Migration takes many forms. Of course there are new arrivals that interest us, and of course there are transients that are passing through, but there are also late individuals that probably should have already migrated further north.
The flock of brant that frequent Ocean Park through the winter are disappearing, as on May 3 Paul Guidetti counted only 25 there, while I did not see any there on May 7 or May 9. There were about 150 brant there for much of the winter. Whit Andrews spotted three along the shoreline of Vineyard Haven Harbor on May 7.
Some waterfowl are lingering, including common eiders, red-breasted mergansers, bufflehead and black scoters. Ron Zentner observed nine common eider from East Chop on May 6, Bob Shriber found only one eider on Chappaquiddick on May 9, and Chris Schmandt saw one eider and 12 red-breasted mergansers at James Pond Preserve on May 10. Bob Shriber watched 15 of the latter species from Aquinnah on May 7.
On May 8, Nancy Weaver was apparently the last observer of the solitary bufflehead that had been at the pumping station for the first week of May, and Luanne Johnson located a flock of 50 black scoter from Lucy Vincent on May 10 and on May 12.
White-throated sparrows are still here. Nancy Nordin found one at Great Rock Bight on May 5, Laura Lennihan saw one near Grove avenue on May 6, Bob Shriber spotted one in Aquinnah on May 7, and Chris Scott observed two at Bold Meadow on May 12.
Purple sandpipers have been here through the winter and Sarah Mayhew found three at Great Rock Bight on May 8. Other migrant shorebirds may be peaking now, as they wait for their nesting areas in the Arctic to thaw out. Nancy Nordin found seven black-bellied plovers, 40 sanderling and 34 dunlins on Norton Point on May 5.
Two days later Chris Scott counted 18 black-bellied plovers and 60 sanderlings on Norton Point. Lisa Maxfield observed six dunlins on State Beach on May 8, and Chris Scott observed two ruddy turnstones at Crackatuxet Cove on May 7.
Penny Uhlendorf and Scott Stephens located a worm-eating warbler at the Phillips Preserve on May 9 and Nancy Nordin saw it on May 10. We do not see this species every year, but last year Penny and Scott found one there on May 13 and it hung around for a while. Is this the same bird?
A similar question concerns the recent sightings of a yellow-throated warbler. As reported in last week’s column, Matt Pelikan found a yellow-throated warbler at the Wakeman Center on April 29.
This week there are four reports from near John Hoft Road. On May 7, Bob Shriber found one at the eastern end and Nancy Weaver observed one at the western end. On May 10, Nancy Nordin saw one at the intersection of John Hoft Road and Shubael Week’s Path, while Luanne Johnson spotted one a bit to the north at the Wakeman Center. It seems unlikely to me that one bird can account for these sightings.
Most of the warblers mentioned in last week’s column were seen again this week but several sightings stand out. Gretchen Lally found a black-throated green warbler at Great Rock Bight on May 5. Bob Shriber and Nancy Nordin spotted several warblers, another black-throated green as well as two blue-winged and one Nashville at Great Rock Bight on May 5.
Charles Morano saw two blue-winged warblers at Fulling Mill Brook on May 8, Ruth Richards found the two blue-wingeds the next day, as did Nancy Weaver and Luanne Johnson at the same location on May 10, where they also found one black-throated blue warbler.
Ruth Richards located an eastern wood-pewee at Fulling Mill Brook on May 9, and Nancy Nordin watched another at the Phillips Preserve on May 10.
Some more new species for the year are a white-crowned sparrow that Nancy Nordin spotted at the Phillips Preserve on May 10, and a yellow-crowned night heron that Stephanie Mashek discovered at the pumping station on May 10.
Nancy Nordin and Bob Shriber found four white-eyed vireos at Great Rock Bight on May 5. But the main vireo news is that suddenly red-eyed vireos are everywhere. There were four sightings in last week‘s column and this week there were 17 additional sightings from across the Island, as reported by Margaret Curtin, Ruth Richards, Isabella Colucci, Luanne Johnson, Chris Schmandt, Nancy Nordin, Bob Shriber, Charles Morano and Nancy Weaver.
The quartet of Janet Woodcock, Shea Fee, Luanne Johnson and Nancy Weaver located a scarlet tanager at Cedar Tree Neck on May 4. Bob Shriber spotted another at Waskosim’s Rock Reservation on May 5 and one along Old South Road on May 8. Margaret Curtin found one at Waskosim’s Rock Reservation on May 6.
Speaking of brightly colored birds, Nancy Weaver saw an indigo bunting at the pumping station on May 8.
Lindsay Allison observed a brown thrasher at Snow’s Point on Chappaquiddick on May 5, and Chris Scott watched one at the pumping station on May 7. There were three reports of a rose-breasted grosbeak. Bob Shriber had one in Aquinnah on May 7, Laurie Meyst observed one in Deer Run on May 2, and Chris Scott found two at Waskosim’s Rock Reservation on May 4.
Isa Brillard spotted a ring-necked pheasant near the state forest headquarters on May 6, Chris Scott observed one laughing gull on Norton Point on May 7, Lisa Maxfield saw a flock of five snowy egrets at Brush Pond on May 6, and Charles Morano found two red -breasted nuthatches at Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary on May 7.
And finally, we have a pair of bald eagles that hatched chicks. Rob Bierregaard spotted this and did not report its location and asks that “if you know where the nest is, please stay away from it, as the birds are very skittish.”
Sarah Mayhew also reports a bald eagle from West Tisbury’s Duarte’s Pond on May 3.
Please email your sightings to birds@vineyardgazette.com.
Robert Culbert is an ecological consultant living in Vineyard Haven.
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