Fun in Flight With Ravens and Hawks
One of the most engaging aspects of observing nature is that every once in a while there is behavior that appears to be mostly, if not entirely, about play, about having fun for fun’s sake. In Aquinnah, a pair of ravens approached from the direction of Moshup Trail, flying northwest to the Gay Head Cliffs where the westerly breeze carried them effortlessly above the shoreline. Occasionally a few accipiters would be in the air over the Cliffs at the same time, most of them Cooper’s hawks. The hawks would gain altitude and engage with the ravens, diving on them, talons outstretched, and the ravens would croak in exaggerated alarm and then get back to paying attention to each other.
Bird Sightings on Martha’s Vineyard: April 2024
Brant.
Brant.
Long-tailed duck.
Long-tailed duck.
Northern parula warbler.
Northern parula warbler.
Green heron.
Green heron.
Northern gannets.
Northern gannets.
Ring-necked duck.
Ring-necked duck.
Bonaparte's gull.
Bonaparte's gull.
Indigo bunting.
Indigo bunting.
White-eyed vireo.
White-eyed vireo.
Snowy egret.
Snowy egret.
Gadwall.
Gadwall.
Northern waterthrush.
Northern waterthrush.
Dark-eyed junco.
Dark-eyed junco.
White-throated sparrow.
White-throated sparrow.
Bald eagle.
Bald eagle.
Yellow-breasted chat.
Yellow-breasted chat.
Yellow-rumped warbler.
Yellow-rumped warbler.
Blue grosbeak.
Blue grosbeak.
Glossy ibis.
Glossy ibis.
Hooded warbler.
Hooded warbler.
Royal terns with common terns.
Royal terns with common terns.
Willet.
Willet.
Yellow-throated warbler.
Yellow-throated warbler.
The spring migration is in full force in April as ummer visitors come north while winter residents depart. Osprey, greater yellowlegs, piping plovers and double-crested cormorants arrive with southerly winds.
Follow all the bird news through the Bird News column and report any bird sightings on [email protected].
Bird Sightings on Martha’s Vineyard: May 2024
Blackpoll warbler.
Blackpoll warbler.
Yellow-billed cuckoo.
Yellow-billed cuckoo.
Horned lark.
Horned lark.
Black tern.
Black tern.
Willow flycatcher.
Willow flycatcher.
Chestnut-sided warbler.
Chestnut-sided warbler.
Orchard oriole.
Orchard oriole.
Worm-eating warbler.
Worm-eating warbler.
Wilson's warbler.
Wilson's warbler.
Purple sandpiper.
Purple sandpiper.
Rose-breasted grosbeak.
Rose-breasted grosbeak.
Purple martins.
Purple martins.
Blue-gray gnatcatcher.
Blue-gray gnatcatcher.
Northern rough-winged swallow.
Northern rough-winged swallow.
American redstart.
American redstart.
Yellow-rumped warbler.
Yellow-rumped warbler.
Palm warbler.
Palm warbler.
Brown thrasher.
Brown thrasher.
Laughing gull.
Laughing gull.
Ovenbird.
Ovenbird.
Blue-winged warbler.
Blue-winged warbler.
Swamp sparrow.
Swamp sparrow.
Blue-headed vireo.
Blue-headed vireo.
Eastern towhee.
Eastern towhee.
Great crested flycatcher.
Great crested flycatcher.
Northern parula warbler.
Northern parula warbler.
Roseate terns.
Roseate terns.
Townsend's warbler.
Townsend's warbler.
Yellow warbler.
Yellow warbler.
Follow all the bird news through the Bird News column and report any bird sightings on [email protected].
Counting is For The Birds
Black-capped chickadee in West Tisbury.
Black-capped chickadee in West Tisbury.
Dana Bangs and John Clark on the south shore near Oyster Pond.
Dana Bangs and John Clark on the south shore near Oyster Pond.
Flock of Canada geese over Tisbury Great Pond.
Flock of Canada geese over Tisbury Great Pond.
Dana Bangs, John Clark, and Robert Culbert on Tisbury Great Pond.
Dana Bangs, John Clark, and Robert Culbert on Tisbury Great Pond.
Flock of Canada geese over Tisbury Great Pond.
Flock of Canada geese over Tisbury Great Pond.
Dana Bangs and Robert Culbert near Oyster Pond.
Dana Bangs and Robert Culbert near Oyster Pond.
A northern cardinal near Tisbury Great Pond.
A northern cardinal near Tisbury Great Pond.
John Clark and Dana Bangs on Oyster Pond.
John Clark and Dana Bangs on Oyster Pond.
Black-capped chickadee in West Tisbury.
Black-capped chickadee in West Tisbury.
Another bird count team across the cove.
Another bird count team across the cove.
A double-crested cormorant coming in for a landing.
A double-crested cormorant coming in for a landing.
Robert Culbert in West Tisbury.
Robert Culbert in West Tisbury.
Double-crested cormorants on Oyster Pond.
Double-crested cormorants on Oyster Pond.
Robert Culbert on Tisbury Great Pond.
Robert Culbert on Tisbury Great Pond.
A great blue heron flying over Oyster Pond.
A great blue heron flying over Oyster Pond.
Robert Culbert near Oyster Pond.
Robert Culbert near Oyster Pond.
It is once again time for the Christmas Bird Count, the annual check-in by avian admirers to see which way the wind is blowing for our feathered friends.
Bird Sightings on Martha’s Vineyard: July 2025
Ruddy turnstones with a dunlin.
