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The
Martha's Vineyard Times is a weekly publication.
July 21 - July 27, 2005 Edition
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Southbound
shorebirds, cuckoo bonanza
The planet has never been smaller: no place, no distant corner of the globe, is far enough away to escape changes and pollutants in the earth's atmosphere. With increasing human population and increasing industrial development, the demand on finite resources has never been greater. Finding nonpolluting, non-energy consumptive ways and means of organic farming, manufacturing, heating/cooling of living spaces, building better, more efficient dwellings, and finding ways to move around that don't use excessive and insane amounts of energy must become foremost problems to solve among both private citizens and our elected government. The way we live now is a clear and present danger to everyone here and abroad, increasing exponentially as we go forward in time. The U.S. should be a leader in fighting pollution, leading by example, the opposite end of the spectrum from what is coming from Washington, D. C. and the White House. Tropical changes loom Hurricane season is already setting records for number and strength of storms this early in the season. Hurricanes are one tool nature uses to dissipate heat from an area. It has everything to do with equatorial water temperatures and water temperatures further north. Already the tropics have been more active than ever recorded, in terms of storm activity, and there are ten days left in July. Apparently water temperatures are averaging as much as four degrees Fahrenheit above normal, which seems to bode that August and September will be memorable for hurricanes. As a birder who birds on an island off the coast, I get excited about the prospects of these great undevelopers (hurricanes) slamming our shores. These storms are so powerful that they transport things like terns, tubenoses, boobies, tropicbirds and pelicans thousands of miles from where they want to be. They are wildly exciting during and just after making a landfall because really anything is possible. As this is being written, there are remarkable reports of sooty terns and manx shearwater in Kentucky, driven inland by Hurricane Dennis. These are pelagic seabirds that live their lives over open ocean. The ferocity of the storm, the velocity of the wind, and the intensity of the rainfall all prove too much for the overwhelmed birds that had no choice but to stay out in front of the eye of the storm and get driven far inland. Hurricanes and the birds they displace offer a rare and memorable experience for birders. While clearly not good for the birds, they make dreams come true for birders. That said, and because the northeast is way overdue for a big storm, it should be a most interesting time coming up. Property owners and especially boat owners should have plans in place to button down and figure out how to get things secure now, before the big one gets here. All signs are pointing toward a high number category hurricane visiting the northeast in the no-too-distant future. Forewarned and prepared is the way to go. Heading south The southbound shorebird migration is becoming impressive. Large numbers of shorebirds are congregating at favorable spots, to feed, grow new feathers, and fatten as they are already making the journey south for the winter. Lots of misnamed short-billed dowitchers, both greater and lesser yellowlegs, red knots, semipalmated, a few westerns and lots of least sandpipers can be found as well as black-bellied and semipalmated plovers. Rainy and foggy weather actually improves ones chances at seeing more of these birds as they must put down when they literally cannot see where they are heading. If they could, most shorebirds would over fly the Vineyard and keep heading for points south. Norton's Point in Edgartown has been very good at mid-tide and any exposed tidal flats along Sengekontacket Pond in both Edgartown and Oak Bluffs, along the shores of any Great Pond or the shoreline of Menemsha Pond in Chilmark or Aquinnah will have birds feeding. The number and variety of birds change with each new tide, so the key to seeing birds is visit the flats often, especially in bad weather. The shorebirds are not alone as increasing numbers of gulls and terns have begun to appear. During this upcoming week as tern chicks fledge (start to fly) there may be a big increase in the number of terns on Island shores. Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn't comment on the widely noticed cuckoo incursion. Cuckoos are large (jay-sized birds) that are the only birds around in summer that eat hairy caterpillars. Their stomachs are adapted to handle the prickly and often toxic hair and secretions that are the caterpillars' defense system. Cuckoos just love to find and eat these caterpillars. It would be hard to miss that caterpillars have run wild over large sections of suburb and woodland, providing a food bonanza for the two cuckoo species that occur here - black-billed and yellow-billed cuckoos. Six reports of excited observers seeing their first cuckoos ever came in this past week. People going cuckoo over cuckoos, if you will - it's all good! 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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