Nelson’s sparrows are one of the smallest and most secretive sparrows. They normally live deep within grassy marshes, only occasionally popping up into plain view. So it was a bit of a surprise that Lanny McDowell, Pete Gilmore and Mike Zoll found one in a small patch of grasses in otherwise dense shrubbery near the Gay Head Cliffs on Oct. 7. This is only the second confirmed sighting of this species on the Vineyard, with the first occurring on May 21, 2004, at Katama, by Matt Pelikan and Allan Keith.
There are three sub-populations of this species. On the northern Atlantic Coast they breed in salt marshes from northeastern Massachusetts north to the St. Lawrence Seaway. Another sub-population lives along the edges of Hudson’s Bay, and a third sub-population breeds in interior North America from Minnesota northwestward into Canada. There are subtle plumage differences between these locales, and it appears that this individual is from the interior population of Nelson’s sparrow. This bird is a migrant passing through to points south, which is likely why it was in upland habitat in Aquinnah. As with other migrant songbirds, it was waiting for the correct weather conditions to continue its nocturnal migration over water towards New York and New Jersey.
One of the reasons why there may only be one previous record for this species on the Island is that it was not recognized as a full species until 1995. Before then, the Nelson’s and the saltmarsh sparrows were considered to be one species, the sharp-tailed sparrow. The sharp-tailed sparrows were split into two species because we now recognize that there are differences in plumage, song, size, behavior and genetics. Nelson’s sparrows are rare, while the saltmarsh sparrow is more common and breeds in quite a few of the Island’s salt marshes.
Bird Sightings
Nelson Smith found a female or immature northern harrier (it is seldom possible to distinguish between them) on State Beach near the big bridge on Oct. 6. Charlie Kernick spotted what may be the same bird on Oct. 9.
Susan Whiting and Flip Harrington report finding two peregrine falcons and an American woodcock along Moshup Trail and four bobolinks near the Gay Head cliffs, all on Oct. 8. That same day in Aquinnah, Bob Shriber’s highlights included two surf scoters, seven great cormorants, two peregrine falcons (not necessarily the same ones mentioned above) ruby-crowned kinglet, common yellowthroat, northern parula, two palm warblers, two yellow-rumped warblers, three chipping sparrows, clay-colored sparrow, field sparrow, two white-crowned sparrows, two savannah sparrows, indigo bunting, and dickcissel.
Lanny McDowell found many of the same species the day before, as well as a flock of cedar waxwings high above downtown Chilmark. Also on Oct. 6, Bob Shriber found five white-crowned sparrows, five brown thrashers, swamp sparrows, a Lincoln’s sparrow, and a white-eyed vireo.
My Saturday morning Guided Birding Tour found four American wigeon, 15 mallard, three black ducks, two great blue herons, and a pied-billed grebe at the oak Bluffs Pumping Station on Oct. 6.
Allen Carney spotted a ring-necked pheasant on October 6 along Moshup Trail.
Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary continues to host a variety of wading birds. Bob Morse found an immature black-crowned night-heron there on Oct. 4, along with a belted kingfisher. Suzanne Warren is a frequent visitor to that sanctuary and has been seeing great egrets and great blue herons there. And Jeff Bernier added a pied-billed grebe there on Oct. 9.
Jeff Bernier also spotted three wood ducks in the ponds at Cranberry Acres, near the Wakeman Center, on Oct. 5.
Happy Spongberg flushed a sharp-shinned hawk from the trails at Fulling Mill Brook on Oct. 5, proof that these small hawks hunt at locations other than our bird feeders.
Cassy Quintal emailed recently to report an unexpected visitor in her yard near Planting Field Way in Edgartown a few weeks ago. A noisy flock of crows were in the treetops when, unexpectedly a great horned owl landed in her yard and sat absolutely still.
Atlantic Drive in Edgartown has hosted an unusually tame red-tailed hawk for most of the first week of October. This bird has allowed some people to approach it quite closely, and another observer saw it eating a smooth green snake.
Finally, the Vineyard birding community sends its deepest condolences to Allan Keith, whose wife Winkie passed away recently. She always made cheerful conversation as we left birding messages for Allan, even though she was not as enamored with birds as we were — a good example for all of us.
Sparrows and finches are starting to show up on their southbound migration; please keep us up-to-date by reporting your sightings to birds@mvgazette.com.
Robert Culbert leads Saturday morning Guided Birding Tours and is an ecological consultant living in Vineyard Haven.
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