Ruddy turnstones with a dunlin.
Northern harrier.
Northern harrier.
Belted kingfisher.
Belted kingfisher.
Black guillemot.
Black guillemot.
Black guillemot.
Black guillemot.
Peregrine falcon.
Peregrine falcon.
Peregrine falcon.
Peregrine falcon.
Purple gallinule.
Purple gallinule.
Purple gallinule.
Purple gallinule.
Red-eyed vireo.
Red-eyed vireo.
Short-billed dowitcher.
Short-billed dowitcher.
Short-billed dowitcher with ruddy turnstone.
Short-billed dowitcher with ruddy turnstone.
Fledgling common tern.
Fledgling common tern.
![[l-r] Fledgling roseate tern, common tern.](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/gallery/2025/07/09/lm_fledgeling_roseate_left_and_common_right_terns_-.jpg?itok=rnOFCZvu "[l-r] Fledgling roseate tern, common tern.")
[l-r] Fledgling roseate tern, common tern.
![[l-r] Fledgling roseate tern, common tern.]( /sites/default/files/gallery/2025/07/09/lm_fledgeling_roseate_left_and_common_right_terns_-.jpg "[l-r] Fledgling roseate tern, common tern.")
[l-r] Fledgling roseate tern, common tern.
Fledgling roseate tern.
Fledgling roseate tern.
Parasitic jaegers chasing terns.
Parasitic jaegers chasing terns.
Parasitic jaeger.
Parasitic jaeger.
Northern harrier.
Northern harrier.
Turkey vulture.
Turkey vulture.
Turkey vulture.
Turkey vulture.
Eastern towhee.
Eastern towhee.
Scarlet tanager.
Scarlet tanager.
American goldfinch.
American goldfinch.
American goldfinch.
American goldfinch.
Eastern bluebird.
Eastern bluebird.
Eastern bluebird.
Eastern bluebird.
Least sandpiper.
Least sandpiper.
Least sandpiper.
Least sandpiper.
Northern flicker.
Northern flicker.
Northern flicker.
Northern flicker.
Wood thrush.
Wood thrush.
Chipping sparrow.
Chipping sparrow.
Eastern wood peewee.
Eastern wood peewee.
Eastern wood peewee.
Eastern wood peewee.
Laughing gull.
Laughing gull.
Laughing gull.
Laughing gull.
Red knot.
Red knot.
Red knots.
Red knots.
Ruddy turnstones.
Ruddy turnstones.
Wood ducks.
Wood ducks.
Black-crowned night heron.
Black-crowned night heron.
Brown-headed cowbird.
Brown-headed cowbird.
Brown-headed cowbird.
Brown-headed cowbird.
Cedar waxwing.
Cedar waxwing.
Downy woodpecker juvenile.
Downy woodpecker juvenile.
Solitary sandpiper.
Solitary sandpiper.
Solitary sandpiper.
Solitary sandpiper.
Solitary sandpiper.
Solitary sandpiper.
Wilson's storm petrel.
Wilson's storm petrel.
![[l-r] Fledgling roseate tern, common tern.](/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail_200x133_/public/gallery/2025/07/09/lm_fledgeling_roseate_left_and_common_right_terns_-.jpg?itok=A2xoUjJw "[l-r] Fledgling roseate tern, common tern.")
Keep up with bird activity on Martha’s Vineyard through the Bird News column, and report your bird sightings to [email protected].
Bird Sightings on Martha’s Vineyard: November 2025
Black-headed gull.
Black-headed gull.
Hudsonian godwit.
Hudsonian godwit.
Common raven.
Common raven.
Wester cattle egret.
Wester cattle egret.
Wester cattle egret.
Wester cattle egret.
Wester cattle egret.
Wester cattle egret.
Baltimore oriole.
Baltimore oriole.
Baltimore oriole.
Baltimore oriole.
Harlequin ducks.
Harlequin ducks.
Harlequin ducks.
Harlequin ducks.
Harlequin ducks.
Harlequin ducks.
Golden-winged warbler.
Golden-winged warbler.
Marbled godwit.
Marbled godwit.
Marbled godwit.
Marbled godwit.
Marbled godwit.
Marbled godwit.
Red-breasted nuthatch.
Red-breasted nuthatch.
Cackling goos with two Canada geese.
Cackling goos with two Canada geese.
Evening grosbeak.
Evening grosbeak.
Pied-billed grebe.
Pied-billed grebe.
Snow buntings.
Snow buntings.
Snow buntings.
Snow buntings.
Swamp sparrow.
Swamp sparrow.
Tennessee Warbler.
Tennessee Warbler.
American oystercatcher.
American oystercatcher.
American oystercatcher.
American oystercatcher.
American oystercatcher.
American oystercatcher.
American tree sparrow.
American tree sparrow.
Bufflehead.
Bufflehead.
Bufflehead.
Bufflehead.
Hudsonian godwit.
Hudsonian godwit.
Northern gannet.
Northern gannet.
Tree swallow.
Tree swallow.
Tree swallows.
Tree swallows.
Black-headed gull.
Black-headed gull.
Brant.
Brant.
Eastern meadowlark.
Eastern meadowlark.
Hairy woodpecker.
Hairy woodpecker.
Red knot.
Red knot.
Red knot with a ruddy turnstone.
Red knot with a ruddy turnstone.
White-breasted nuthatch.
White-breasted nuthatch.
Keep up with bird activity on Martha’s Vineyard through the Bird News column, and report your bird sightings to [email protected].