Scenes from Christmas Bird Count 2016
A Norton Point sunrise starts the day.
A Norton Point sunrise starts the day.
The Chappy beach team: David Stanwood, Elizabeth Greene, Sara Walsh, Richard Greene, Tom Walsh, Ned Robinson-Lynch, Richard Cohen and Pete Gilmore.
The Chappy beach team: David Stanwood, Elizabeth Greene, Sara Walsh, Richard Greene, Tom Walsh, Ned Robinson-Lynch, Richard Cohen and Pete Gilmore.
Three Northern gannets mingle with gulls off East Beach on Chappaquiddick.
Three Northern gannets mingle with gulls off East Beach on Chappaquiddick.
Sanderlings and dunlin.
Sanderlings and dunlin.
Snowy owl spotted at Norton Point.
Snowy owl spotted at Norton Point.
Another shot of the snowy owl.
Another shot of the snowy owl.
Yellow-rumped warbler poses on Cape Pogue.
Yellow-rumped warbler poses on Cape Pogue.
White-winged scoter in Cape Pogue Bay.
White-winged scoter in Cape Pogue Bay.
Buffet accompanied final tally at the Wakeman Center.
Buffet accompanied final tally at the Wakeman Center.
Allan Keith and Bob Woodruff at the final count.
Allan Keith and Bob Woodruff at the final count.
Ken Magnuson, Soo Whiting and Warren Woessner share a laugh at final bird count tally.
Ken Magnuson, Soo Whiting and Warren Woessner share a laugh at final bird count tally.
Matt Pelikan and Soo Whiting.
Matt Pelikan and Soo Whiting.
Compiling the results. The grand total was 120 different species.
Compiling the results. The grand total was 120 different species.
The cold and blustery weather on Jan. 2 didn’t deter Island birders from heading out for the 56th annual Christmas Bird Count on the Vineyard. Sixty-one birders, comprising 13 teams, fanned out across the Island to take stock of the bird population here as part of a larger survey done across the Americas.
The total as of now for the day is 120 species. Some of the highlights included a western kingbird and prairie warbler seen at Squibnocket, a snowy owl at Norton Point, a yellow-breasted chat spotted in Edgartown, Baltimore orioles at Aquinnah and Chilmark and multiple bald eagles.