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Birds: Pump is primed
September 15, 2005
Story & Photo By E. Vernon Laux
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This Merlin, a fast-flying falcon, was photographed at Gay Head last Sunday just after sunrise.
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The September treatment continues, unabated. Ridiculously lovely weather accompanied by great birding and fishing make time seem to vanish into thin air. For example, a few hours of birding seems to occur in a handful of minutes. How could it possibly be (insert whatever time you have to be somewhere) already? I/we only just started birding. Time spent afield puts one in a blissful state that leaves one smiling. It's sad this month can't last longer, but then it wouldn't be so sweet and dreamy.
Birders know that September is good for the mind and body, and more people are out during this month, finding lots of birds, than at any other time.
Birders are already ruing the fact that the month is half gone, and we're a little less than a week away from the autumnal equinox. But the next few weeks are really good for birds. A variety of factors - populations of all species are at their highest point of the year due to all the young birds making first migration, rapidly decreasing photoperiod (shortening time of daylight) decreasing temperatures (especially inland), decreasing food supply as plants and their attendant insects begin to shut down for the approaching winter, and the instinctual, inherited migratory reflex that has evolved in so many of our North American breeding birds - all combine to make this the far and away best time of the year to see many birds of many species.
All migratory birds are on the move at this time. Each and every day holds promise, excitement, and a bit of mystery as one heads out to scan a favorite locale or hot spot, whether the Gay Head Cliffs or just one's own yard. There is no way to know what one is going to see or hear and the only way to find out is to go out and do it. A "bad" morning birding in September is better than almost anything, except a great morning birding in October. Enough, already, about how great the birding is on the Vineyard at this season - if you don't believe it just go try it and see for yourself.
Be ready for birds
So many birds, so little time to cover all the places that have birds, even on such a tiny place (not) as New England's largest Island - the Vineyard. You just have to do the best that you can and bird wherever you are. It is a good idea to keep binoculars handy during the day as anything may fly by. Without binoculars you will surely miss seeing the bird well and therefore it will pass unidentified, but not undetected, and leave the observer with an unnecessary sense of frustration. It pays to stay ready because birds wait for no one, and they won't wait for you.
The unexpected is expected, almost commonplace, on the Vineyard in September. It continues to be a banner year for seeing buff-breasted sandpipers all over the northeast. On the Vineyard Allan Keith of Chilmark found two in the parched fields at Katama on September 7, and three were seen on September 9. Several Baird's sandpipers, always a rare bird on the Island, have been seen here during the past couple of weeks as well.
The waters surrounding the Island are loaded with fish and not only fishermen are in pursuit, so are many kinds of birds. In fact the double-crested cormorants in Sengekontacket Pond are scary as they line up in the water by the hundreds and proceed to drive fish in to a shoreline creating a manic scene. Common and roseate terns, laughing and ring-billed gulls follow the herding cormorants to snatch small fish that try to escape by surfacing and attempting to jump over the frenzy in the water. This happens several times a day and is quite a spectacle.
Variety and numbers
Now is the peak time for migrating insectivorous birds like flycatchers, orioles, vireos and warblers. A good variety can be found almost anywhere that one happens to go birding. This past weekend the following warblers were seen: Cape May, Tennessee, blackpoll, prairie, pine, common yellowthroat, blackburnian, Nashville, palm, black-throated blue, American redstart, and northern waterthrush. Lanny McDowell of West Tisbury and this writer, birding on the morning of September 4, sighted many birds. Highlights included a merlin (a small falcon) perched at close range eating a red bat, a dickcissel that appeared and called briefly at the Gay Head Cliffs, and a clay-colored sparrow in Chilmark.
Lastly, on Sept. 7, Andy Goldman of Chilmark accompanied by this writer took the winning bidders of the Vineyard Nursing Associations 2004 (not 2005) clambake from Menemsha aboard "The Heritage" to Cuttyhunk to look for whatever there was to find. The group consisted of Bob von Mehren and his wife, Susan Heller Anderson, (from Chilmark and Manhattan), her son, Philip Anderson, and his partner, Peter Sherwin (both of Manhattan), and Peter's parents, Carolyn and John Sherwin, (from Richmond, Calif.) and Peter's granny, Felista Martin, (from Clarkston, Wash.).
The weather was as good as it could ever be, the group was happy to be there, and a good time was had by all. Bird highlights were a northern harrier migrating that was strafed by a merlin and a Cooper's hawk, two American kestrels, an osprey, a few red-eyed vireos, and an immature great cormorant migrating with a small flock of double-crested cormorants. Butterflies were on the move, too: a couple of painted ladies and four cloudless sulphurs as well as a couple of dozen monarchs added some color.
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. |
