Long distance migrants fly 3,000 to 8,000 miles over water without any chance to eat for a number of days.

The first two snowy owls showed up on Thanksgiving Day.

There I was, at 12:05 on Nov. 29, taking my second grade class out for recess. Of course, I was not thinking about birds and did not have my binoculars.

The migration season is winding down, although it is far from over. Migrants will continue their southward travels into January.

Penny Uhlendorf and Scott Stephens had a ruby-throated hummingbird visit their feeder and greedily drink nectar on Nov. 10 and Nov. 11.

I used to blame all the divots in our lawns on skunks.

On Oct. 31, the seabirds showed up.

Perhaps the most unusual bird spotted this week was a dickcissel, a species rather easy to ignore because it is very similar to a house sparrow.

The Martha’s Vineyard Bird Club is a new group for people interested in birds.

The southbound migration is complex.