Welcome to the Vinalhaven Sightings Report – May 10, 2020
Brought to you with the support of VLT and MCHT – Thanks to both
organizations!
Highlights – Razorbills, Great Cormorants, Woodpeckers, Warblers, new
otter latrine!!!!, fiddleheads, skunk cabbage, other stuff!!!
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| sori for sore eyes? |
Contact us –
with all the observable nature stuff going on around Vinalhaven it feels good
to have a safe place where you can unload and share your sightings with other
humans. Send your photos, sightings and whatnots to vinalhavensightings@gmail.com . The place to ‘be’ really, and to share.
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| some skunk cabbage look like this |
PSA – Hey –
What a couple of months, huh? While many of us have been practicing “social
distancing” for decades, there are many behavior adjustments one can make to
decrease the chances of being exposed to or exposing others. The town has been
posting daily Covid-19 updates and information on the town’s website – Check it
out!
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| and some looks like this |
For exercise of the mind and body,
many folks are hitting the trails both on island and on the mainland. At the
same time, social distancing practices are encouraged/requested when crossing
paths with others on the trails. It’s highly unlikely anything would come of
hiking on the preserves, washing hands after a hike – that sounds so funny – is
a good idea. Always a good idea?
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| saw-whet owl pellet |
As for my MCHT work on island - I
will continue replacing bridging on the Basin Platform Trails and at Huber this
spring. These were scheduled projects for the safety of trail users. I will
also be on Lane’s at times over the next few weeks. I stay with my truck for
entire ferry crossing, then head directly to the trailheads and into the woods.
I bring my own supplies and have been interacting with no one other than a wave
on the road or a hello in a parking lot. I am also prepared in case I cross paths
with hikers on the trail. To increase the length of work days, starting this
week I will be staying overnight, one night a week at an isolated location. I am
disciplined with social distancing – I am not going to be “that guy” - and plan
on continuing the social distancing practices I started following after
graduating high school. I’ve been training for this exact event for years.
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| turkey vulture photo by Jim Conlan |
Sightings : Turkey Vulture – “Road kill are a
resource that must be protected”. We’ve all heard that rallying call before. In
a way, road kill is a form of bird feeder, more similar to that gross stuff ‘suet’,
rather than thistle and sunflower seed stations. Like a feeder, road kill
brings in observable wildlife to a convenient location. But instead viewing
from your house window, road kill is often seen through a windshield of a
vehicle. Unless you are lucky enough to have a road kill land in view of your
house! Now that is lucky!
Anyway – Jim Conlan was kind enough to send in this photo of a Turkey Vulture that had been tapping
into the “roadside cuisine” on North Haven road. Cleaning up the streets of
Vinalhaven! We salute you Turkey Vulture. And thanks to Jim for sharing!
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| great blue heron photo by Patience Trainor |
Ball ground blues - … as in Great Blues! Sightings around island are increasing as we move
deeper into spring and the ball ground is one of many wetlands, coves and
shorelines where GBHs may be present at this time of the year. Patience Trainor sent in this recent
photo of a Great Blue in the ball ground.
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| osprey are back photo by Cay Kendrick |
Local Osprey are back, so grab your binos, head to your favorite nest and observe. Here are a few photos Cay Kendrick shared of a Lane’s Island Osprey nest she “keeps an eye on”. Thanks for sharing Cay!
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| red squirrel midden |
John Drury –
award winning social distancer – sends in reports of sightings from….
Greens Island– (5/7) Black throated green Warbler,
Parula, Ww crossbills, lesser yellowlegs, Merlin, Kestrel,
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| new latrine |
In town - Pileated woodpecker on east main.
On the water
…. Little Roberts - Harlequin Ducks
. 0 Great Cormorant Nests observed
Seal Island - Great cormorant lugging in nest
material - total about 35 nests. A pair of adult Bald eagles, loads of displaying and pair flying Razorbills. Many seen just south of Otter Island
Thanks for the reports John!
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| yellow rumped |
Basin (4/29-4/30) – Hermit Thrush, Palm Warbler,
Yellow-rumped Warbler, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown creeper, WW Crossbills,
Hairy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Northern Flicker….
Had a fun session with the Yellow-rumpeds and Palmer warblers.
Here’s a series of shots of one of the Palm
Warblers downing a may fly and then wiping his bill off….
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| palm warbler |
Basin (5/5-5/6) – Black throated Green & Yellow-rumped Warblers,
Northern Parula, Winter Wren, Dark-eyed Junco, Brown creeper, Pileated Woodpecker,
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| palmer with may fly |
The story here was with the Crossbills. As reported (ad nauseum) in
the last bunch of VSR posts, both flavors of Crossbills (Red and White-winged) were staples on every island forest foray all
winter. No preserve visit was without a Crossbill sighting to be made (does
that make sense?). All you had to do was listen. Well, the trend has continued
into spring.
Both species of Crossbill make
numerous calls and sing a slightly variable song. Been listening to them for over
20 years now – including time with Reds in California (typical!) and
White-wingeds in Alaska. Some calls I feel confident identifying to species, and
the songs are pretty distinct. In an effort to be honest though - there are
times when simply calling them “crossbills” is as far as I can go without a
visual. This is often when both species are in good numbers. This winter both
species had been in good numbers.
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| down the hatch |
The chatter heard May 5/6 was not a
typical call note or song, or at least it was different than what we had been hearing
all winter. And not a sound I was familiar enough with to narrow its creator to
species. It was “crossbill chatter of
the third kind”. Anyway.
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| cleaning up afterword |
The Crossbill chatter was pretty
consistent last week, but I didn’t have time to chase them down for a view. Sometimes
the views come to you. On this day the views seemed to be three trees back or
in a buzzy overhead flight only to land 3 trees out of view. More of a commitment
than I could make at the time. Excuses!
Anyway, the chatter kinda reminded me
of 6 or 7 years ago when Red Crossbills nested seemingly in every conifer on
island. The chatter those birds made when the youngsters fledged was notable
for its loudness and consistency, as when as for its timing – late April/early
May.
I mentioned this to John Drury, who
headed out and took the time to get good looks at the chatter boxes (chatter
finches?). On Granite Island John observed
groups of White-winged Crossbills with
recently fledged young birds begging from adults! The next generation is
here! Thanks for tracking down the truth John!
And so the third kind turned out to be made by juvenile crossbills. Well….
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| adult male red crossbill |
This just in –
so I’ve also been hearing “crossbill
chatter of the third kind” on the mainland – on recent bike rides and from
my yard. Well, this morning (5/11) a group of 11 Red Crossbills turned up while I was sipping coffee at my new favorite
outside table. Several of the group were
streaked individuals who most likely fledged in the last 10 days or so.
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| juvenile red crossbill |
If we go with a May 1st
fledging, then go back three weeks to hatching, and another 2-2.5 weeks for
incubation. Mid-March or so for egg laying. These crossbills have been busy
since about when things started slowing down, and social distancing kicked in
for Maine. There you go.
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| juvenile red crossbill |
And so both species are around with
young, listen for the chatter and check the tops of trees. They are easily to
see when they are loud, and they may not be this loud again until next year!
Do we have more? Yes we do, but we
don’t have room here and need to get this thing-a-posted. So here we conclude
this post. Look for a vernal pool update
soon. End of the week maybe? That would be cool…..
See you out there!
