Welcome to
the vinalhaven sightings report
April 16th,
2014
MCHT and
VLT approved, or at least supported
“loving me
some birds” – skin hill sally
Highlights –
American wigeon, snow, salamanders,
peepers, fox sparrow, killdeer, woodcocks, pellets, crossbills, creepers,
winter wren, ruby-crowned kinglets, phoebe, wormin’, osprey, pellets, laughing gull, great egret, great blue heron, great!
Tiit Trick – hey, click on the photos and they fill up your
screen! Try it! I dare you!
Reality – I am not feeling all that groovy and want to get
this thing out before too long. Might not be the most dynamic of the VSRs, more
photos than writing – which might not be a bad thing. Cheers!
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| first red-winged of the season photo by Jim Clayter |
Sightings – Round the island – (4/16) Snow!!!!!!!, (4/15) Salamander drive (more below)…Jim
Clayter reports the first Red-winged Blackbird at his feeder (3/31) Lots of
Ruby-crowned Kinglets around the last few days. Loads of Flickers and Song
Sparrows as well….Long Cove (4/7-8) – 2 more long-eared owl pellets, 5 White-winged
crossbills circling ofter, brown creeper and winter wren singing!.....Penobscot
Island – (4/12) Jonathan Labaree reports an eagle on the nest, sitting
tight!...Lane’s – more Shrike and Long-eared Pellets, Flickers, lots of
Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Eastern Phoebe, others….Calderwood Island – (4/9) Horned
Grebe, Bald eagle, Sharpie with a song-sparrow...Boondoggle - Greater Yellowlegs
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| "poop and pebble" photo by Jonathan Labaree |
The coves
are lined with gulls, doin’ their wormin’ thing!
Spring
Peepers – or about freakin’ time! - This was my first spring
in Maine where I hadn’t heard peepers before April 1st. I think it
was April 6th or something. Crazy. Anyway, Linnell Mather – who is
awesome with numbers and data – has 11 years of data from her zone near carvers
and first heard them (4/11) – which is on the later side of when she first
hears them, but not too late. Anyway, they seem to be making up for their “tardiness”
by singing their little amphidiaphrams out! Good to hear; now they are under
snow
Linnell - Same date as 2011, towards the end of the usual range of
4/1-4/11 (based on 11 years of observation from this location.)
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| Fox Sparrow photo by Sally |
Skin Hill
Sally – in the yard - Skin Hill (4/1) – Fox Sparrow. A new one for Sally’s super productive feeding station
up on the hill and not a common sight anywhere on the island at all. Jim Clayter saw some at his station a day later or so (Pond Street),
but I can only remember seeing one in ten years out here, and that was 10 years
ago on Lane’s Island. Maybe when we lived at Bob and Alicia’s we saw some. Anyway
– a big and different sparrow – the Fox sparrow (Passerella iliaca) is now considered
(somewhat at least) to be 4 separate species with the Redd Foxx Sparrow (Passerella fred sanfordii) being the species
routinely seen in Maine in migration and that breeds from Newfoundland to Alaska,
and maybe as far south as northern Maine. Nice shot and nice VNM!
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| male American wigeon photo by sally |
Sally by the
water - ventured out with her camera to carver’s and the
thorofare and picked up these nice duck shots – including an American Wigeon in carver’s! Yes, yet
another bird with white noggin’ feathers in a pseudo attempt to achieve what we
in the business call “baldness”. This male bad boy is first I have heard of for
Vinalhaven (wigeon wise) and John Drury (keeper of the list) has not heard of
one being seen out here before. So HATS off to you Sally on a personal VNM and
an island wide VNM! Very cool!
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| American wigeon photo by Sally |
Thorofare – Sally
got these great shots of Surf Scoter and Oldtail ducks. Surf Scoters lined up
and looking tough. Nice shots Sally! Thanks for sharing…
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| surf scoters in formation photo by Sally |
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| oldtails photo by Sally |
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| great egret photo by Jim Clayter |
Killdeer – Jim Clayter
sent this shot in – taken from his truck out in front of his place – of a
Killdeer. Amy Palmer has been seeing some catching a lee from the wind by the
school.
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| killdeer photo by Jim Clayter |
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| woodcock in the yard seatbelt for my arm |
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| greens island woodcock photo by john drury |
Woodcocks
galore! – Reach Road – I spotted
a woodcock in yard puddle I had seen one in 3 years ago. I snuck over and
couldn’t find it. Then I saw it and while positioning myself for the shot 3
other woodcocks took off from all around me. It was awesome – here’s the photo
that came out of it….Greens – John Drury sent in this woodcock shot from his
end of greens….and of course a thanks to the folks who came to lane’s for the
show on the 5th – whole bunch of great scope views that night of a
really close woodcock, even a fly by that had a few of us duckin’ for our
lives. Now I know what worms go thru. Anyway – they are still showing off – get
out to lane’s and stay til dark! Peent!
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| line o' snails photo by Jonathan Labaree |
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| drippy mergansers photo by John Drury |
From the ferry and on greens with Capt’n Pete -
On 2 April I saw a Great Blue
Heron on Greens Island, I also saw a Woodcock just at sunset the same day.
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| Calderwood was lovely that day |
Today, 11 April I saw 30 Surf Scooters, 1 Osprey in Rockland, a bald fulmar (that would be me) and the usual collection of Guillemots, Gulls and gales. Actually the other novelty was a Laughing Gull.
That is it for now.
Peter
thanks peter!
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| the only photo that came out from the drive a leech by the side of the road |
Runnin' with the manders - a note on the spotted salamander night. 3rd time was the charm for me and leify and amy and Emily cohen as we drove round the island road last night (4/15) for our salamander drive! we spotted about 25 in two passes, collected 4 to show the chittlins'. it seems pretty late, 3 weeks later than the somewhat standard march 20-25th which is "typical" for their runnin' over a limited amount of time (9 years of runnin' with the manders i think i am up to!)
anyway, be looking for egg masses soon!
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| their feet tickle when they walk over your hand |
and that's going to be it from here as well. i got the crumblees in my tummy. that's all you need to know! here's some other photos -
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| honeycomb kid |
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| eat the orange jelly |
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| find the orange jelly |
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| sunsets are popular at our house |
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| long-eared owl pellet |
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| another baldy wannabe |
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| gulls lining up to go wormin' |
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| and yes, the boy is getting big! |
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| loons dangle their feet while flying |
