Here are a few updates to the annual Martha’s Vineyard Christmas Bird Count that was held on Dec. 28.
Here are a few updates to the annual Martha’s Vineyard Christmas Bird Count that was held on Dec. 28. Two species of ducks were added as count-period species, which means that they were seen within three days of the count, but not on count day.
The first is the northern shoveler, with Ruth Richards finding four of them at Mud Creek on Dec. 31. The next day Lisa Maxfield spotted one at Brush Pond.
The second count period species added is a male Barrow’s goldeneye, which I found at the drawbridge on Dec. 31, and was subsequently seen by Ruth Richards, Pete Gilmore, Cynthia Bloomquist, David Benvent, Nancy Weaver, Pete Gilmore and Shawn Wallace. That bird (probably the same one that has been seen in past years) showed up on Jan. 9 in 2025.
Barrows goldeneye.
Barrows goldeneye.
The most unusual sighting this week is an American bittern, which Charles Morano found at Cove Meadow Preserve on Jan. 1. This species is a rare find as it is seldom found more than once or twice per year. While there, he also spotted the sora that was first reported on the Christmas Bird Count.
A dovekie (a small alcid) is a winter resident of our offshore waters that is seldom seen from land. However, strong winds can blow them onto land, where they are basically helpless to get back to the water. If you find one of these small black-and-white birds, please save its life by catching it and transporting it to a large salt-water pond to release it. Prudy Burt found one in Aquinnah on New Year’s Day and released it at the water’s edge, where she was rewarded by watching it flying/swimming underwater.
The most common alcid we see is the razorbill, which seven field teams observed on the count. Multiple observers have seen them since then. On Jan. 1, Adam Balick found one at Squibnocket Pond Reservation South and four from the ferry, and David Benvent observed four at Squibnocket Beach. Nancy Weaver watched three from Dike Bridge on Jan. 2. The next day Shawn Wallace located three from the ferry, after he and David Benvent spotted two at Lucy Vincent Beach.
Great horned owls have not been seen or heard frequently in recent years, but Georgia Zoller located one at Cedar Tree Neck on Jan. 3. Other owls with deep hoots include barred owls and long-eared owls. Please listen for them and let me know of your results.
Black legged kittiwake.
Black legged kittiwake.
Short-eared owls used to be common year-round residents, but by 1990 they were a rarity at any time of the year. This winter it was first seen on Dec. 22 by Nancy Weaver and Margaret Curtin at Katama Farm. Margaret Curtin and Ruth Richards observed two of them on Dec. 26, while Charles Morano spotted one on Dec. 28. David Benvent found it on Jan. 2, and the next day Nancy Weaver, Margaret Curtin, Shawn Wallace and David Benvent watched it.
Between Mud Creek and the drawbridge seems to be the location of lingering shorebirds. An American oystercatcher remains in this area. Nancy Weaver and I have both seen one at Mud Creek and I spotted likely the same bird perched on the seawall near the drawbridge this week. Greater yellowlegs are also lingering there. I saw one at Mud Creek on Dec. 31, and on New Year’s Day Janet Woodcock and Nancy Weaver found three at the same location.
Purple sandpipers will be here through the winter along some rocky shorelines. Shawn Wallace and David Benvent found three at Lucy Vincent Beach on Jan. 3.
I had 18 rock pigeons in Ocean Park on Dec. 31, an uncommonly large number for that location even though they frequent the nearby Steamship Authority pier. Nancy Weaver counted a remarkable 120 pigeons on Chappy Point on Jan. 2.
Lincoln's sparrow.
Lincoln's sparrow.
There are sighting of a notable gull (a black-legged kittiwake) this week. David Benvent located one, along with eight Bonaparte’s gulls, at Squibnocket Beach on Jan. 1. Shawn Wallace found one in Vineyard Sound from the ferry on Jan. 3, and Ruth Richards watched one from Lucy Vincent Beach on Jan. 4.
The lesser black-backed gull that often hangs out near the Inkwell is still there; Matt Pelikan observed it on Jan. 1.
We do not know how many turkey vultures there are on the Island, but we know they were widespread on the Christmas Bird Count, with eight of the 13 field teams observing at least one, and 37 were seen overall. The Quansoo team observed 21 of them at a roost, and the adjacent Long Point team counted six — but were they part of the flock of 21?
This week, small numbers of them have been seen by Adam Balick (Sepiessa Point and Squibnocket Pond Reservation South), David Benvent (Town Cove), and Shawn Wallace and David Benvent (Lucy Vincent Beach).
Rock pigeon.
Rock pigeon.
Janet Woodcock and Nancy Weaver saw an adult bald eagle as it perched on the Martha’s Vineyard Museum’s flagpole after being harassed by American crows on Jan. 1. They saw an adult eagle at the Aquinnah Herring Creek on Jan. 3, the same day that Georgia Zoller spotted one over Cedar Tree Neck.
The most interesting sparrow sighting was from the MV Bird Club during their Jan. 3 trip to the Gay Head Cliffs, where they found a Lincoln’s sparrow and 15 other species. Bob Shriber observed one fox sparrow along Old South Road on Dec. 30, and David Benvent watched three fox sparrows at Squibnocket Beach on Jan. 1. David Benvent and Shawn Wallace located the following sparrows: a chipping, two field, one fox and two swamp at Tashmoo Springs on Jan. 3. David Benvent found one swamp sparrow along Greenhouse Lane in Chilmark on Jan. 1.
Please email your sightings to [email protected].
Robert Culbert is an ecological consultant living in Vineyard Haven.
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