Northward migration over Martha’s Vineyard is still slow and in its very early stages. It will peak in May and continue through June. But we can see changes now.
Anne Whiting spotted the first American oystercatcher of the season flying from the Lagoon Pond boat ramp to Hines Point on March 4. The birds that nest around Lagoon Pond are usually the first seasonal arrivals. This early sighting suggests that it is an older and more experienced adult that is more likely to nest successfully. A much less predictable event is finding a thick-billed murre, which Charles Morano found (recently dead) at the right fork on March 5. Winter is tough.
A lot of ducks are migrating northward now, including common goldeneye, American wigeon, bufflehead, ring-necked duck, hooded merganser, greater scaup, northern pintail and common merganser. Are the birds we see now our winter residents or are they migrating through from further south? It is hard to tell.
The red-winged blackbirds are transients from the south. When the birds that nest here arrive, they will sing and establish their marshy breeding territories. Reports of single red-wings come from Bob Shriber in Aquinnah on March 3, Charles Morano at the right fork on March 5, Thaw Malin and Cynthia Bloomquist at Waban Park on March 5, an anonymous observer at Bayview Road in Katama on March 7, and Nancy Weaver saw one in a flock with 15 unidentified blackbirds at the pumping station on March 6. Nancy Weaver also spotted a grackle at Crystal Lake on March 4, the same day that the duo of Emily Diamond and David Meadows observed one grackle on Hines Point.
Brown creepers are year-round residents whose cryptic coloration makes them difficult to spot. Cynthia Bloomquist and Thaw Malin saw one at their West Tisbury home on March 8. On March 3, Bob Shriber found one in Aquinnah, and Janet Woodcock and Nancy Weaver observed one along Lighthouse Road near Dogfish Bar. Matt Pelikan heard two singing on Worcester avenue in Oak Bluffs on March 4. Their song is high pitched and difficult for many of us to hear.
Three species of gulls are always common along our shorelines. Herring and great black-backed gulls breed here, ring-billed gulls are less common and do not nest here. Lesser black-backed gulls are regularly sighted — one frequents the Oak Bluffs pay beach and they are found along the South Shore. Bob Shriber spotted all four species: two ring-billed, 12 herring, two great black-backed and one lesser black-backed gull from Lobsterville Road on March 1.
Five species of woodpeckers are year-round residents. Matthew Brown counted an amazing 20 northern flickers from Dike Bridge on March 1. The duo of Nancy Weaver and Janet Woodcock spotted one of each of our five species of woodpeckers: yellow-bellied sapsucker, red-bellied, downy, hairy and flicker at the Hoft Farm on March 5. Luanne Johnson reports a yellow-bellied sapsucker at her West Tisbury home on March 7.
This is the week that northern mockingbirds emerged from their winter hide-a-ways. Matthew Brown located one at Dike Bridge on March 1, Jennifer Slossberg observed one in the airport business park on March 4. On March 5, Ray Ewing had one at Beetlebung Farm and Susie Bowman found her continuing one in her yard. Janet Woodcock and Nancy Weaver watched one at the pumping station on March 6. Only one of their close relatives were seen — Nancy Weaver saw a catbird at Tashmoo Springs on March 1, and no brown thrashers were reported.
Red-tailed hawks are becoming conspicuous. They will get even more conspicuous as they soar over their nesting territories. On March 22, Lisa Maxfield watched one at Brush Pond, Nancy Weaver and Janet Woodcock saw two at Norton Point, and Chris Scott located one at Katama Airpark. Bob Shriber discovered three red-tails in Aquinnah on March 3, and the duo of Nancy Weaver and Janet Woodcock watched one at the pumping station on March 7.
An American kestrel was seen by Jeff Bernier at Katama on Feb. 28, a Cooper’s hawk at Cynthia Bloomquist’s home on March 1, and a merlin was observed by both John Nelson and Chris Scott in Katama on March 4.
An adult bald eagle was observed by Ken Wentworth, Susie Bowman and Claire Ganz as it perched in the top of a tree near Middletown Nursery on March 4.
Nancy Weaver and Janet Woodcock found a flock of five horned larks on Norton Point on March 2.
Open shallow water is reappearing as the ice melts, so wading birds have somewhere to feed. Dana Bangs spotted five black-crowned night-herons at the pumping station on Feb. 28, the day after I observed two at the western end of Mattakesett Bay, and John Nelson also saw one in the nearby Mattakesett Herring Creek on March 3. We counted 27 on the Dec. 28 Christmas Bird Count.
Multiple overwintering sparrows have been reported recently. On Feb. 26, Charles Morano found one Savannah sparrow on Little Beach, Janet Woodcock and Nancy Weaver saw an American tree sparrow near Squibnocket Pond, and Ruth Richards and Jay Adams report the continuing fox sparrow across State Road from the fairgrounds first seen before the blizzard. Dana Bangs found the continuing two fox sparrows at the Pumping Station on Feb. 28, and Susie Bowman reports a third fox sparrow joining the continuing two at her West Tisbury yard on March 5.
Finally, Nancy Weaver spotted the continuing field sparrow at the pumping station on March 6.
Please email your sightings to [email protected].
Robert Culbert is an ecological consultant living in Vineyard Haven.
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