow on Oct. 29.
Snow geese will often linger with flocks of Canada geese, but there is also a flock of not-so-wild snow and blue geese that can be seen flying around from Felix Neck to the high school. These geese are on of the many tributes to the late Gus BenDavid, who raised them.
Finally, every other week the MV Bird Club leads a free walk to find birds. Rich Couse led one to the Gay Head Cliffs on Nov. 2 and found 47 species with these highlights: five harlequin ducks, one bufflehead, seven red-breasted mergansers, one killdeer, eight red-throated loons, two common loons, 12 northern gannets, two sharp-shinned hawks, one northern harrier, 16 horned larks, nine red-breasted nuthatches, one gray catbird, four mockingbirds, 10 eastern bluebirds, 28 American robins, six cedar waxwings, 17 American goldfinches, the following sparrows: one chipping, three field, 10 juncos, 11 white-throated, one Savannah, seven song, one Lincoln’s, and two swamp, 80 grackles, one Nashville warbler, two palm warblers and 40 yellow-rumped warblers. Impressive.
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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