Both barn and tree swallows are more abundant this month than they have been historically.
Both barn and tree swallows are more abundant this month than they have been historically.
American Tree Sparrow
American Tree Sparrow
Until this year all barn swallows have migrated southward before November comes. There have been eight sightings so far this month: Susan Whiting spotted three at Black Point Beach on Nov.1, Shea Fee found one along Lighthouse Road the next day, Bob Shriber saw three in Aquinnah on Nov. 3, Nancy Weaver observed two at the Keith Farm on Nov. 7, Chris and Ben Schmandt watched three at Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary on Nov. 8, on Nov. 10, Mason Bunker joined the Schmandts and they watched three at Little Beach and two at nearby Lighthouse Beach. On Nov. 13, Nancy Weaver located a flock of 10 at the Gay Head Cliffs. This species has not been seen in November since Luanne Johnson spotted one at Katama Farm in 2021.
Tree swallows are regularly seen in November, and they are sometimes seen on our annual Christmas Bird Counts (the count will be held on Dec. 28 this year). Most sightings in past Novembers were less than 25 birds. This year we have already had 20 sightings less than half-way through November, and half of them were large flocks of more than 100 birds. Is this due to climate change?
Long Point and Tisbury Great Pond account for half of these large flocks, but the estimated size of the flocks varied from 150 to 2,000. Nancy saw Weaver 1,000 on Nov. 11, the trio of Mason Bunker and Ben and Chris Schmandt saw 2,000 on Nov. 11, Sea Williams and Bridget Dunnigan saw 200 on Nov. 13, and Chris Scott saw 150 on Nov. 14.
Bufflehead
Bufflehead
Smaller but still large flocks were seen by Derrob Hagy-Weatherbee 150 at Squibnocket Beach on Nov. 11, Nancy Weaver 100 at the Gay Head Cliffs on Nov. 13, Bob Shriber 500 at the Gay Head Cliffs on Nov. 13, and Derrob Hagy-Weatherbee 200 at Trapp’s Pond on Nov. 14.
New species for the season were spotted this week: fox sparrow and American tree sparrow, and long-tailed duck. Chris Scott found the fox sparrow at the Keith Farm on Nov 10, and Bob Shriber observed the American tree sparrow at the Gay Head Cliffs on Nov. 13. Bob Shriber discovered two long-tailed ducks at Lobsterville on Nov. 8, and Charles Morano observed nine from the Steamship Authority ferry on Nov. 16.
The Hudsonian godwit — a new species for the year — was sighted on the Tisbury Great Pond barrier beach. Bob Shriber observed it on Nov. 10, and Ruth Richards found it on Nov. 11, as did Mason Bunker, and Ben and Chris Schmandt.
Hudsonian Godwit
Hudsonian Godwit
The Cackling goose is still around. Chris Scott spotted it at the Keith Farm on Nov. 10. Bridget Dunnigan, Sea Williams, Janet Woodcock and Nancy Weaver all saw it there on Nov. 11, and Luanne Johnson found it at Greenhouse Lane in Chilmark on Nov. 16, thanks to a tip from Lucy Keith Diagne.
The western cattle-egrets are still lingering too. Nancy Weaver and Janet Woodcock located two at the Katama Farm on Nov. 11, Sea Williams and Bridget Dunnigan located the one at the Allen Farm on Nov. 11, and Rich Couse observed the Allen Farm bird on Nov. 16.
Derrob Hagy-Weatherbee has the highest counts of northern gannets so far this fall, with 26 seen from Squibnocket Beach on Nov. 12. He also observed eight from Lucy Vincent Beach and three from Squibnocket Beach on Nov. 11. All other reports are of less than three individuals. The trio of Ben and Chris Schmandt and Mason Bunker found three from Norton Point on Nov. 10, Blake Allison observed one from Wasque on Nov. 10, Bridget Dunnigan, Sea Williams, Mason Bunker and Ben and Chris Schmandt watched two from Long Point Nov. 11, and Nancy Weaver located three from the Gay Head Cliffs on Nov. 13.
There were a dozen bufflehead sightings this week. The high counts are Bridget Dunnigan and Sea Williams with a count of 150 from Long Point on Nov. 13. Caroline Adkins found 60 at the north end of Sengekontacket Pond on Nov. 12. Bridget Dunnigan and Sea Williams also counted 55 greater scaup from Long Point on Nov. 13, and Derrob Hagy-Weatherbee observed five lesser scaup at Squibnocket Pond on Nov. 12.
Northern Gannet
Northern Gannet
American coots showed up this week. Two were reported on Oct. 10. Ken Magnuson saw one at the Edgartown Golf and Chris Scott found another at Crackatuxet Cove. The next day Janet Woodcock and Nancy Weaver observed one at Crackatuxet Cove.
One of the most popular shorebirds is the American oystercatcher. On Nov. 10, the trio of Chris and Ben Schmandt and Mason Bunker spotted 12 at Little Beach, one at Lighthouse Beach and one on Norton Point. Sea Williams and Bridget Dunnigan saw two at Tisbury Great Pond on Nov. 11, Sophia-Millicent Pierce-Cabral found one at the Lagoon Pond Boat Ramp on Nov. 13, and the MV Bird Club discovered six of them at Little Beach on Nov. 15.
Bob Shriber observed the continuing Baird’s sandpiper on the Tisbury Great Pond barrier beach on Nov. 10, and Bridget Dunnigan and Sea Williams found it there, and a white-rumped sandpiper on Nov. 13.
Tree Swallow
Tree Swallow
The tiny Bonaparte’s gulls are becoming more common. Bridget Dunnigan and Sea Williams observed one at Tisbury Great Pond on Nov. 11, John Nelson watched a feeding flock of 14 off East Chop on Nov. 13, and Charles Morano counted 18 from the Steamship Authority ferry on Nov. 16.
The American kestrel is still in Katama. Jeff Bernier found one at Katama Farm on Nov. 10, and the next day Nancy Weaver and anet Woodcock watched one there. Two other kestrels were reported. Sophia-Millicent Pierce-Cabral spotted one kestrel at the Lagoon Pond Boat Ramp on Nov. 13, and Derrob Hagy-Weatherbee saw one at Dike Bridge on Nov. 15.
Please email your sightings to [email protected].
Robert Culbert is an ecological consultant living in Vineyard Haven
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