This week is fairly quiet compared to the multiple unusual sightings from last week.
The common gallinule at the Oak Bluffs pumping station — first reported last week — was seen by Jeff Bernier on Sept. 28. The only new sightings for the season include a white-throated sparrow seen in Aquinnah by Bob Shriber on Sept. 27. The first Bonaparte’s gulls of the season were spotted by Dave Oster at Little Beach on Sept. 11 and another was not seen until Strickland Wheelock’s MassAudubon trip found them on Sept. 26 at the Gay Head Cliffs and on Sept. 27 at both Little Beach and State Beach.
Two new migrant songbirds were a rose-breasted grosbeak at the Oak Bluffs pumping station on Sept. 28 and a golden-crowned kinglet seen by Nancy Nordin at Quansoo Farm on Sept. 26 and also near the West Tisbury School on Sept. 27. It was seen at Wasque by Shea Fee on Sept. 28.
Migrating warbler sightings are not as diverse as in the past two weeks. On Sept. 27 Nancy Nordin spotted a northern waterthrush and a blackpoll at the Oak Bluffs pumping station. That same day Bob Shriber found a common yellowthroat and a northern parula.
On Sept. 28 Richard Price observed three pine warblers at Felix Neck. Sea Williams and Bridget Dunnigan saw three in the State Forest on Sept. 29. Charles Morano visited Long Point on Sept. 30 and spotted three more pine warblers, eight yellow-rumped warblers and one prairie warbler. At the Middle Point wetland, he found eight more pine warblers and a yellow-rumped warbler.
Other migrating songbirds include phoebes seen by Warren Gosson in Chilmark and Susan Whiting at Quenames, both on Sept. 27. Charles Morano saw one at Middle Point Cove on Sept. 30. Susan Whiting also spotted a red-breasted nuthatch on Sept. 27, as did Nancy Nordon near the West Tisbury School on Sept. 27. Richard Price saw one at Felix Neck the next day. Sioux Eagle noted they returned to her yard on Sept. 30, the same day that Cynthia Bloomquist and Thaw Malin spotted them at their West Tisbury feeders.
Red-winged blackbirds were seen by Richard Price at Felix Neck on Sept. 28 and by Charles Morano near Middle Point Cove on Sept. 30. Bob Shriber spotted a dickcissel and a chipping sparrow on Sept. 27 in Aquinnah, as did Susan Whiting on Sept. 29 at Quenames.
Charles Morano found a blue-headed vireo and a swamp sparrow at Middle Point Cove on Sept 30 and Lanny McDowell, Bob Shriber spotted a red-eyed vireo in Aquinnah on Sept. 27. David and Eleanor Stanwood spotted another on Sept. 30 at Cape Pogue. Strickland Wheelock’s MassAudubon field trip reported six tree swallows at Katama Farm on Sept. 27.
Ruby-throated hummingbirds were spotted this week by Les Cutler, Colleen Harrigan, Patsy Donovan, Nancy Nordin, Lindsay Allison, Rick Karney and Sioux Eagle. Most have left our area but stragglers will still show up. At this time of the year the stragglers may be one of the western species of hummingbirds, so keep a careful eye out. Be sure to take a picture of the bird if at all possible as they are difficult to identify. Please send the photo to me so we can be sure of the identification.
On the waterfowl front, the number of American wigeon at the Oak Bluffs pumping station has increased. Now there are five of them — up from three last week — and they were seen by both Nancy Nordon and Shea Fee on Sept. 28.
Other waterfowl on the move are the ducks Bob Shriber spotted on Sept. 27 from Philbin Beach: a gadwall, 10 common eiders, five surf scoters, six white-winged scoters and three black scoters. Also that day Bill Prodouz found six common eider, a white-winged scoter and three common loons at Lobsterville. Tamara McLendon spotted two white-winged scoters on Sept. 30 in Katama Bay. This is much less than their abundance will be later in the season but it is a start.
Migrant hawks and falcons are prevalent at this time of the year. On Sept. 25 Lanny McDowell watched an immature merlin strafing the starlings at Katama Farm. At Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary on Sept. 28, Shea Fee saw an osprey and a turkey vulture. On Oct. 2, Chris and Ben Rimmer spotted an osprey, two American kestrels and two merlins at Moshup Beach. Susan Whiting found a Cooper’s hawk and a common raven (I know: the latter is not a hawk) on Sept. 29 at Quenames.
Gus Ben David is rehabbing a merlin that was recently injured at the airport. He is also about to release two young turkey vultures that he has raised from chicks because of disturbances at their Chappaquiddick nesting site.
Shorebirds have not yet left. Nancy Nordin found three lesser yellowlegs and two great blue herons on Sept. 28 at the Oak Bluffs pumping station. On Sept. 29, Strickland Wheelock’s MassAudubon field trip found 13 American oystercatchers, 37 black-bellied plovers, 5 semipalmated plovers, 24 ruddy turnstones, 47 sanderlings, one dunlin, one short-billed dowitcher, 34 greater yellowlegs, one western willet and one lesser yellowlegs at Little Beach. Gus Ben David had two greater yellowlegs visiting the ponds in his Edgartown yard on Sept. 30.
Lanny McDowell and David and Eleanor Stanwood visited Cape Pogue on Sept. 30 and spotted oystercatchers, least sandpipers and black-bellied plovers. That same day Tamara McLendon saw four semipalmated plovers, a ruddy turnstone and a great blue heron near Edgartown Bay Road.
Please email your sightings to birds@mvgazette.com.
Robert Culbert is an ecological consultant with Nature Watch LLC living in Vineyard Haven.
Comments
Comment policy »