Mary Kentros spotted the first definite southbound migrant warbler, a northern waterthrush, on the muddy shoreline of Deep Bottom Cove on August 6. Its distinctive tail bobbing was conspicuous. This species is much more common than the very similar Louisiana waterthrush.
Mary Kentros spotted the first definite southbound migrant warbler, a northern waterthrush, on the muddy shoreline of Deep Bottom Cove on August 6. Its distinctive tail bobbing was conspicuous. This species is much more common than the very similar Louisiana waterthrush. The previous night David Benvent detected the nocturnal flight calls of a northern waterthrush and an American redstart from Pond Road in West Tisbury. This is just the beginning as migrant warblers will increase well into September.
Two other new species for the southbound migration are the purple martin and the little blue heron. Kathy Leedom spotted four purple martins (a large swallow) at Lighthouse Beach on August 5.
Great Crested Flycatcher
Great Crested Flycatcher
Little blue herons arrived on August 3. Both Nancy Nordin and Jeff Peters found one at Squibnocket Pond that day, and Russell Jacobs observed another at Sepiessa Point. There were also two sightings on August 5. Andrew Fischer located one at Flat Point Farm, and Paul Bleicher and Judy Remz watched two at Wasque Reservation.
Rob Bierregaard has concluded his annual survey of fledgling ospreys. He reports 147 nesting pairs: 118 active nests (laid eggs), 11 nests where birds were present and probably laid eggs, 13 housekeeping pairs with nests but no eggs, and five pairs that did not finish building a nest. He also documents that 83 of the active nests produced 140 young, making this one of the most productive years of his survey, which has been conducted annually since 1998.
In other news of nesting birds, I observed a hairy woodpecker feeding young at Great Rock Bight on August 5, and a black-capped chickadees feeding young at Waskosim’s Rock Reservation on August 6. Harmon Hoff reports a red-eyed vireo feeding young near Seth’s Pond on August 9.
Forsters Tern
Forsters Tern
Great egrets are flocking up. The trio of Nancy Nordin, Bob Shriber and Susan Whiting observed eight great egrets on Tisbury Great Pond on August 4, along with three great blue herons. Felix Neck’s Early Birders were treated to a flock of 17 great egrets on August 7, along with three snowy egrets. And Nancy Weaver found a dozen great egrets in Menemsha Pond on August 10.
In other news of herons, David Stanwood observed and photographed an immature yellow-crowned night-heron at Tashmoo Springs on August 6. There were 14 sightings of snowy egrets this week, ranging from Wasque Point to West Chop to Squibnocket Pond and Dogfish Bar. There have been more reports of snowies this spring and summer than I can recall for many years.
There have been two more sightings of Forster’s terns this week, both on August 4. Susan Whiting, Nancy Nordin and Bob Shriber spotted two Forster’s terns along with 35 least terns, 72 common terns, and five roseate terns at Tisbury Great Pond, and I found two Forster’s at Sarson’s Island.
Other high numbers of terns from August 4 include Robert Gold found 24 commons at Dike Bridge, Carolyn Anderson located 21 commons and one roseate at Little Beach, and Silas Beers counted 23 least, 264 commons and 138 roseate terns at Dogfish Bar.
Lesser Yellowleg
Lesser Yellowleg
Flycatchers are still here. Eastern kingbirds still are abundant, with the Bird Club seeing four at Sepiessa Point on August 4, Miles Quarterman counted five at Tradewind Fields on that same day. Judy Remz and Paul Bleicher watched two at Wasque on August 7, and John Frelinghuysen spotted two at John Butler’s Mudhole on August 9.
Other flycatchers reported on August 4 include Seth Buddy finding one eastern phoebe and two great crested flycatchers near Mink Meadows.
Will Turner saw one wood pewee at Buttonwood Farm Road, Thaw Malin and Cynthia Bloomquist spotted a phoebe at home, and Andrew Fischer located one eastern wood-pewee near the West Tisbury school.
On August 5 Steve Allen located three great crested flycatchers at Felix Neck, Charles Morano observed four phoebes along Donaldbin Close, and Andrew Fischer counted an amazing 12 wood-pewees and 10 great cresteds on a trail run through Chilmark.
Little Blue Heron
Little Blue Heron
Courtney Mills found a black-and-white warbler at Felix Neck on August 4, and the MV Bird Club spotted a pine warbler at Sepiessa Point on that same day.
Charles Morano observed an ovenbird along Donaldbin Close on August 5, and Jennifer Slossberg watched two American redstarts in Middle Line Woods on August 8.
Yellow warblers are still prevalent, with 11 sightings so far in August, mostly in the three up-Island towns. Similarly, common yellowthroats are still abundant, with 10 of the 15 sightings from up-island.
An interesting way to infer that migration is underway is to note when common summer residents disappear from a local site, even if they are still found elsewhere. On my August 11, on my visit to the pumping station I did not find four species seen there throughout the nesting season. So red-eyed vireos, great crested flycatchers, common yellowthroats and yellow warblers have started their southward migration.
Northern Waterthrush
Northern Waterthrush
Finally, I have saved shorebirds for last. The International Shorebird Survey (an annual event to count the shorebirds at predetermined locations) was conducted here on August 4. Reporting the details from 30 observers at 20 sites would take up a whole column! Instead, I report the total numbers observed for each species: 62 American oystercatchers, 42 black-bellied plovers, 18 killdeer, 175 semipalmated plovers, 24 piping plovers, 43 short-billed dowitchers, 10 spotted sandpipers, 12 lesser yellowlegs, 20 willets, 38 greater yellowlegs, 44 ruddy turnstones, one red knot, one pectoral sandpiper, 49 sanderlings, seven white-rumped sandpipers, 25 least sandpipers and 154 semipalmated sandpipers.
Lanny McDowell
Lanny McDowell
The observers were Susan Whitin Nancy Nordin, Bob Shriber, MV Bird Club, Carolyn Anderson, David Benvent, Miles Quarterman, Shea Fee, Izzy O, Silas Beers, Oona Carroll, Andrew Fischer, Ruth Richards, Jay Adams, Chris Daly, Chris Scott and myself.
What an incredible opportunity it was to get a thorough census of the shorebirds present in our major shorebird staging areas!
Please email your sightings to birds@vineyardgazette.
Robert Culbert is an ecological consultant living in Vineyard Haven
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