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.

Savannah Sparrow

Lanny McDowell

Savannah Sparrow

Lanny McDowell

The most frequently observed alcid species is the razorbill. Charles Morano spotted 15 of them from the ferry on Dec. 16, Bob Shriber counted 22 from Aquinnah on Dec. 17, and Chris Scott saw three off East Chop on Dec. 17.

Some species are lingering into winter, some will stay through the winter, and others may head further south if food becomes scarce and weather conditions are severe enough.

Maybe this is the year that American oystercatchers will stay through the winter. Derrob Hagy-Weatherbee found one at Sarsons Island on Dec. 16, and Sophia-Milllicent Peirce-Cabral observed one near the drawbridge on Dec. 17.

Many belted kingfishers will overwinter. David Padulo observed one at Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary on Dec. 12. On Dec. 16, Janet Woodcock and Nancy Weaver saw one at Menemsha Harbor. Derrob Hagy-Weatherbee spotted one at Lighthouse Beach, Nancy Weaver located one at Tashmoo Springs on Dec. 18, and the MV Bird Club had one at Squibnocket Beach on Dec. 20.

Barred Owl

Lanny McDowell

Barred Owl

Lanny McDowell

Eastern phoebes may overwinter, likely needing the benefits of mealworms from a bird feeder. Derrob Hagy-Weatherbee watched an eastern phoebe at Dike Bridge on Dec. 18.

Lingering tree swallows are unlikely to stay all winter although they have been seen on 10 of the past dozen Christmas Bird Counts. Derrob Hagy-Weatherbee found four tree swallows at Eel Pond on Dec. 16.

The next two species may well stay through the winter, but if they stay, they remain well concealed within dense shrub thickets. Bob Shriber located one ruby-crowned kinglet in Aquinnah on Dec. 18, and James C reports one in Menemsha on Dec. 20. The MV Bird Club found the yellow-breasted chat that has been reported from the Aquinnah herring creek on Dec. 20.

Baltimore orioles also linger into the winter. In the past 10 years they have been seen on all but one Christmas Bird Count. Randy Rynd had a Baltimore Oriole show up at her Oak Bluffs feeders, along with three red–winged blackbirds, on Nov. 29. That same day, Catherine Deese had three of the orioles at her Chilmark home. Diane Lucey saw an immature male Baltimore on Dec. 12 and a female on Dec. 14.

Other red-wing sightings are from Albert Fischer, who had four at his West Tisbury feeders on Dec. 5, the same day that Catherine Deese had a few of them.

Black Capped Chickadee

Lanny McDowell

Black Capped Chickadee

Lanny McDowell

There were a million other sightings of winter residents, some of which will be mentioned here. Golden-crowned kinglets are winter residents. On Dec. 15, Lisa Maxfield observed two golden-crowned kinglets at Brush Pond, Charles Morano had three at the pumping station, and Nancy Weaver found two at Crystal Lake on Dec. 18.

The MV Bird Club counted a large flock of 220 ruddy ducks at the Aquinnah herring run in Menemsha Pond on Dec. 20. Bob Shriber found a Virginia rail in Aquinnah on Dec. 18.

Bonaparte’s gulls are widespread across the Island. Bob Shriber saw three from Moshup Trail on Dec. 15. The next day, Derrob Hagy-Weatherbee spotted one at Sarsons Island and another at Squibnocket Beach. Charles Morano counted 12 on the ferry on Dec. 16, and Chris Scott found two off East Chop on Dec. 17.

Eastern Phoebe

Lanny McDowell

Eastern Phoebe

Lanny McDowell

Julia Doane reports an adult bald eagle over Mill Brook near Town Cove on Dec. 15, and Diane Lucey observed one near Menemsha Pond on Dec. 21.

All three falcon species were seen on Dec. 17. Jennifer Slossberg spotted one peregrine falcon at Tea Lane Farm, and Margaret Curtin and Nancy Weaver found the lingering American kestrel and a merlin Katama Farm.

Charles Morano watched a winter wren (another species that tends to appear briefly before vanishing back into the woodlands) at the pumping station on Dec. 15.

Of course, house finches, American goldfinches, song sparrows, dark-eyed juncos and white-throated sparrows are abundant just about everywhere. Nancy Weaver spotted two field sparrows at Short Cove Preserve on Dec. 11. The quartet of Shea Fee, Luanne Johnson, Janet Norton and Nancy Weaver spotted a swamp sparrow at Great Rock Bight on Dec. 7, and Bob Shriber found three Savannah sparrows in Aquinnah on Dec. 16.

The annual Christmas Bird Count has been conducted annually since 1960! Last year was a good year as we counted 21,099 individuals and 127 species. Of course, we always want to do better than the previous year, but our average since 2000 is 35,000 individuals of 121 species.

Razorbill

Lanny McDowell

Razorbill

Lanny McDowell

We see the same 80 to 90 species every year. It is easy to find black-capped chickadee, downy woodpeckers, herring gulls and mallards every year — missing a common species like these generates loud groans at the gathering at the end of the day, when we tally the results of our day’s bird finding.

Of course, cheers erupt when we add a seldom seen species (crossbills, owls, rusty blackbird, western kingbird, Iceland gull or northern bobwhite) or even a species that has never been seen on previous counts (this year we will hopefully add the rufous hummingbird, which is still around as of Dec. 21).

Foggy weather reduces the number species we see because seabirds (northern gannets, razorbills or any other alcid, black-legged kittiwakes) generally stay away from the land. Fog also reduces what landbirds we count because it is hard to find birds with visibility less than 100 feet.

Please email your sightings to [email protected].

Robert Culbert is an ecological consultant living in Vineyard Haven.

More bird pictures.