We had extended periods where snow covered the ground, hiding the grass that Canada geese and brant like to eat. So where do they go when the grass they prefer in Ocean Park is not available?

Here are a few updates to the annual Martha’s Vineyard Christmas Bird Count that was held on Dec. 28.

The 66th annual Christmas Bird Count was held on Sunday, Dec. 28. There are so many highlights that I do not know where to start!

Although the southbound migration has mostly over, one new species for the season showed up this week: alcids black and white seabirds, the northern version of penguins.

Harry Beach and Karen Merlino report that the rufous hummingbird “is doing fine and visited their heated feeder at 6:55 a.m. on Dec. 14.

We lost a species from the Vineyard’s avifauna in 2024! The American Ornithologists Union lumped three species - common, hoary and lesser (a European species) redpolls into one species called redpoll.