There are several species that everyone enjoys seeing in the spring as it signals better weather is coming. Eastern Phoebes are the first of the flycatchers to arrive and they are quite vocal, saying their name in a rather raspy way. Emily Diamond and David Weathers observed one at Long Point on March 19, and Isabella Colucci spotted two at the Polly Hill Arboretum on March 22.
Perhaps the most iconic arrival is the osprey. As reported last week, Rich Couse and the MV Bird Club saw the first one at the Hoft Farm on March 15. Since then there are multiple reports from the Oak Bluffs pumping station: Emily Diamond and David Meadows on March 18, Warren Woessner on March 19, and I saw two on March 20.
Chris Scott saw one on March 22 at Felix Neck, and Shea Fee saw one there on March 23.
At Long Point, Lynn Bouck watched two sharing a fish on a pole on the west side of Long Cove Pond on March 21, and Tina Miller saw one the Middle Point Cove pole on March 20.
Other sightings include Charles Morano at the eastern end of the state forest on March 19, Janet Woodcock at the Tashmoo jetty on March 20, Ned Robinson-Lynch at Tiah’s Cove on March 20, Janet Woodcock and Nancy Weaver (along with one bald eagle) at Squibnocket Pond on March 22, Charles Morano at Wasque on March 22, Bob Shriber in Aquinnah on March 23, Shea Fee at Presbury-Norton Preserve on March 23, and finally Robert Green and Linda Dewitt report one was repeatedly raiding a goldfish pond in Edgartown this past week.
Piping plovers may not make everyone’s iconic species list, but their arrival certainly indicates improving spring weather. Sightings from this past week are Shea Fee with the first sighting on Cape Pogue on March 18, Janet Woodcock, Nancy Weaver, Emily Diamond and David Meadows found four at Little Beach on March 19, Bob Shriber saw three at Fuller street beach on March 20.
March 22 was a big day. Walt Looney spotted six at Little Beach, Nancy Weaver one at James Pond Preserve, Charles Morano two at Cove Meadow, and Chris Scott six on Lighthouse Beach.
On March 23, Brad Winn saw 11 on Red Beach, and Olsen Houghton spotted two at Lake Tashmoo.
Our winter waterfowl are becoming scarce as they move northward to their nesting grounds. Some are lingering in small numbers, including American wigeon, black duck, common eider, all three scoter species, long-tailed duck and common goldeneye. A few larger flocks are still lingering. Janet Woodcock and Nancy Weaver spotted 100 greater scaup at Squibnocket Pond on March 22. Shea Fee reports six wood ducks, 52 ring-necked ducks and 19 bufflehead at Cranberry Acres on March 22. I counted 15 red-breasted mergansers at the Oak Bluffs pumping station on March 20, while Brad Winn saw 17 of them in the Menemsha channel on March 23.
The lingering male northern shoveler has been seen at Crystal Lake this week. Rachael Bonoan had one on March 15, Anne Whiting and Sharon Simonin saw it the next day, and Bob Shriber found it again on March 20.
On March 19, I counted 160 brant in Ocean Park, the highest count of the winter.
Seabirds are moving north too. Red-throated loons and horned grebes are present through the winter but their numbers appear to be peaking now as birds that overwintered further south migrate through our area. On March 22, Charles Morano observed 12 horned grebes and 34 red-throated loons from Wasque and Bob Shriber found five horned grebes and 29 red-throated loons in the waters off Aquinnah.
Northern gannet numbers have not yet peaked. Brad Winn saw 17 gannets (they will become more abundant) from the Gay Head cliffs on March 22.
Mourning doves are early nesters that are probably nesting already. Reports come from across the Island. On March 19, Luanne Johnson saw one at her West Tisbury home, Bernice McIntyre spotted one at her Vineyard Haven home, I heard three calling at the Oak Bluffs pumping station on March 20, Janet Woodcock and Nancy Weaver saw two near Squibnocket Pond on March 22, and Bob Shriber spotted three in Aquinnah on March 23.
Are rock pigeons nesting now too? I observed two in Ocean Park on March 19. On March 22 David Meadows and Emily Diamond counted 15 near Vineyard Haven Harbor, and Victor Lefevre found two at the Big Bridge.
Great horned owls start nesting in late January so their eggs may have already hatched. It takes a while for these large owls to raise their chicks. They start nesting early so their young are learning to hunt when their food is most abundant in the summer. Norma Holmes reports hearing a great horned owl calling outside her Katama house on the evening of March 21, the first report of this species since last summer. Emily Diamond and David Meadows saw a short-eared owl at Long Point on March 19.
Northern mockingbirds have been seen. Ned Casey had one in his Edgartown yard off and on through the winter. On March 3, Nancy Nordin found one at Tashmoo Springs, and Bethany Weise and CJ Walsh observed one at Long Point. Heidi Feldman saw one outside the UPS store on March 7, and Bob Shriber saw one in Aquinnah on March 10.
Last but not least, the finches. Shea Fee spotted four Lapland longspurs on Leland Beach on March 18, Janet Woodcock and Nancy Weaver watched seven snow buntings and one Savannah sparrow at Little Beach on March 19. Emily Diamond, David Meadows and Charles Morano spotted five Savannah sparrows at Katama Farm on March 19, and Walt Looney saw a purple finch at Felix Neck on March 22.
Please email your sightings to birds@vineyardgazette.com.
Robert Culbert is an ecological consultant living in Vineyard Haven.
Comments
Comment policy »