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The Martha's Vineyard Times is a weekly publication.
July 7 - July 14, 2005 Edition
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Birds: Summer days July 7, 2005 By E. Vernon Laux Rare for these parts, a clay-colored sparrow. Photo by Lanny McDowell With the Fourth of July now safely in the rear view mirror and fledgling “baby” birds seemingly everywhere, there are not so subtle changes going on in the natural world. Most noticeable in fields and woods is the rapid and pronounced decrease in bird song. Recovering from the exhausting ordeal of defending a territory, courting, mating, providing for a brood of young birds, while all the time on the alert for a wide variety of predators, adult birds are now eating, resting, and growing new feathers. There is no longer any imperative to sing, so most birds just let loose a few songs at dawn and dusk or whenever the urge strikes them. Perhaps now they sing for “fun” instead of because they have to. Making use of abundant summer food supplies, birds are taking in lots of calories. For virtually all the warblers and flycatchers, all the Neotropical migrants, time is short. Having (we hope successfully) completed their mission, the powerful and critical need to create more of ones kind — the need to breed, if you will, they have only a few short weeks to replace their worn-out feathers and store critical energy reserves in the form of subcutaneous fat deposits that will power them during the upcoming migration. A bird’s life and schedule — starting with its daily routine and incredible speed with which they do everything, burning through life, when compared to a human’s — makes us look positively slothful. Sloths are remarkable mammals that live on large arboreal trees in Central and South America. They move extremely slowly along tree trunks and out in the branches. They are hard to find and see, precisely because they move so slowly or are still. They really blend in their surroundings and move impossibly slowly. Birds, by comparison to mammals (excepting small high-strung shrews), make them look as if they are in slow motion. One of the best ways to find and see birds at this season is by getting out early in the morning. Although it is not always possible or practicable to be afield early in the morning, it allows the observer to enjoy maximum bird activity. Another great way to observe bird behavior, what they are eating, doing, etc., is by doing a big sit. Find an area with noticeable bird activity, then find a nice unobtrusive spot to sit. Along the edge of a bubbling brook, by an edge habitat at the border of fields and woods, a hilltop with good views and lots of flowers or anywhere that one enjoys hanging out outside. Preferably the spot you pick will not be in a patch of poison ivy, in a cloud of mosquitoes, literally crawling with ticks, and not in the middle of a red ant mound. Stay away from underground hives of yellow jackets, etc. and then pay attention to what is going on around you. Binoculars are essential equipment for any big sit. Rapid movements and loud noises do not enhance the experience, naturally. Once settled into a comfortable spot, become one with your surroundings. Take note of what is the most common bird and try to see what they are eating. When sitting still, an observer becomes essential invisible to bird life and they go on about their normal business, more or less. A patient observer will see birds preening their feathers, bathing, taking dust baths and interacting with other birds of many kinds. Indulging in a big sit is a most pleasant summer activity that benefits the patient observer. To some, it is a form of meditation that allows them to interact in a non-intrusive way with the natural world, not only on the Vineyard, of course, but wherever one ventures. It appears that for a number of reasons, shorebirds that nest in the eastern regions of Arctic North America have had a poor breeding season. We know this by the significant numbers of adult shorebirds that are already appearing on tidal flats around the region. While summer has just begun for most human inhabitants, it is over and time to get south for these globe-trotting migrants. By the end of July, most adult shorebirds will have already passed south of New England. The most noteworthy birds on the Vineyard continue pretty much as they did a week ago. The two razorbills, football-sized alcids, northern hemisphere counterparts to penguins, continue to delight lucky observers in Menemsha Pond. These northern birds spend the winter offshore and depart area waters in March and April for breeding grounds in Newfoundland and Cape Breton. The species has only been found in the summer in Massachusetts twice, both times enjoying the waters of Menemsha Pond for the entire season. Lastly, the clay-colored sparrow that was featured in last week’s column continues to sing out near the beach at Katama. To date we have been unable to confirm the presence of female and/or young birds which would constitute a new breeding record for this species in the state. This column will keep you posted on what is happening with this hoped-for breeding record. 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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