It is March and definitely winter is still hanging on. As I write this we have had several days of below freezing temperatures, with lows in the teens and a strong westerly wind. By the time you are reading this, the temperatures are supposed to be in the balmy upper 30s. A veritable heat wave (not).
So what happens to the early migrants? Multiple observers found tree swallows on Feb. 24, many observers found red-winged blackbirds as of Feb. 23, and two people reported killdeer in the first week of March. Laura Hearn observed several killdeer in the fields of West Tisbury on March 11, and blackbirds continue to be seen. But tree swallows will have a harder time because insects are scarce when temperatures are below freezing. Perhaps they found a patch of berries somewhere, or maybe they came to their senses and headed back south where they came from. If so, they will be back soon.
Bird Sightings
American woodcock are continuing to show up. Penny Uhlendorf, Bill Bridwell, Savannah Lawson and I heard at least three of them displaying at Felix Neck on the evening of March 6. Though it has gotten cold since then, they should be fine as some of them overwinter on the Island.
A new arrival is the American oystercatcher. Vasha Brunelle observed one of these showy shorebirds with a long red beak on Ferryboat Island early on the morning of March 10. This location, a small island in Lagoon Pond next to the Tisbury Marketplace, always seems to host the first returning oystercatchers of the season. Doreen McCabe found two oystercatchers on the pond side of State Beach, by the big bridge, on March 12.
Ms. McCabe also reports a ring-necked pheasant on March 12. According to my records, this is the first pheasant reported on the Vineyard since the fall. She also observed a very bright yellow pine warbler in her yard. This species is quite variable at all times of the year. They can have bright yellow on their chest, but they can also be very drab with almost no yellow. They do not want to make anything easy, do they.
At least one snowy owl is still hanging around. I observed it on the afternoon of March 12, while I was at the boat-launch ramp and it was across the bay, perched on the top of a Norton Point Beach dune, about two thirds of the way to Chappaquiddick. It was hiding amongst the patches of snow, but the motion of its head gave it away. There were also about 40 fish crows along Edgartown Bay Road, to go along with the 50 or so that are still hanging out near Tisbury Marketplace and downtown Vineyard Haven. They will be departing from the Vineyard soon, going back to we do not know where.
Speaking of predators, two immature bald eagles showed up on West Chop on March 13, spotted by Jay Wilbur.
Norma Holmes reports an eastern bluebird in the field below Waskosim’s Rock on March 9. Is it my imagination, or have bluebirds been rather scarce this winter? I have not seen once since November, and only 75 of them were observed on the Christmas Bird Count on Dec. 30, well below the average numbers since 2000.
Christie Coon is the latest to see cedar waxwings, as she observed a pair of them on West Chop on March 9. Scotty Goldin added a new species to his list when he saw some waxwings at the Charter School on March 9. Nelson Smith observed a flock of them at his house on March 10. Sharon Simonin observed a flock of them on William street in Vineyard Haven on March 8 and a large flock of them by the East Chop Lighthouse on March 7. Also on March 8, Marcia Streicher observed a flock of them in the Werst Tisbury business district. These sightings continue a trend of them being quite conspicuous over the past few month or so.
Winter residents are plentiful and the first northbound migrants are starting to arrive; can spring be far behind? Please report your sightings to birds@mvgazette.com.
Robert Culbert leads Guided Birding Tours and is an ecological consultant living in Vineyard Haven.
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