Bird Sightings on Martha's Vineyard: September 2018
Northern harrier.
Northern harrier.
Juvenile purple finch.
Juvenile purple finch.
Blackpoll warbler.
Blackpoll warbler.
Blue grosbeak.
Blue grosbeak.
Black skimmers.
Black skimmers.
Forster's tern behind a pair of common terns.
Forster's tern behind a pair of common terns.
Prairie warbler.
Prairie warbler.
Pair of (not so) solitary sandpipers at the state forest.
Pair of (not so) solitary sandpipers at the state forest.
Warbling vireo.
Warbling vireo.
A western (left) and eastern willet.
A western (left) and eastern willet.
Merlin wheels over State Beach in search of food.
Merlin wheels over State Beach in search of food.
The collective name for a group of bobolinks is a chain.
The collective name for a group of bobolinks is a chain.
The common yellowthroat is a warbler.
The common yellowthroat is a warbler.
Dickcissal.
Dickcissal.
Orange-crowned warbler.
Orange-crowned warbler.
Bonaparte's gull plumage is mainly white with grey upperparts.
Bonaparte's gull plumage is mainly white with grey upperparts.
American golden plover. It was believed that golden plovers flocked when rain was imminent.
American golden plover. It was believed that golden plovers flocked when rain was imminent.
Black tern associates with common terns.
Black tern associates with common terns.
The buff-breasted sandpiper is a small shorebird.
The buff-breasted sandpiper is a small shorebird.
The Marsh Wren is a small, plump, round-bodied wren with a short tail that it often holds up almost vertically above its back.
The Marsh Wren is a small, plump, round-bodied wren with a short tail that it often holds up almost vertically above its back.
As the season turns from summer to fall, summer bird residents start to depart for their winter homes while others visit the Vineyard as they fly southward.
September is also peak season for southbound migrants that pass through and join the other birds in their annual migration.
Keep up with all the action with the Bird News column, and send bird sightings to [email protected].