For the birds

Now that spring is here, those of us who spent our long, lonely winter on the island are now happily beating out rugs, cleaning out garages, throwing open windows to tempt in the mild breeze, and just generally turning our faces to the sun to welcome the arrival of longer daylight hours and warmer weather.  But we sometimes forget that preceding the return of all our summer friends and visitors, prior to the lengthening lines at Chilmark Chocolates, long before Five Corners becomes a mess of ferry traffic and moped rentals, flocks of summer neighbors return to our own backyards… literally!

The island is considered a hotspot for migratory birds, both as they make their way South for the colder months and back North for our seasonable summer.  That's not to say that we don't have our fair share of over-wintering birds, because the feeders in my yard would certainly say otherwise.  True, the black-capped Chickadee, yearling Titmice, flocks of juncos, woodpeckers of all kinds, nuthatches and sparrows have been bunkering down like many of us residents of this once-frozen island.  And, in fact, the increased singing in these local, winter-loving birds is said to be the first herald of spring.  

However, our unique climate and varied ecosystems provide a sanctuary of sorts for so many different types of birds, especially those you can't look out your window in December and admire.  Now is the time where you can begin sighting these seasonal visitors around the island.  There are six different biomes or ecosystems found here: shorelines, coastal water, fresh and saltwater ponds and marshes, woodlands, and fields and meadows.  Even our own backyards provide habitats for all kinds of wonderful migratory birds, as evidenced by the serenade of birdsong evident on a summer morning.  

As any school-aged child on the island can tell you, (apart from the fact that the aforementioned cute and inquisitive Black-Capped Chickadee is our state bird!) the Vineyard provides homes to a few unique and endangered types of migratory avians, the Osprey and the Piping Plover being chief among them.  However, there are scores of other birds that go unnamed and unnoticed: creating that symphony of mixed song for us to wake up to all spring long, reaching a fever pitch in June and July… until they disappear and leave us in silence; a stark contrast as fall pulls us further away from the glow of summer.  Who are these avian neighbors and where can you find them?

Warblers, herons, terns, plovers of many varieties, as well as oyster-catchers, willets and a huge array of ducks are all water-loving birds that can be found as they rejoin us, populating the wetland areas and coastal waters surrounding the island.  A great place to look for these birds would be at ponds or bay areas like in Aquinnah or Katama.  Squibnocket Beach and Menemsha Pond are great locations to spy these water-loving fowl as well.  Sapsuckers, orioles, swallows, robins also migrate south for the winter, and start turning up again as the weather grows warmer.  These birds prefer the cover of wooded areas and enjoy feeding from the trees, nearby meadows or in the canopy itself.  Look for these birds at the Waskosim Rock preserve, or at Indian Hill/Christian town where they have lovely trails maintained and provided for by the MV Land Bank.  

Even in your own backyard, you'll notice some of these birds either stopping at feeders and baths for a quick respite, or sometimes nesting in nearby trees and bushes.  Go ahead and put out some black oil sunflower seed or a block of suet and see which bird species you can spot!  And of course, there are many wonderful bird sanctuaries located right here on our island, for those with a taste for the outdoors.  The Audobon Society of Massachusetts at Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary, Cedar Tree Neck Sanctuary via Sheriff's meadow Foundation and the Wasque Reservation on Chappy owned by the Trustees of the Reservation are three places that are not only enormous in acreage, but varied in the representation of habitats.  By visiting these locations, you have opportunities to sight many different types of birds in a variety of settings, from meadow to salt marsh.  

Whether you'd like to take a hike or just watch from the bliss of your armchair, birding on the island is starting to get interesting!  Grab your binoculars and wait with me, as summer approaches!

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