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The
Martha's Vineyard Times is a weekly publication.
April 28 - May 4, 2005 Edition
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BIRDS
Chance favors the informed observer. Birds travel literally “on the wind.” The position and disposition of frontal systems - with attendant wind speed, direction and precipitation that might transport (or ground) migrants - are key pieces of information. Watching the weather becomes almost as fascinating as trying to predict what birds will arrive with its passage. The weather had a bit of everything this past week, with lots of strong winds from virtually all points on the compass as well as several passing fronts. With the wild weather, some exceptional birds were seen. There was also a pulse or wave of migrant land birds that delivered gaudy and spectacularly marked male rose-breasted grosbeaks to Debbie Carter at Katama in Edgartown, Whitney and Bill Moody in West Tisbury, and Charlie Finnerty in Chilmark, all on Saturday, April 23. A record sighting The best of the bunch was a seabird seen by David Stanwood of West Tisbury late in the day on April 20. The wind was howling, so of course David was out in his 16-foot boat. He was just outside the entrance to Lake Tashmoo in Vineyard Sound when he was surprised by a small black and white shearwater that came blasting by. This was a manx shearwater and this represents the earliest spring date that one has ever been seen in Massachusetts waters. The manx shearwater is a small black and white shearwater, a tubenose, that spends its entire life at sea, coming ashore only to lay a single egg. Historically, this species was a major rarity in North America until about 1960. Reports began to increase until they became to be an almost expected species to find in small numbers during the summer in Cape Cod Bay. A stunning report of this species breeding on Penikese Island in Buzzard's Bay came on June 6, 1973, with the discovery of a nest containing a young bird, by Gus Ben David and Rob Bierregaard. This provided a first for the western North Atlantic. This is still the only breeding record for the state. A special pair Sally Anderson of West Tisbury had a fantastic finish on April 24. She was out in her yard at 6 pm and found not one but two, male blue grosbeaks. These appropriately named birds are a southern species that breed as far north as southern New Jersey. The species occasionally appears as spring overshoots when one may appear at someone's feeder on the Island. However this rarely happens and many spring migrations there are no reports of these birds at all. To see two males together in late April is something special. She managed to photograph one of the grosbeaks as well as a northern parula warbler at the Head of the Lagoon on April 19. Birds are on the move everywhere at this season. A winter wren was seen briefly on April 22 at the Head of the Lagoon by Lanny McDowell and this writer along with a handful of yellow-rumped warblers, a dozen white-throated sparrows, a few dark-eyed juncos and a pair of rough-winged swallows. Great egrets were seen at Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary on April 22 and at the Martha's Vineyard Land Bank's Sepiessa Preserve in West Tisbury on April 23 and 24. Pine warblers can be heard singing, Island-wide, in suitable habitat as well as being seen in favored migrant traps. They are moving north in numbers. Birds on the water The waters surrounding the Island have been alive with birdlife as returning herring and other fish provide food for hungry migrants. Impressive numbers of northern gannets have been on all sides of the Vineyard this past week. These large and spectacular birds, which plunge-dive into the water, create impressive explosions of water as they hit the water's surface on their way underwater to pursue scaly prey. Many observers were suitably impressed to call in their gannet reports to the bird line. Lanny McDowell and Richard Cohen of West Tisbury were riding the ferry, exiting outer Vineyard Haven Harbor, early on April 24, in strong southeast winds and rain when they were surprised by a flock of 30 common terns flying about and fishing in the waters. These early returning terns were the first to be seen in 2005 in Massachusetts, but surely not the last. They also were pleased to note five Bonaparte's gulls, feeding nearby, with black heads in full breeding plumage. Many hundreds of red-throated loons were noted passing overhead when the front passed and the wind changed on April 24. This is the last Thursday in April and the birding will only improve over upcoming weeks. If you have not paid much attention to birds in the past, this is a great time to give it a try. You might find that you like going to beautiful Island locales and looking around for what there is to see! Until next week - keep your eyes to the sky! To contribute news about your birding activities or sightings, call The Times Birdline, 508-693-6100, extension 33; or e-mail birds@mvtimes.com. |
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