Late January is the coldest point of the year, and it leads into the snowiest. Such harsh weather is a two-edged sword for birders.
The number of birds declines as some move south and others succumb to the cold; what birds remain sulkily conserve their energy in sheltered spots; and the process of looking for birds is a chilly one for all parties concerned.
Regrettably, a very brief summary will suffice for birds brought here by ex-hurricane Noel, which massaged the Vineyard with 60 mile-per-hour gusts and about two inches of rain last Saturday. Local birders were hopeful: tropical systems moving north along the East Coast can produce spectacular birding, blowing in anything from offshore migrants like phalaropes, to southern seabirds like sooty terns, to songbirds like blue grosbeaks diverted from their usual migration routes.
Bye Bye Birdie: Falcon Flies Off, Headed Toward Parts Unknown
By MATT PELIKAN
It's difficult to prove that something is absent. But it appears that the Vineyard's hottest celebrity flew the coop sometime Tuesday afternoon.
The flight was self-propelled, and the celebrity was a slate-gray, foot-long predatory bird, a red-footed falcon, the first member of its species ever found flying wild in North America.
