Potential reasons for this low productivity include human disturbance, predation and the weather.

The return of grasshopper sparrows at Katama this summer has been heralded by Island conservationists as a hopeful sign of ecological health.

Everything else eats insects at this time of the year, so why not a harrier?

Two weeks ago it was shearwaters, last week it was the brown booby and now it is a phalarope.

Unexpected is not an understatement. A brown booby is a pelagic species that some birders make special trips to the Dry Tortugas to see.

Long narrow wings and a fairly robust body, running along the water’s surface to become airborne, oceanic and a tube on top of their beaks to excrete excess salt. All are characteristics of shearwaters.

The Manuel F. Correllus State Forest on Martha’s Vineyard remains one of the six strongholds in Massachusetts for the whippoorwill.

On July 19, Red Beach was a perfect seven for seven.

Nobody claims shorebirds are easy to identify.

Both birds were observed in their yards, which is a good reminder to keep an eye on the birds near your house.