Martha's Vineyard in the late summer and early fall can be a great location to become acquainted with shorebirds that breed or migrate through the Island.  Determining whether you are seeing an Eastern or Western Willet might be considered esoteric birding. For more information on how to tell the difference between these two Willets and the latest on birds visiting Martha's Vineyard visit  http://www.mvgazette.com and click on Bird New and go to the August 20th archived issue.

WESTERN WILLET-Photo by Dick Jennings

April th I sent a blog mentioning that Purple Martins are rare on Martha's Vineyard. No wonder three Vineyard birders had trouble identifying a female Purple Martin in the wind and rain at Gay Head, Aquinnah.  How about where hummingbirds go during a storm? For more information go to www.mvgazette.com/article.php?27082.

RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD AT FEEDER-BY SARAH MAYHEW  http://www.sarahmayhew.com

The sighting of Purple Martins in both Chilmark and West Tisbury recently gave hope to Islanders that maybe they might stay and breed.
The Vineyard has not been able to lure the Purple Martins into staying and breeding on the Vineyard for the last twenty four years. For further information go to http://www.mvgazette.com/article.php?25058
Website:
www.vineyardbirds2.com />


Photography by Lanny McDowell

The last couple of weeks there have been reports of birds arrivng on Martha's Vineyard from their winter haunts earlier than usual.  One hates to blame everything on global warming, but what else could it be?  Perhaps a spring storm?  To see what birds have arrived early check the Bird News in the Vineyard Gazette at  http://www.mvgazette.com/article.php?24981
Visit http://www.vineyardbirds2.com for more information on bird migration on Martha's Vineyard



American Golden Plover-Photograph by Lanny McDowell

Osprey-Photo by S.B. Whiting

Fish hawks have arrived on the Vineyard- a sure sign of spring.  Martha's Vineyard boasted sixty-seven active pairs of Ospreys nesting on the Island in 2009. It hasn't always been that way, however. Find out more about the history of Ospreys on the Vineyard and the Northeast coast by reading  the Bird News in the Vineyard Gazette at:  http://www.mvgazette.com/article.php?24899

The winter had been so miserable we decided we need a mid-winter trip to Central America's Nicaragua to afford us well need warmth and birds of a different feather.  We were not disappointed. A short review of our well need trip can be found in the Vineyard Gazette at:  www.mvgazette.com/article.php?24756 />

Recently I had back to back "visiting firemen" and had an excuse to put aside the bloody income tax preparation and go birding! To find out where, and what we saw, go to http://www.mvgazette.com  and then click on Bird News.

It is that time of year again-a season when I truly become a bird watcher with disambiguation (split personality). One of my alter egos is excited by the return of Red-winged Blackbirds on the Vineyard, the other is charmed by the appearance of Purple Martins in Stuart, Florida. To find out more of this predicament check: http://www.mvgazette.com/article.php?24548
 



Great Blue Heron with young by Susan B. Whiting

What can you do?  There isn’t anything you can do aside from running outside and flailing your arms, shaking a broom and cursing! Hopefully the hawk will become discouraged, but don’t forget hawks have to eat also. Vineyard birders, I am sure, are not the only folks who have this problem.  See the Vineyard Gazette's Bird News at  http://www.mvgazette.com/php?24473




Sharp-shinned Hawk
Photograph by Lanny McDowell   http://www.ottgallerymv/lannymcdowellavianart.com

It is a fifty cent word-leucism.  Loosely translated it means the bird has a pale plumage but is not stark white with the red eyes of an albino. Over the years I have received photos and sighting reports of many leucistic birds on the Vineyard.  So I started thinking, is leucism more common on islands than on the mainland?  Check out the Bird News at: www.mvgazette.com   for more.

 

 
Leucistic Black-capped Chickadee
Photograph by Meg Spokus