Fortunately, Hurricane Erin stayed out to sea. The power of that storm — even when it is far away — is amazing, especially since it combined with a northeaster storm that arrived from the west and brought us some much-needed rain.
Fortunately, Hurricane Erin stayed out to sea. The power of that storm — even when it is far away — is amazing, especially since it combined with a northeaster storm that arrived from the west and brought us some much-needed rain.
Birders were hoping that Erin might bring some southern species — maybe tropicbirds, pelicans or sooty terns — our way. No such luck — the seabirds that were spotted last week have been here all summer. Nathaniel Sharp spotted 20 Cory’s, 60 great and 10 unidentified shearwaters from Moshup Beach on August 19, the day before the storm winds hit.
Young Barn Swallow
Young Barn Swallow
On August 21, Richard Goldenberg observed a flock of unidentified shearwaters offshore from South Beach. On that same day, Charles Morano watched a Cory’s shearwater and a parasitic jaeger chasing 35 common terns south of Philbin Beach, and Nathaniel Sharp found four great shearwaters from South Beach. The next day Guy Babineau spotted one black tern and one Wilson’s storm-petrel in Menemsha.
Allow me one aside, something not about birds, about the power of storm waves. The ocean beach at Squibnocket Pond Reservation south was mostly sandy for much of the summer. But by the end of Wednesday — the first day of the big waves — the sand was gone and the beach was mostly cobble. The same thing happened at Cedar Tree Neck, where the storm waves made piles of cobble that were a foot or more higher that the previous sandy beach. The storm waves were moving the cobble, not just the sand.
Some of the Bonaparte’s gulls here now may stay into December or January. Nancy Weaver located one at Squibnocket Pond on August 20. Liz Adams and Bob Shriber found one within a flock containing a black tern and common, roseate and least terns off Lobsterville on August 22.
Double-crested cormorants will also linger into January. The MV Bird Club estimated 300 of them at Felix Neck on August 18, the same day that Nathaniel Sharp counted eight at Great Rock Bight, and Brandi Sikorsky spotted 21 in Menemsha Harbor.
Great Shearwater
Great Shearwater
On August 19, Nick Hansen found 15 at Moshup Beach, Heather Ballou saw one at Crystal Lake, Nathaniel Sharp observed five at Moshup Beach and Caroline Anderson had three at Dogfish Bar August 19.
Nathaniel Sharp was busy finding red-tailed hawks this week. He found one at Moshup Beach on August 19, one in Menemsha on August 20, one at the disc golf course on August 22 and one near Hye Road in Edgartown on August 23. Brandi Sikorsky spotted one at the Gay Head Cliffs on August 20, and I observed one above Slough Cove on August 22. Yalin Karadogan observed one at the Right Fork on August 23, Bob Shriber had one in Aquinnah on August 23 and Charles Morano spotted two at Katama Farm on August 24.
If you see a bird climbing headfirst down a tree trunk it is undoubtedly a nuthatch. We have two species here: the white-breasted and the red-breasted. The former is much more common. Brandi Sikorsky saw two whites at the Menemsha Inn on August 20.
House Sparrow
House Sparrow
Mary Beth Norton observed two whites along Great Plains Road in West Tisbury on August 22. Steve Allen has been seeing one white at Felix Neck all week. Jennifer Slossberg found one white in Middle Line Woods on August 22, Nathaniel Sharp watched a white near Hye Road in Edgartown on August 23, Heather Ballou located a white at East Chop on August 23, and Bob Shriber spotted two in Aquinnah on August 24. The only red-breasted nuthatch sighting this week is by Nathaniel Sharp, who watched one at the disc golf course on August 22.
A blue gray gnatcatcher is a very small but extremely active species. Bob Shriber and Liz Adams found one at Dogfish Bar on August 22.
Baltimore orioles are always a popular find. There are two reports this week. Nick Hansen found one at the Polly Hill Arboretum on August 23, and Yalin Karadogan observed one at Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary on August 24.
House sparrows are often not featured by birders. They are generally an urban species that some call the parking lot sparrow. But they are here. Heather Ballou counted 13 at Sunset Lake on August 18, Brandi Sikorsky found eight near Menemsha Harbor on August 18, Heather Ballou watched five at Crystal Lake on August 19, Nathaniel Sharp located a dozen near the Gay Head Cliffs on August 19, Nathaniel Sharp observed eight at Menemsha Beach on August 20 and Heather Ballou discovered three along New York Avenue in Oak Bluffs on August 21.
Double Crested Cormorants
Double Crested Cormorants
In other sparrow news, on August 18 Chris Scott saw two swamp sparrows at Felix Neck and Heather Ballou spotted two chipping sparrows at Sunset Lake. Charles Morano found four savannah sparrows at the Katama Airpark on August 23, while Susan and Guy Babineau located four savannahs at nearby Katama Farm on August 24, the same day that Susan Whiting watched two at Black Point Pond. Song sparrows were abundant with 18 reports this week.
Warblers, other than common yellowthroats and yellow warblers, were seen this week. Chris Scott spotted one pine warbler at Felix Neck on August 18, Bob Shriber and Liz Adams found a prairie warbler at Dogfish Bar on August 22, and Charles Morano located a black-and-white warbler and one American redstart at Road Rock Trail in Aquinnah on August 21.
American Redstart
American Redstart
Wayne Smith spotted an adolescent male cardinal at his West Tisbury home on August 21, the only breeding season report for this week.
One final note, With Labor Day’s arrival the MV Bird Club’s birding trips will be held every other Saturday, starting on Sept. 6 at Quansoo with Susan Whiting and Bob Shriber. These bi-weekly programs are free and all are welcome. These trips are a great opportunity to learn about birds.
Please email your sightings to [email protected].
Robert Culbert is an ecological consultant living in Vineyard Haven
Add new comment