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Susan B. Whiting's Martha's Vineyard Birding Blog

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We are off!

The process of getting underway in our "land yacht" proved more difficult than we expected.  We are used to packing for travel by boat so we thought we were okay. However we found we had half the space necessary for our gear, the old eyes larger than stomach scenario.
January 19th, after much thrashing about, we left Martha's Vineyard with belongings covering much of the floor of the Birding Buggy. Why, because Flip had called the manufacturer of our R/V and received a recommendation for a swing our cargo carrier that could be installed on the back of the Bird Buggy. We ordered same and had it sent to Tim and Paula's in Sleepy Hollow, NY, our first stop.
We received an email from Tim stating that the Albatross had landed, referring to the two huge boxes that had been delivered from Stowaway Cargo Carrier.  Shortly after we arrived in Sleepy Hollow, we started to assemble the carrier with Cpt. Tim's assistance.  The chore was completed in about an hour and proved to be quite simple.  Our fathers would be amazed that we actually followed the directions. 
We enjoyed warming up with Tim's gumbo and catching up with Paula, Samantha and Ali.
Each day we compile a list of birds we see. Not all the birds listed are seen from Bird Buggy.  We couldn't observe anything from the car deck of the ferry so went topsides.  We also keep a sharp eye when walking around the areas where we stop.
We are now in Vienna, VA with newly fallen snow on the ground. A Tufted Titmouse is in the hedge watching us write. Our best birds so far were seen from the ferry between Vineyard Haven and Woods Hole and include Long-tailed Ducks, Surf and Black Scoters, Buffleheads, Common Eiders, Black-legged Kittiwakes, Bonaparte's Gulls and Common and Red-throated Loons.  The best bird in Sleepy Hollow was a handsome Sharp-shinned Hawk sunning itself in a tree overlooking the Hudson River.

We are bound for warmer weather!





Off on another tack!

Once a boy met girl. They bought a sailboat and used it to do marine mammal, bird and lizard research between Maine and the Lesser Antilles. They made a pact when they met that they wouldn’t do the same thing for more than 10 years. Kiddingly, they also said when they reached a certain age — old folks — they would purchase an RV and travel around the United States.
Well, we are about to depart on our new tack. We will try to keep you posted-where we have been, what birds we've seen and the new places and faces.  For a little history go to:
http://www.mvgazette.com/article.php?32505








A Quick Birding Tour of Martha's Vineyard in the Winter

A quick guide to the birds you might see during a winter weekend visit to Martha's Vineyard is in order. If you are arriving from away (off-Island), your first opportunity for bird watching would be the trip across on the ferry. The complete description can be found at  www.vineyardgazette.com/article.php?28134

Little Tin Horn, a nickname for which winter visitor?

Martha's Vineyard is being invaded by winter finches and other species that depend on food that is sparce in the Boreal Forest this winter.  Purple Finches, Pine Siskins and for the first time in ages, Evening Grosbeaks.
For more details and to find out which bird is little tin horn go to:
http://www.mvgazette.com/birdnews.php?28058                Photograph by Lanny McDowell

NICKNAMES FOR BIRDS FREQUENTLY SOUND LIKE GIBBERISH!

Bobo is just one of many nicknames bird watchers give to their feathered freinds. Other nicknames and the birds that have been seen recently on Martha's Vineyard can be found at: http://www.mvgazette.com/article.php?27501

WHICH TERNS ANNUALLY VISIT MARTHA'S VINEYARD IN THE FALL?


Foster's Tern
Photograph by Lanny McDowell

Martha's Vineyard has three species of terns that nest on the Island in the summer months. They are gone now, headed for points south. There are, however, a couple of tern species fishing in the Vineyard waters still. To find out which terns they are plus the birds which are moving through the Island during the fall migration go to http://www.mvgazette.com/article.php?2741

LIFE BIRD FOR ME AT GAY HEAD CLIFFS, AQUINNAH, MA-BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER!



Black-throated Gray Warbler
Photograph by Lanny McDowell

What a treat. Flip Harrington, my husband and I joined four other bird watchers at the Gay Head Cliffs on 9/11. The wind the night before had been perfect to bring in migrants.  We were seeing and hearing birds trading between two "cedars" (the local name for Junipers) when Flip spotted an unusal warbler.  Everyone watched this warbler and Lanny McDowell and I took photos. The bird was a Black-throated Gray Warbler, the second record for the Vineyard, and a lifer for me and Flip! For more information go to
http://www.mvgazette.com/article.php?27334














THE HURRICANE THAT WASN'T-EARL DIDN'T BRING US ANY INTERESTING BIRDS

There were more bird watchers than birds the morning after "Earl" passed us by.  We don't like the destruction that hurricanes bring, but the unusual birds are always a treat. We even tried Cape Cod and still found no storm blown birds. A full story  along with the latest bird news from the Island can be found at  http://www.mvgazette.com/article.php?27266

WHIMBREL-Photo by Susan B. Whiting

Little Blue Heron or Snowy Egret?

It is hard to "eat crow" when you make a bird identity mistake.  Learn the difference between an immature Little Blue Heron and a Snowy Egret. Catch up with the Martha's Vineyard bird sightings and well fought conservation battle. Visit http://www.mvgazette.com/birdnews/article.php?27202

ARE THERE REALLY TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF WILLETS?

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 News and go to the August 20th archived issue.

WESTERN WILLET-Photo by Dick Jennings

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Recent Comments

  1. jane gavin on Off on another tack!
    1/14/2012
  2. Bev Poppke on LIFE BIRD FOR ME AT GAY HEAD CLIFFS, AQUINNAH, MA-BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER!
    9/12/2010
  3. Susan B. Whiting's Blog on Welcome
    2/3/2010
  4. Susan B. Whiting's Blog on Wintering Baltimore Orioles and bird watching from the ferry
    2/3/2010
  5. Lanny on Wintering Baltimore Orioles and bird watching from the ferry
    1/25/2010
  6. Luanne on Welcome
    1/22/2010
  7. Bev on Welcome
    1/20/2010

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