May has arrived and brought the northward migration of warblers and other songbirds. This month is one of the best times to learn to identify them because males are singing, in their colorful spring plumages and not concealed in the leaves.
Yellow-rumped warblers are winter residents that are more abundant now than they were all winter and spring. This influx is of birds that wintered further south and are making their way north. On April 27, Warren Woessner spotted two yellow-rumped warblers at Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary and the next day Richard Price spotted two in Ocean Heights. On April 29 Margaret Curtin saw three along the Vineyard Haven shoreline of Lagoon Pond, and Bridget Dunnigan and Sea Williams saw two in the Southern Woodlands on April 30. There were several sightings on May 1: I spotted a male in full breeding plumage near Metcalf Lane in Edgartown, Luanne Johnson spotted one at the Oak Bluffs pumping station and three at Waskosim’s Rock with Shea Fee and Margaret Curtin, and Bob Shriber found five in Aquinnah that day.
The five other warbler species observed all nest here, although that does not mean that they will stay here to nest. A yellow warbler was found by Richard Price on April 28 in Ocean Heights; several were spotted on May 1 by Susan and Stuart Santos at Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary; Luanne Johnson found two at the Oak Bluffs pumping station; Phil Edmundson spotted six near Watcha Pond; Bob Shriber saw one in Aquinnah; and on April 29 Margaret Curtin spotted one near Lagoon Pond.
May 1 was an excellent day for finding warblers. Allan Keith spotted two black-and-white warblers at Fulling Mill Brook. Bob Shriber spotted two in Aquinnah, as well as a prairie warbler. I also spotted a prairie warbler along Metcalf Lane. Luanne Johnson, Shea Fee and Margaret Curtin spotted four northern parulas at Waskosim’s Rock Reservation, along with a pine warbler, while Bob Shriber spotted a parula, a pine warbler and two ovenbirds in Aquinnah.
Ruby-throated hummingbirds are pouring in this week. On April 26 Marsha Eldridge, Pat Ingalls, Phebe Bates, Polly Bassett and Kathy Landers all spotted their first of the season. The next day Lindsay Allison, Sharon Pearson, Catherine Deese, Frederick Khedouri, Thomas Cox, Allen Slater, Whitney Moody and David Stanwood each spotted one. Tara Larsen found one on April 28, while Terry and Les Cutler had to wait until April 29, as did Sioux Eagle. Gus Ben David’s first showed up on May 1.
Our ever-popular catbirds are also returning en mass. Margaret Curtin spotted the first one back on April 12 near the end of Indian Hill Road. Matthew Born found one on April 22 at Clay Pit Road. The next day Bob Shriber found one at the Gay Head Cliffs and another elsewhere in Aquinnah on April 24. On April 25 Laurel Smith found two at Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary and Matthew Born found one along Lobsterville Road. Sarah Delaney saw one at my Vineyard Haven feeder on April 28. On May 1 Richard Price observed one at Felix Neck while the troika of Luanne Johnson, Margaret Curtin and Shea Fee watched one at Waskosim’s Rock, and Bob Shriber spotted two in Aquinnah.
That same threesome also spotted a great crested flycatcher — the Island’s first of the season — and a blue-headed vireo at Waskosim’s Rock on May 1. Bob Shriber observed two of the latter species and a Baltimore oriole in Aquinnah the same day. Gus Ben David reported a Baltimore oriole on April 30.
There are three more new species for the year. Matt Pelikan spotted the first chimney swifts on April 29 at the Hoft Farm. Olsen Houghton, John Nelson and Susan and Stuart Santos each spotted an eastern kingbird at Katama Farm on May 1; were they all the same bird? And Allan Keith saw a house wren at Fulling Mill Brook on May 2.
Lindsay Allison heard two whip-poor-wills calling from Mytoi on April 30.
Now for the waterbirds. Least terns were seen on May 1 by John Nelson over Sengekontacket Pond and by Jeff Bernier on Norton Point, whom adds that there were several common terns and ruddy turnstones as well.
On April 27 the first willets showed up. Two were observed by Warren Woessner on Norton Point; Lynn Fraker saw one at Lake street boat ramp; and Shea Fee spotted 10 at Norton Point. Laurel Smith saw one on April 28 at Lighthouse Beach, and five others on Norton Point Beach. John Nelson found four in the marshes of southern Sengekontacket Pond on April 29. Susan and Stuart Santos saw two willets in an unusual location — right next to Atlantic Drive — on May 1, the same day that Bob Shriber saw one in Aquinnah. Bridget Dunnigan and Sea Williams spotted a green heron on April 30 at the Oak Bluffs pumping station. Shea Fee saw two lesser black-backed gulls on April 27 at Wasque.
Kestrels have already been reported this year but this week has a record three sightings of this formerly common year-round resident. Kestrels were seen by Lisa Maxfield and Casey Engley on April 28 on the Oak Bluffs side of the drawbridge. Rob Bierregaard found one along Quenames Road on April 30, and the MV Bird Club’s Birding 101, led by Shea Fee and Luanne Johnon on April 30 at Long Point, also found one. They also spotted a purple martin.
One final note about the avian flu outbreak. According to the Center for Disease Control, as of May 2 nearly 37 million cases of avian flu have been reported this year in the United States, mostly in midwestern poultry, with only 899 cases in wild birds. Bird feeders appear to be safe and there are no official recommendations to take feeders down unless you also keep domestic poultry. However, there is plenty of wild food available, so feeding birds is not necessary; our avian visitors are not depending on your feeders.
Please email your sightings to birds@mvgazette.com
Robert Culbert is an ecological consultant with Nature Watch LLC living in Vineyard Haven.
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