Baby birds are out and about, both as nestlings and fledglings. They can be very noisy, especially when parents arrive with food, which helps us find and watch their antics.
Some baby birds are precocial, covered with down feathers. They are very active and can run fast after leaving the nest within hours of hatching.
Seth Buddy observed two goslings along the West Chop/Mink Meadows beaches on June 22, and Nick Teague watched three cygnets at Long Point on June 24. Nancy Weaver spotted one willet chick at Menemsha Pond on June 21, and willet, killdeer and American oystercatcher chicks on Norton Point on June 22. Mark Mattson saw five fledgling green herons perched on branches near their nest (they are called branchers) at Lane Pond in Aquinnah on June 24.
Most birds, however, are altricial, hatching blind and without feathers. Thaw Malin and Cynthia Bloomquist watched a Carolina wren carrying food to feed nestlings at their West Tisbury home on June 21, and they found two nestling tree swallows in a nestbox at the state forest on June 24. Sharon Simonin has some nestling great crested flycatchers about to fledge at her home, while Nancy Steinbock’s flycatchers just fledged on June 27.
I observed two fledged barn swallows swooping around at Katama Farm on June 21. Cynthia Bloomquist observed a chickadee feeding fledglings at Fulling Mill Brook on June 23, Skip McElhannon spotted a Baltimore oriole fledgling being fed by an adult male in Vineyard Haven on June 23, and David Benvent saw two fledgling orchard orioles along Church street in Aquinnah on June 26. Cynthia Bloomquist and Thaw Malin watched fledgling Baltimore orioles at their home on June 28, and Tracy Morgan watched fledgling cardinals being fed by their parents at her Edgartown feeders on June 27.
Lingering winter-resident seaducks are found in small numbers every summer. Charles Morano observed three common eiders and one white-winged scoter from Norton Point on June 2. Stephen Schutt found seven eiders at the Right Fork on June 25. David Benvent located three eiders, one surf scoter and one white-winged scoter from Squibnocket Beach on June 26. David Benvent found six common loons lingering from Lobsterville Beach on June 26. The most recent red-throated loon — an adult in full breeding plumage — was spotted by Nick Teague from Seven Gates on June 5, after it has spent a couple of weeks swimming around the North Shore from Cedar Tree Neck (me, June 23) to Tashmoo Beach (Lisa Maxfield June 31).
Other sightings of ducks include four gadwalls found by David Benvent on Norton Point on June 22. Seth Buddy located two black ducks near the West Chop/Mink Meadows beaches on June 22, and I saw one female green-winged teal at Lilly Pond at the Squibnocket Pond Reservation South on June 24.
David Benvent saw a second-year northern gannet at Moshup Beach and then one adult parasitic jaeger harassing terns near Lobsterville Beach on June 26. Will Lauder observed one Wilson’s storm-petrel in Vineyard Sound from the ferry on June 18. On June 27, both David Benvent and Hannah Bauriedel watched five Wilson’s storm-petrels in Vineyard Sound. These latter two seabirds are occasionally be seen from the Island through the summer.
Nick Teague discovered two glossy ibis flying past Long Point on June 16. David Stanwood observed a yellow-crowned night-heron at Tashmoo Springs on June 21.
Black-crowned night-herons were found more frequently. On June 21, Charles Morano saw one at Norton Point and David Stanwood found one that day at Tashmoo Springs. The next day David Benvent discovered one on Norton Point, and on June 23 Tim Johnson spotted one in Edgartown. On June 24, Danguole Budris watched two in Menemsha, Cynthia Bloomquist located one at the pumping station, and Mary Kentros saw one at Scrubby Neck Road on June 27.
Snowy egrets were observed from nine locations: Menemsha Pond (Nancy Weaver and Janet Woodcock, one, June 21); Lake Tashmoo (Sara Becker, one, June 22); Tashmoo Springs (David Stanwood, two, June 21); Farm Pond (Noah H, one, June 22); Felix Neck (Steve Allen, one, June 22); Felix Neck Early Birders (four, June 25, and Florence and Dan McAlvanah three, June 25), Norton Point (Hal Johnson, one, June 21, and David Benvent, one, June 22); Aquinnah (Bob Shriber, one, June 23); and Red Beach (Dan Foley, one, June 24).
Two sites hosted a great blue heron this week. David Benvent spotted one at Squibnocket Beach on June 26, Sea Williams and Bridget Dunnigan saw one at the Hoft Farm on June 27. David Benvent also found one at the Hoft Farm on June 28.
The first ring-necked pheasants of the year have finally been spotted. David Benvent saw a female at the Katama Airpark on June 17, and Seth Buddy spotted one in the West Chop/Mink Meadows area on June 22.
David Benvent counted five red-breasted nuthatches in the state forest on June 21, and Robert and Katherine Provost saw both a red nut and a brown creeper at Mink Meadows on June 22.
Northern house wrens are small but active little birds. Rob Davey watched one at Meadow Lane near Menemsha Pond on June 16, David Benvent located one at Slough Cove and two at Katama Farm on June 17, and David Benvent observed one off Lighthouse Road on June 26.
Shir Nir located one veery in Chilmark on June 21, and I heard and saw one at Cedar Tree Neck on June 27.
Southbound shorebirds were found on June 22. David Benvent spotted three black-bellied plovers, and one ruddy turnstone on Norton Point. Sara Becker found one black-bellied at Lake Tashmoo, and Noah H saw one greater yellowlegs at the big bridge. Oddly, I did not find shorebird reports from any other days this week!
Please email your sightings to [email protected].
Robert Culbert is an ecological consultant living in Vineyard Haven.
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