10:46 on March 20. This date marks the exact time that the Spring Equinox occurred, the start of astronomical spring. Now that the Equinox has passed, let’s hope the weather cooperates.
Even before spring, many of our winter resident ducks had started heading north. Others will soon start their migration, and some (like mallards) are mostly year-round residents and so do not migrate.
Black ducks are common in the winter: 493 were reported across the Island on the last Christmas Bird Count. This past week only 103 were counted from 10 locations across the Island.
American wigeons are a winter resident whose numbers peaked in January at around 160 at four locations: Tashmoo Springs, Mud Creek, Crystal Lake and the pumping station, with small numbers at other locations. About 33 individuals remain. Nancy Weaver spotted 13 at Tashmoo Springs on March 18. On March 21, Luanne Johnson found one at Crystal Lake, and the MV Bird Club found seven near the pumping station. then Wendy Culbert and I observed a dozen at Mud Creek on March 22.
We counted 1,564 buffleheads on the bird count. Over the winter there were about 100 buffleheads on Lagoon Pond — now there are around 50, with Stephanie Mashek finding 24 in the West Arm on March 19 and Wendy Culbert and I estimating another 25 in the rest of the Lagoon on March 22. Near Sarson’s island I counted 120 on Jan. 28, while on March 19 I only found two. Shea fee observed 111 of them in the southern portion of Tisbury Great Pond on Jan. 17, while Janet Woodcock and Nancy Weaver only found 10 there on March 20. I spotted 65 from the Mattakesett Bay boat ramp on Feb. 28, while Janet Woodcock and Nancy Weaver counted only 11 there on March 18.
Matt Pelikan counted a flock of 85 greater scaup from the Hines Point boat landing on the bird count, while Wendy Culbert and I found 12 there on March 22.
Luanne Johnson, Janet Woodcock, Nancy Weaver and Shea Fee observed 35 common goldeneye in the outer harbor near the drawbridge on Feb. 14, but none were present when I visited on March 21.
Luanne Johnson discovered 25 goldeneyes near Sarson’s island on the bird count while I found three there on March 19.
Ring-necked ducks have declined from Charles Morano’s high count of 93 ring-necked ducks on Crystal Lake on Jan. 14. Luanne Johnson saw 28 there on March 21. Similarly, ring-neckeds have decreased at the pumping station from a high of Nancy Weaver’s 24 on Feb. 17 to not being seen at all on the MV Bird Club’s March 21 walk there.
Common eiders are also migrating. At the drawbridge there have been between 22 and 33 eiders there from late December to mid-February, but on March 21 I only saw two. In contrast, Shea Fee counted 29 at Great Rock Bight on the bird count, while Sea Williams and Bridget Dunnigan observed 26 there on March 19.
The above ducks all seem to have started their northward migration. But for others (green-winged teal, wood duck, and northern shoveler) their small numbers make it hard to tell whether their migration has started. These species live mostly in fresh-water, so they might have moved further south before the big freeze-up and have returned after the ice melted. Six green-winged teal were seen on the Christmas Bird Count, while Janet Woodcock and Nancy Weaver counted seven at Town Cove on March 20.
Two wood ducks were seen on the bird count and Joan LeBel found two wood ducks at Cranberry Acres on March 22.
A high count of 10 northern shovelers were spotted in December at Brush Pond, Crystal Lake and Mud Creek. They were not seen again until this week, with two males seen by Janet Woodcock, Chris Scott, Jeff Bernier and me at Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary between March 11 to 16. Ron Zentner observed a female at Crystal Lake on March 22.
The brant that graze in Ocean Park have remained consistent through the winter. I counted 159 on Dec. 9 and Luanne Johnson counted 154 on March 21. Their migration normally starts in med to late March although some stragglers stay until mid-May.
Courtship displays are becoming more frequent. The breeding season is here, although winter residents are still here and the northward migration has started. The American woodcock (an upland shorebird) is easiest to find during its fascinating courtship display. During the male’s crepuscular flight the wind passes through their feathers to make chirping and whistling noises. Jillayne Wheeler heard and saw one displaying at Felix Neck on March 19, Liz Loucks had three displaying at Nat’s Farm on March 20, and Sea Williams and Bridget Dunnigan observed four woodcocks displaying at the disc golf course on March 21.
I saw another species conducting a courtship flight at Little Beach on March 19. It was likely the first piping plover courtship flight of the season, surprising because it was a chilly, but not too cold, day.
Bridget Dunnigan and Sea Williams counted 21 purple sandpipers (a winter resident shorebird) at Great Rock Bight on March 19.
I was in the right place at the right time to see a peregrine falcon on March 21 as it flew over Eastville Beach and then across the outer harbor to West Chop. The next day, Joan LeBel observed one merlin in downtown Vineyard Haven.
On March 20 Mike Tinus watched one sharp-shinned hawk at his Oak Bluffs home, and Jennifer Sepanara spotted two adult bald eagles at Blackwater Preserve.
Please email your sightings to [email protected].
Robert Culbert is an ecological consultant living in Vineyard Haven.
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