There are two species with stilt in their name: stilt sandpiper and black-necked stilt. We see small numbers of the former every fall but the latter is a rare vagrant. Both are here now, which is highly unusual.
The quintet of Margaret Curtin, Shea Fee, Nancy Weaver, Janet Woodcock and Luanne Johnson found and photographed a stilt sandpiper at Eel Pond in the morning of June 22. David Padulo saw it that afternoon, and Ruth Richards spotted it on June 23.
The black-necked stilt was originally spotted by Frederick Khedouri along the eastern cove of Squibnocket Pond on June 13, where multiple observers got to see it, as reported in last week’s column (thank you Shea Fee for writing that column).
Luanne Johnson found it there on June 16, and I spotted what is undoubtedly the same bird wading in the shallows of Lilly Pond, part of the Squibnocket Pond Reservation South on June 17. It was still there on June 20, when both Janet Woodcock and Nancy Weaver saw it. Ruth Richards, Wendy and Anne Culbert and I found it on June 21.
Question of the week for these birds: Are they late northward migrants, early southbound migrants (yes, it starts in late June), or are they just wandering around?
In other shorebird news, Lisa Maxfield and David Padulo found a spotted sandpiper at John Butler’s Mudhole on June 22, after Jacob Llodra found one at Menemsha Hills on June 8.
Last summer Matt Pelikan finally spotted a likely family along the Major’s Cove shoreline, a first for the Island. There is more evidence of successful killdeer nests this month. Luanne Johnson spotted one at Squibnocket Beach with three almost fledged chicks on June 16 and another with four chicks in Waban Park on June 18.
In other likely migrant news, Chris Scott saw one Acadian flycatcher along the edge of Bold Meadow and the state forest on June 22.
The nesting season is peaking. Maureen Knouse spotted a family of mute swans with young at Felix Neck on June 20, Susan Whiting found a mallard with six ducklings near Old Fields Path on June 19, David Stanwood watched a family of young wood duck “explode out over the water like a bunch of miniature jet skiers” at Tashmoo Springs on June 17, and there were three reports of young turkeys. Nancy Weaver and Mary Makepeace watched nine chicks with one adult turkey at the pumping station on June 17 and June 22, respectively, and Mary Makepeace observed a turkey with 10 chicks along Cummings Way in Edgartown on June 22.
Cynthia Bloomquist and Thaw Malin watched two chickadees feeding their young at home on June 17. The MV Bird Club observed four tree swallows occupying nests boxes at the state forest on June 16. Chris Daly spotted a fledgling phoebe as it completed its first flight at Nomans Watch Road in Aquinnah on June 10. Caroline Heald spotted three great crested flycatchers with recent fledglings at the Wakeman Center on June 18. Maria McFarland reports “A Carolina wren is nesting in our gas tank cover in West Tisbury on June 12.” And Jennifer Sepanara found bank swallows in their nesting burrows at Cedar Tree Neck on June 18.
In Pilot Hill, Penny Uhlendorf and Scott Stephens have seen fledged tufted titmice, a second brood of Carolina wrens and a downy woodpecker feeding young at their hummingbird feeder.
Lanny McDowell observed three red-shouldered hawks about to fledge from their West Tisbury nest on June 15.
Seaducks continue to be present, albeit in very low numbers.
Common eiders are the most frequently seen. Susan and Stuart Santos saw one eider from the Gay Head Cliffs on June 17. Bob Shriber reports five eiders, one black scoter and a few white-winged scoters are regularly present between there and Dogfish Bar.
From Chappaquonsett, Caroline Heald found two eiders on June 17 and five on June 22. Janet Woodcock observed two eiders near Lobsterville Beach on June 20. And Van Rowan and Bryce and Critter Thompson discovered a black scoter from Squibnocket Beach on June 19.
Common loons are also lingering. Caroline Heald found two near Chappaquonsett on June 17, Janet Woodcock had one from Lobsterville Beach on June 20, Bob Shriber found one from the Gay Head Cliffs on June 21. The quintet of Margaret Curtin, Shea Fee, Nancy Weaver, Janet Woodcock and Luanne Johnson saw one in Eel Pond on June 22.
More unusual is the continuing horned grebe in full breeding attire that the same quintet spotted at Eel Pond on June 22.
While least, common and roseate terns are found across the Island, their larger cousins the black skimmers are more restricted, from Sengekontacket Pond to Chappaquiddick to Norton Point (where they nest) to Edgartown Great Pond.
This week Lisa Maxfield spotted one black skimmer at Eel Pond on June 16, David Moore had one at Lighthouse Beach on June 20, and Susan Whiting found two near Old Fields Path on June 22.
There were two sightings of laughing gulls. Kristian C observed one on Norton Point on June 18, and David Padulo found nine of them at Eel Pond on June 22.
I saw one lesser black-backed gull in with herring and great black-backed gulls at Squibnocket Pond Reservation South on June 17.
Cedar waxwings are widespread along the North Shore from Aquinnah to West Chop and on to Oak Bluffs. This week Caroline Heald discovered three at Chappaquonsett on June 16. I had three at Squibnocket Pond Reservation South on June 17, Jennifer Sepanara located eight at Cedar Tree Neck on June 18, the trio of Van Rowan and Bryce and Critter Thompson observed four at the eastern cove of Squibnocket Pond on June 19, and Bob Shriber had one at the Gay Head Cliffs on June 21.
Finally, common yellowthroats and yellow warblers are the most abundant warbler species. The former species has been observed at 62 locations cross the Island in June while the yellow warbler has been seen at “only” 52 locations. In descending order of abundance are pine warbler (34), ovenbird (33), prairie warbler (27), black-and-white warbler (8), northern parula (8), blue-winged warbler (4), and yellow-throated warbler (1).
Please email your sightings to [email protected].
Robert Culbert is an ecological consultant living in Vineyard Haven
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