Signs of an early spring are heating up. Maybe the groundhog’s prediction of an early spring will prove correct!
There are multiple reports of red-winged blackbirds. Allan Keith reports a flock of 20 red-winged blackbirds at his feeders on Feb. 21. Ann Noyes saw three in Menemsha on Feb. 17; Cynthia Bloomquist and Thaw Malin found two flocks totaling 47 birds at Short Cove Preserve on Feb. 19; Bob Shriber observed five in Aquinnah on Feb. 22; and Nancy Nordin and Bob Shriber located one at Mud Creek on Feb. 22. On Feb. 24 Cynthia Bloomquist watched one at Mud Creek and Sea Williams and Bridget Dunnigan spotted six, Wendy Culbert heard one singing at Crackatuxet Cove on Feb. 24 and I heard one singing at Crystal Lake on Feb. 25.
There are also multiple reports of common grackles this week. Since Shea Fee’s initial report of three common grackles at Wasque on Feb. 10, Cynthia Bloomquist and Thaw Malin saw three at Island Grown’s Thimble Farm on Feb. 24, the same day that Sea Williams, Bridget Dunnigan and Nancy Weaver found seven grackles at that same location. Allan Keith spotted his first grackles of the year on Feb. 25 at his Chilmark farm, as well as a new species for the year - three brown-headed cowbirds.
Thousands of American robins have been roosting near Tisbury Meadow Preserve this winter and numerous observers across the Island have reported them; Gus Ben David describes the numbers as as “unprecedented!” It seems there are fewer now, suggesting that those robins have started heading north toward their breeding grounds.
Matt Pelikan saw his first indication of territorial behavior between robins: there was a brief squabble in his Oak Bluffs yard on Feb. 23, with one chasing the second away. That same day Heidi Lang saw one chasing others away from her feeders.
It does not have to be northward migration to indicate the coming spring. Norma Holmes reports that her male goldfinches are starting to molt into their bright yellow plumage, and that she saw a flock of 30 wild turkeys — they are far from wild but that is their name — with six males recently “displaying beautifully” along Katama Road.
Michael Ditchfield noticed two fish crows attempting to breed on a fence at Eastville Point Beach on Feb. 19. Allan Keith observed that Canada geese are coming and going from his farm in pairs rather than flocks.
One of the most iconic sights of spring is the return of our nesting ospreys. They usually start returning in mid-March but we have had unverified reports of ospreys the past few Februaries — and with warming temperatures, it is going to happen sometime. We will, however, need either photographs or multiple observers to see them for the sighting to be come official.
We have had two reports of early ospreys, one by Maria Thibodeau at Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary on Feb. 12 and another from Jennifer Strachan, who is sure she heard and saw a pair at Tisbury Great Pond on Feb. 18.
There are several unverified reports of ospreys in February from New Jersey but the closest photographed bird was sighted on Chincoteague Island in Virginia on Feb. 24. Stay tuned.
There are three species reported for the first time this year. On Feb. 19 Nancy Nordin found a Lincoln’s sparrow at the corner of Lighthouse Road in Aquinnah. While we see them every fall, the first ever-winter report of this western sparrow was a few years back when Allan Keith had one visiting his feeders.
Norma Holmes mentions that her neighbor has been hearing a great horned owl calling recently, a first for 2024.
Ann Noyes spotted a ring-necked pheasant on Feb. 17 in Menemsha nd Nancy Weaver reports one near the right fork parking lot in Katama on Feb. 22.
Bob Shriber and Nancy Nordin report a flock of 60 razorbills at Dogfish Bar on Feb. 19. Two days later Nancy Weaver found one resting on a beach near the Right Fork in Katama, and Bob Shriber found two at the Gay Head Cliffs on Feb. 22.
The Barrow’s goldeneye that was sighted at the drawbridge in recent winters has returned. Matt Pelikan found it on Feb. 19; Jeff Bernier, Nancy Weaver and Nancy Nordin found it again on Feb. 20; and Cynthia Bloomquist and Thaw Malin found two there, also on Feb. 20. Connie Alexander found one there on Feb. 21 and I spotted one there on Feb. 25.
Our lingering ducks are still present. Crystal Lake is the place to go to see Eurasian wigeon and northern shovelers. Cynthia Bloomquist and Thaw Malin saw the Eurasian wigeon on Feb. 20. Sea Williams, Bridget Dunnigan and Lisa Maxfield found the Eurasian wigeon on Feb. 24. And I found both the Eurasian wigeon and the two shovelers on Feb. 25.
Mud Creek, between the Martha’s Vineyard Museum and Veterans Memorial Park, is the other location where these two ducks have been found. On Feb. 22 Bob Shriber and Nancy Nordin found them there.
Killdeer are around in increasing numbers. Pat Ingalls found one at Little Duarte’s Pond on Feb. 23, and Sea Williams, Bridget Dunnigan and Nancy Weaver spotted five at Thimble Farm Feb. 24.
I also spotted a pied-billed grebe at Crystal Lake on Feb. 25. That unexpected sighting shows the value of looking at the full shoreline of the lake, as it was tucked into the overhanging vegetation at the very eastern end.
Owls are becoming more conspicuous. On Feb. 22 screech owls were found by Dave Messina in a nest box at Oyster Pond and by Norma Holmes along Katama Road, and one was found by David Stanwood as it was standing in the middle of Mt. Aldworth Road in Vineyard Haven. John McCormick spotted a barn owl hunting near the Right Fork in Katama on the evening of Feb. 16. Norma Holmes saw one hunting the Katama Airpark on Feb. 25.
Please email your sightings to birds@vineyardgazette.com.
Robert Culbert is an ecological consultant with Nature Watch LLC living in Vineyard Haven.
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