It is hard to believe that by the time you read this it will be April. Befitting that statement, there are plenty signs of spring, and they are increasing by the day.
A few fox sparrows usually overwinter on the Island, and they are seen on about three quarters of the Christmas Bird Counts. They are early migrants though, and their migration is now peaking. Scott Stephens spotted one at the Phillip’s Preserve on March 25. Mariah Ben David spotted one flying across her yard on March 27 only to watch it fall to the ground, never to move again. Apparently a victim of a window strike, it flew off after the collision but still did not survive.
Olsen Houghton spotted an American kestrel at the Farm Institute on March 28. They are migrating now but they were year-round residents 25 to 30 years ago.
I spotted a brown thrasher in an unusually wooded location, along the shoreline of a small pond near Christiantown on March 28. Usually this species is found in open brushy areas or young woodlands. This site was neither of those, but there was a lot of insect activity on and near the pond on that unusually warm day, providing enough food to attract a migrant passing through.
Nelson Smith spotted two wood ducks at Cranberry Acres on March 26. This species usually nests somewhere in that area, maybe at Duarte’s pond, Blackwater Pond or the Makoniky area.
Another species migrating now is the hermit thrush. Sharon Pearson spotted one on March 26 and Mariah Ben David spotted one at the Phillips Preserve on March 28. Another thrush currently migrating is the robin. We have had flocks of them passing through for a few weeks now, but they are not “our” nesting birds. On March 28 I saw one hopping around on my lawn on March 28, then it flew into tree and starting singing — behaviors that suggests it will soon be nesting nearby. Morgan Hodgson also observed two pairs of robins in his Aquinnah yard on March 27.
Other new songsters this week include an American goldfinch Wendy and I heard singing near the West Chop Lighthouse on March 29. Nancy Weaver heard chipping sparrows singing at Cranberry Acres on March 28, and Lanny McDowell and Penny Uhlendorf both report phoebes were heard singing recently.
The ever-popular osprey is now gracing our shores in ever-increasing numbers. Sharon Simonin spotted three at Brush Pond on March 29. The next day Connie Alexander saw three at Lake Tashmoo and Rebecca Brown saw one at Oyster Pond. On March 27 Olson Houghton saw one at Lake Tashmoo while Sarah Saltonstall had one at the Lobsterville nest, and Sharon Simonin found one at Farm Pond. Anne Whiting found one at Wade’s Field on March 26, the same day that Vasha Brunelle reported one at Veteran’s Memorial Park. David Stanwood and Allen Look were rowing around James Pond on March 25 when a pair of osprey flew over their heads, and Lynn Eppel observed a pair at Town Cove the same day. Mariah Ben David reports one from Sunset Lake on March 24, and Catherine Deese recently spotted seven of them along south shore.
On March 28 both Lanny McDowell and Jeff Bernier found a piping plover at Little Beach, and I spotted it there the next day along with six oystercatchers. The calling oystercatchers reminded me of summer. John Nelson spotted four oystercatchers at Menemsha Channel on March 24 and three others on Sarson’s Island the next day.
Lindsay Allison found a great egret near Dyke Bridge on March 26 and it called as it flew away. She had not heard its pre-historic sounding guttural croaking before.
Morgan Hodgson also observed a pair of great egrets near Menemsha Pond the next day.
Bird Sightings
American pipits are small brown sparrow-like birds that frequent open grassy areas. A flock of them can easily drop into the grasses and not be seen again until they fly. Luanne Johnson spotted 18 of them in the Farm Institute fields, where some of them perched on a fence before dropping into the grass on March 28. Jeff Bernier reports that the six blue phase snow geese are still there as of March 27.
Ducks are becoming scarce as they head northward. their numbers are much reduced compared to a month or more ago. On March 27 Hans Goeckel photographed a long-tailed duck at Crackatuxet Cove, the very same day that I spotted one in Oak Bluffs harbor.
Sharp-shinned hawks are more conspicuous this week. Sharon Simonin spotted one on East Chop on March 28, and we have two reports from March 24 — Sarah Murphy saw one perched on top of her bird feeder, and so did Polly Bassett. Nothing like the convenience of having your dinner delivered to you.
Patricia Correia watched as seven black-crowned night-herons landed in the thickets on north side of Jernegan Pond on March 30, where usually there are only one or two.
David Stanwood reports that the commuter crows — both American and fish crows — are still commuting back and forth between Falmouth and the Vineyard, although the evening flocks arriving on the Island appear to be thinning out. Soon these birds will settle down somewhere else to begin their nesting season.
Watching birds helps to relieve the isolation of social distancing. Stay healthy and report your sightings to birds@mvgazette.com.
Robert Culbert is an ecological consultant with Nature Watch LLC living in Vineyard Haven.
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