Scientists in the northern boreal forests have noted widespread crops of evergreen cones this year. So how does this affect us? When food supplies (berries and seeds) are plentiful the winter finches tend to stay up there; they venture south in large numbers — or irrupt — only when food up there is scarce.
White-winged crossbills have a specialized hooked beak to crack open pine cones. They are not predicted to move south but Chris Scott found one along the brown trail at Cedar Tree Neck on Nov. 14.
Pine siskins are smaller finches with a less robust bill. They are predicted to move south and we have had several reports of them already at the Gay Head cliffs. Bob Shriber, Susan Whiting, Nancy Nordin and I spotted three on Oct. 27, Frederick Khedouri saw two on Nov. 2, Liam Waters and Bob Shriber found a flock of 30 on Nov. 10 and Nancy Weaver observed two on Nov. 12.
Evening grosbeaks are not forecast to be irrupting and heading south this winter. But Tim Rush spotted and photographed a male evening grosbeak at a feeder in the Island Grove subdivision in Edgartown on Nov. 18. The species is detected on the Island every few years.
Purple finches are the most common of these three species, as they move south in most years. Bob Shriber identified the first one in Aquinnah on Sept. 26. There were 11 sightings in October and six sightings so far this month. This week Chris Scott also found two at Sheriff’s Meadow sanctuary on Nov. 11, Nancy Weaver spotted two at the Gay Head cliffs on Nov. 12 and Cynthia Bloomquist observed one at her West Tisbury home on Nov. 13.
The other winter finches include pine grosbeak, redpoll (hoary and common redpolls are now considered to be the same species) and red crossbill. They are not expected to irrupt, but they may show up anyway.
Two non-finch species are also considered irruptive migrants from the boreal forests: blue jays and red-breasted nuthatches. Yes, blue jays. This is evidence of their migration comes from Aquinnah when we see flocks of them in morning flight, heading out over the ocean and maybe chickening out and turning back a short ways offshore.
Red-breasted nuthatches are certainly arriving from further north, as we have so few (if any) nesting pairs. They have been seen at 15 locations so far this month.
The most recent sightings are Chris Scott found two at Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary on Nov. 11, Charles Morano discovered four at Carolyn Tuthill Preserve on Nov. 12 and two more at Quansoo Farm on Nov. 16, Luanne Johnson spotted one near the Youth Hostel on Nov. 13 and Thaw Malin saw one near his West Tisbury home on Nov. 16.
The commuter crows have returned. On Nov. 15, Wendy Culbert and I visited the entrance to Lake Tashmoo to watch the sunset. We saw flocks of American crows flying across the Sound, passing directly over us or coming ashore near Makonikey. These crows can be seen from Steamship Authority ferries commuting in the early morning and the late afternoon. There were no fish crows in these flocks. We have winter resident fish crows until March, mostly near Five Corners and Vineyard Haven Harbor. Most recently Dana Bangs observed a flock of 40 along Lagoon Pond Road on Nov. 11, but on numerous occasions I have estimated at least 100 crows there. We also have a small population of year-round residents.
A northern shoveler has joined the Eurasian wigeon at Crystal Lake. Nancy Weaver, Nancy Nordin and Barry Burdin saw both on Nov. 11, and Susan Whiting, Laura Lennihan and Chris Scott observed them on Nov. 15. Are these the same two individuals that were at Crystal Lake last February and March?
In other news of ducks, Dana Bangs spotted a lone green-winged teal at Crystal Lake on Nov. 10, Charles Morano found four of them at Town Cove on Nov. 14, Nancy Weaver counted 85 green-winged teal and 70 ruddy ducks on Chilmark Pond on Nov. 11. Frederick Khedouri, Thaw Malin, Cynthia Bloomquist and Bob Shriber found two at Long Point on Nov. 16.
Nov. 10 was a good day for migrating snow buntings. The trio of Margaret Curtin, Luanne Johnson and Nancy Weaver found a flock of 16 at Crackatuxet Cove, Ben and Chris Schmandt saw one off Moshup Trail, the quartet of Susan Whiting, Bob Shriber, Liam Waters and Lucy Cousins counted 20 at Black Point Pond, Liam Waters found two at the Gay Head cliffs and I had two fly past me on Norton Point.
The blackbird family is well represented this week.
Susan Whiting had a flock of 16 eastern meadowlarks in a newly mowed field at Quenames on Nov. 7, Charles Morano found 28 meadowlarks, one red-winged blackbird, and one Baltimore oriole at Katama Farm on Nov. 8, Susan Whiting saw one Baltimore oriole at the Gay Head cliffs on Nov. 9, the same day that Ben Schmandt observed a Baltimore oriole at Great Rock Bight. Nancy Nordin and I observed five meadowlarks at Katama Farm on Nov. 10, Jill Bouck discovered eight meadowlarks at Nat’s Farm on Nov. 14, the same day that Shea Fee sighted five meadowlarks at Long Point.
Thaw Malin, Cynthia Bloomquist and Frederick Khedouri spotted a meadowlark and a Baltimore oriole at Long Point on Nov. 16, and Cynthia Bloomquist and Thaw Malin and Cynthia discovered a common grackle at their home on the same day. The brown pelican is still lingering. Bob Shriber saw it at Lobsterville Beach on Nov. 11, and Frederick Khedouri found it in Menemsha Harbor on Nov. 12. The next day, Stephen Mcghee and Susan Whiting spotted it in Menemsha. Nancy Weaver observed it at the Gay Head Cliffs on Nov. 14.
Wendy and I hiked the green trail at Cedar Tree Neck on Nov. 11 and were finding no birds until we rounded a corner and found four blue jays. We paused there and found two red-bellied woodpeckers, three American crows, eight chickadees, three titmice, three white-breasted nuthatches, one brown creeper, one gray catbird, one white-throated sparrow and one eastern towhee.
The 65th annual Christmas Bird Count will be held on Sunday Dec. 29. Please put this date on your calendar, as field observers and feeder watchers are needed so we can have thorough coverage of the Island,
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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