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Birds: The BIG
weekend
September 8, 2005
By E. Vernon Laux
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A northern wheatear stopped by Aquinnah last weekend. The rare visitor caused a stir as Island birders gathered to get a look at the thrush.
Photo by Sally Anderson |
Labor Day Weekend strikes again with fabulous weather to bid farewell to summer and the appearance of a mega-rarity, in the form of a small Old World thrush called a northern wheatear, to fire up birders. For those of us fortunate to be able to bird along the coastline and especially the Gay Head Cliffs, this is what we wait all year long for. Mornings at the cliffs in September and October are the stuff of dreams for birders.
Sally Anderson of West Tisbury knows how exciting (and dull) but always beautiful the cliffs can be. At 9:30 am on Saturday morning, September 3, just as Sally was getting ready to drive away she glimpsed a bird with lots of white in the tail dropping out of the sky. Wondering what it was, she leapt from the car and began searching for the mystery bird. After a 15-minute search she relocated it as it flew to a picnic table. It was clearly unlike anything she had ever seen before.
Amazed by the antics of this bird and the way it looked, she studied it and then went to the field guide. There was no doubt in her identification; the bird was a northern wheatear. This little thrush breeds across the top of the planet and then retreats to Africa and Asia to spend the winter. They are very rare in the continental U.S., this being the fourth recorded occurrence of the species on MarthaÅfs Vineyard. Realizing what a find this was, Sally used a cell phone and put out a bird alert for local birders.
Within minutes, seasonal resident Bob Shriber of Aquinnah was there, then over the next hour Matt Pelikan of Oak Bluffs, Tom Rivers of Chilmark, Gus Daniels and Margaret Curtain of Vineyard Haven, and several others all went to see this handsome bird, one that is very rare in this part of the world. This was a great find by a good observer. As more people take up birding and become more knowledgeable, armed with field guides and fantastic optics, records of scarce birds are increasing. This is all good as it lets people connect with the natural world, provides a connection to our embattled environment, and puts us in some of the most spectacular outdoor locations in the world.
Most mornings at the extreme west end of the Island will be okay, neither wildly exciting nor dull. But even on a bad day, the cliffs are better than a good day almost anywhere else. It does not take long birding this area to become fascinated and enthralled by this unique birding location.
Perhaps the best thing about it is that birds are moving by in migration, confused by landÅfs end, and they often circle about and make several loops of the immediate cliff area before figuring out what they want to do. Migrating land birds will reach the west end and begin circling higher and higher until dropping westward towards Cuttyhunk Island and the mainland. Many raptors do this as well, although falcons are not at all concerned about flying over water and often will just ÅgrowÅh by in steady flight. As a vantage for sea birds and ducks, the cliffs are a superior place. The Gay Head Cliffs are one of the better places to bird on the entire eastern seaboard.
Many other birds Å\ including numbers of bobolinks and cedar waxwings as well as 13 species of warbler, a few vireos, and at least two blue-gray gnatcatchers Å\ were seen departing the cliffs this past weekend. Several merlins, pigeon-sized falcons that seem to always being flying at high speed, were also seen. The forecast calls for the birding to just keep getting better for upcoming weeks, so if you have the opportunity to get up to the cliffs around sunrise, give yourself a treat and make the trip.
There are birds (and butterflies) all over the place right now. Several scarce shorebird species have been seen this past week, including stilt sandpipers, BairdÅfs and buff-breasted sandpipers. They were seen by different observers in different places. Allan Keith, Soo Whiting and Flip Harrington of Chilmark, Sally Anderson and Lanny McDowell of West Tisbury, and this writer have encountered some of the afore-mentioned species. Matt Pelikan found a marbled godwit on NortonÅfs Point in Edgartown as well.
Birds are literally everywhere and migration is starting to ramp up. DonÅft go anywhere without binoculars, as birds are not restricted to just what we consider ÅggoodÅh areas. They move over a wide area and will be wherever you see them. DonÅft feel that calling in sightings to The Times Birdline is not important, especially during the peak of migration: it gives us a much better picture of the actual bird migration and enables us to know what species are involved.
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. |
