Vinalhaven Sightings

Welcome to the Vinalhaven Sightings Report – May 3, 2019

Coming to you with the support of MCHT, VLT and U!

still moltin'

Highlights – Cattle and Snowy Egret, Woodpeckers featuring Pileated, Brown Creeper. Winter Wren, American Woodcock, American Kestrel, Northern Harrier, Bald Eagle, Spotted Salamander Eggs, Yellow rumped Warblers, Ruby and Golden Crowned Kinglets,

lots of palm warblers on the mainland,
must be some on island!

Business: Upcoming Event – Tick Fest 2019, aka “Everything you wanted to know about ticks but were afraid to ask”, is this Saturday – May 4^th 10-2:30 at the Pleasant River Chapel. Tomorrow! Speakers, panels, tick drags and more. Ticks are here; best to learn about ‘em and how to deal/live with ‘em!

Contact us - vinalhavensightings@gmail.com . Send us your photos, our stories, your observations and we’ll make sure they get shared with people you visit this blog! Do your part and put your mind at ease – we’ll be gentle with you….

white-throated sparrow

Tiit trick – click on the photos and watch them grow …right in front of your eyes…as long as you are facing your monitor!

last year's Indian Pipe flower
is this year's whatever you would call that

Sightings – Any way the wind blows - Cattle Egrets – “is this an invasion?” – With several sightings of Cattle Egret pairs reported from neighborhoods in town, the ball ground and other locations around island sounds like Vinalhaven may have had a mini-invasion of Cattle Egrets! Nowadays this is a classic egret of southern US, the one you’ll find following cows around and in fields. Cattle egrets however are native to Africa, and have only been found in the US since the early 1950s. The cool thing is that they made it to South America from Africa on their own! In the early 20^th century a group of Cattle Egrets took flight, (assuming) got caught in some wind and went for it – flying across the southern Atlantic. They have quickly expanded their range north (and south probably) and now apparently can be seen on Vinalhaven! This is the second report I am familiar with of Cattle Egrets on island. There was one that spent some quality time by the ballground about 8 years ago….

red maple flowers

Woodpecker action is upon us, and local classics like Hairies and Downies are probably excavating this year’s nesting cavity as I type. Northern Flickers have returned in numbers as well.

brown creeper

One woodpecker species whose sightings are being enthusiastically reported is the Pileated. Sightings from the 2000s were largely unsubstantiated rumors of random appearances up Zeke’s Point way. Rumors which stopped quickly when trees “said” to have been preferred by the Pileated were cut. 2004-2014 I personally saw 1 Pileated on island, while seeing many o n the mainland. Around 2014 reports of multiple, repeated Pileated sightings near the Privilege and other spots on Calderwood Neck were becoming more common, and dying big-toothed aspen around island started showing clear sign of Pileated Woodpecker excavation. The last few years sightings and sign have expanded across island with sign extending to, but not limited to: Old Harbor Pond, Armbrust Hill, The Basin, Huber, Coombs Neck, and Crockett Cove. Enough to wonder if there may now be a viable population on island. Has anyone seen or heard of young Pileateds being seen on island? Or a pileated nest being found? Only a matter of time!

(4/25) – Seal Bay – Bufflehead, Greater Yellowlegs, Brown Creeper, Winter Wren, Hermit Thrush, Black-capped Chickadee, Ruby and Golden Crowned Kinglets, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Hairy Woodpecker, Dark-eyed Juncos, Yellow-rumped Warbler,

I got my camera out when I heard a male winter wrens singing close by. He almost immediately stopped singing once I got the camera ready (should have been ready) so I put the camera down and continued with my mission. Within minutes a pair of Brown Creepers flew in together, climbing trees and chirping in a non-hostile, yet slightly aggressively interested manner. I ended up taking a few steps back, providing them an access to a dead tree I was standing by that they just had to check out. The bark was peeling off, perfect habitat for their hammock like nests. They quickly came and checked it out, and were gone moments later. The whole session was 3 minutes tops. I was psyched on the photos – thanks winter wrens!

song sparrow

Lane’s Island – (4/30) – American Kestrel, Northern Harrier, Great Blue Heron, American Goldfinch, Common Loon, Common Eider, Black Guillemot, Herring gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Song Sparrow, American Robin.

chipping sparrow

Had a great time with the Island Readers and

writers group, and with the illustrator and author

Annette. Check out her book – "Look up"!

vinalhaven spotted salamander egg masses

(4/30) Spotted Salamander egg masses – Leif and I visited vernal pools in the Basin Preserve and on Armbrust Hill after the great bird walks with the 2-3-4 graders. The pools were fuller than full with water from recent rains, and the eggs masses were….massive!

granite island spotted salamander eggs

spotted salamanders...the next generation

Macro-section - I was given a macro lens attachment for my phone last week – Thank you Amy and Leif! – And it was clear from my first toying with that it is a game changer. Here are some macro-shots of Spotted Salamander eggs…..

….and even though there are no Wood Frogs on Vinalhaven, there are a ton on MCHT preserves on the mainland and it’s fun to snap close up shots of their egg masses as well….

wood frog eggs - st George

wood frog egg

indian pipe

Indian pipes – Monotropa uniflora – “Last year’s model”, “old pipe”. A couple of close-ups of a couple of last year’s pollenated Pipes. Looking forward to freshies!