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| Great Egret - historic - fall 2019 photo by John Drury |
Welcome to the Vinalhaven Sightings Report – March 12, 2020
Brought to you with the support of VLT and MCHT – Thanks to both
organizations!
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| crow track. classic claw drag |
Fell behind in February, trying to catch up and be caught up.
Another in the series of blips – should be a bunch on the way
This is the birds.
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| purple sandpiper - rockland breakwater |
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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| woodcock - Reach Road a few years back |
Highlights – Woodcocks!, Black birds, Grackles, Song Sparrow, Crossbills,
Juncos, Pileated Woodpeckers, and more and more! Gulls worming!
Sightings – Cay Kendrick reports the earliest
Woodcock sighting in VSR history – March
2nd! Not displaying per se, but hanging in the Ballground area.
Very cool!
Lane’s Island – March 9th – 3 males displaying (earliest I have seen on Lane’s)
– and two males battling with aggressive “kek-kek-kek-“ calls and chases!
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| pileated woodpecker few years back |
Singing around the island – Brown Creeper
(3/3), Goldne-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Northern Cardinal, Song
Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackle,
Also loud recently – Pileated Woodpecker – Chuck Gadzik reports
a Pileated at Norton’s Point. Basin
and Seal Bay as well. Keep your eyes
and ears open for ‘em!
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| white-winged crossbill |
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| red crossbill |
Special note on Crossbills – Every time I’ve been in the “woods” – on trails or
whatnot – in the last few months on Vinalhaven I have seen and heard either or
both White-winged and Red Crossbills.
Basin, Huber, Seal Bay, in town by the
school. Great ‘cone winter’, high up on the spruce. Many of the crossbills
singing courtship song. It’s been great!
REMINDER - click on the photo to make them larger!
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| this is the way the lighting should be 7am ferry years ago |
From the ferry
– Lighting continues to be an issue on
the morning ferry rides to Vinalhaven. Just when things seem to be getting
better – bam! – day light saving nonsense takes us back to square one! Ugh. If
that’s the worst thing that happens to me I will probably be okay. It’s just that
you know the sightings are great and well lit on the ferry from the island!
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| common loon |
Anyway – Razorbills, Old tails, Black Guillemots (many of which are fully
molted and good to go already!), Common Loon, Common Eiders, Red-breasted
Merganser, Surf Scoter, Purple Sandpiper have been regulars on most crossings.
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| tracking this purple sandpiper was easy. I saw it poop! - on the breakwater |
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| typical purple sandpiper view from the ferry hard to track |
Noticably less Great Cormorant
sightings. Some of that is the tides for sure. Haven’t seen one in a while…
Leif and Amy on ice! From the backyard!
