Martha's Vineyard Matt Pelikan

Invasive Garlic Mustard Makes Unwelcome Appearance

Matt Pelikan | Friday, May 3 2013 - 12:51pm

Most Vineyarders already know some basic information about invasive species and why they’re a problem. Basically, invasives are plants or animals, usually from a different part of the world, that are too aggressive. Separated from whatever factors keep them under control in their original range, the spread rapidly and crowd out more diverse and more desirable native wildlife.

Humdinger

Matt Pelikan

This has been an especially exciting fall for birders, both regionally and on the Vineyard. Since the last Bird News, the bird of the week, year and possibly the decade showed up at the always-birdy home of Penny Uhlendorf and Scott Stephens, off of Lambert’s Cove Road. Recognizing their visitor as a hummingbird, and not the usual one, Penny and Scott put the word out. Lanny McDowell responded first, camera in hand, and took a series of pictures that conclusively documented the Island’s first-ever Allen’s hummingbird.

Spring Reveal

Matt Pelikan

The Winter That Wasn’t is merging into a spring whose nature has yet to be revealed and birds, accordingly, are in motion. Most notably, common grackles and red-winged blackbirds have landed on the Island, raucous males (as always) leading the charge but with the first females of both species arriving over the past week. Meanwhile, more species and more individuals are lending their voices to the morning chorus, with cardinals, Eastern bluebirds, American robins, and brown creepers singing this week at multiple locations. Every day brings change.

Overnight, Orioles Arrive

Matt Pelikan

This past week was one of those wonderful periods when every day brings new bird species. March, which devoured April this year, finally ended, and with the milder weather came a welcome influx of songbirds.

Puzzling Birds

Matt Pelikan

I guess you could call it forensic ornithology — assembling a story or an answer by linking bits of information, like detectives solving a murder on all those TV shows I don’t watch. Anyway, birders do it a lot.

Raining Robins

Matt Pelikan

“Raining robins” was how West Tisbury’s Pat Szucs described the scene in her yard last Sunday morning. A good-sized flock of these popular thrushes turned up there, socializing actively as they fed on juniper berries. Pat noted that robins have been scarce or absent in her yard for many weeks now, and her astute observation illustrates how one tells arriving migrant birds from individuals that have wintered here: The migrants simply behave differently, showing up in different places and displaying a much higher level of energy. Over-wintering birds are in survival mode, intent on staying sheltered and conserving energy; migrants are intent on moving, take more chances, and act a bit randy. I noted a similar flock of robins in Oak Bluffs the same day.

First Ospreys, Spring is Here

Matt Pelikan

We’ve had more than our share of beastly weather recently, which put the brakes on both bird migration and birding activity. But with a run of exquisite spring days last week and into this past weekend, the birding season has bounded ahead. Grackles and red-winged blackbirds are ubiquitous around the Island; robins, song sparrows and Carolina wrens are in full voice; and in general, the world is growing rapidly birdier. This makes me happy.