Bird News by E. Vernon Laux

Current Bird Sightings

August 24, 2010 A summer nor’easter is raging and expected to continue for a couple of more days. These storm systems occurring in late August and September tend to make for exciting birding. Many species are on the move and the strong winds and heavy precipitation force many to alter their flight plan and they must come to ground to avoid the bad weather. So for many species that were going to overfly Nantucket, they are forced to divert and hopes run high for lots of common birds and perhaps some rare ones to appear over the next few days. 

 August 22, 2010 Extraordinary numbers of Black Terns have been surrounding the west end of the island from Madaket and Eel Point to Tuckernuck. 148 individual Black Terns were seen feeding at Whale Cove on the east end of Tuckernuck.   

August 21, 2010 Edith and Ginger Andrews spotted a Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Clark’s Cove as well as the first Baird’s Sandpiper of the year.

 

June 10, 2010 Blair Perkins discovered a Gull-billed Tern this morning in the Bartlett's Farm Fields at 8:30 A.M. The weather was stormy with rain and strong east winds. These terns are always very scarce in Massachusetts and there are only a handful of records for Nantucket. The bird was located in the east field by Edie Ray and Vern Laux, about 8:50 A.M., a couple of record photos were obtained before the bird got up and disappeared to the east. Despite searching by Edie Ray and Steve Langer the bird was not relocated. It was what is called the the birding community a one-day wonder.

May 12, 2010 A Cave Swallow discovered by Steve Langer along with Vern Laux at Capaum Pond on Nantucket represents the first Spring Record for Massachusetts. The bird was first seen on 12 May along with 6 Barn Swallows flying around the pond. It was re-found at the same location on 13 May around 9am perched on some phragmites with the Barn Swallows. While Cave Swallows have become annual in Fall in Massachusetts (except last year!) and throughout the Northeast, Spring records are exceedingly rare. New York has one Spring record from 23 May 1990 at Jamaica Bay NWR (that bird was also that state's first state record). Nova Scotia has three Spring records (in 1968, 1969 and 1990) represented as specimens which have been attributed to the West Indian subspecies (fulva), and New Jersey has a single Spring record at Cape May 20 April - 5 June 1990. Subspecific identification of Cave Swallows is probably not possible in the field given the variability of field marks such as rump coloration, forehead color etc but it would be worthwhile to obtain as many images of this bird as possible.

Check back for the latest updates. You can listen to Vern's Bird News on WCAI, the Cape and Islands NPR Station. 

 

Raptors

Ospreys

The property has 2 nest poles occupied by Ospreys from late March thru late August. The nest at the north end of Long Pond had 3 eggs hatch but only 1 survived to fledge. The young bird’s first successful lift-off was on July 18. The second nest, along the east shore had never been successful at fledging young and finally in 2010 broke through that terrible record.  Ospreys suffered many nest failures this summer. We feel the LLNF birds’ were fortunate to fledge any young as so many failures happened to other nests. Over the next few weeks, the birds, both adults and young, will depart Nantucket and head for South America. Adult birds that were unsuccessful breeding this year have already left Nantucket.

Red-tailed Hawks

There are at least 2 pairs of Red-tailed Hawks that nest on the property. The species is resident and noticeable year round.

Northern Harriers

This species is dimorphic, meaning males and females look quite different, and nests on and around the Foundation property. This hawk of open country, moors and marshes achieves its highest known density and breeding success in North America on Nantucket. Harriers specialize in finding and capturing rodents. 

Cooper's Hawks

This formerly rare bird in the northeastern U.S. has taken the northeast by storm over the past decade. They now nest all over Nantucket and may in fact breed on the LLNF property. They are seen daily.

Falcons

All 3 regularly occurring falcon species that are to be expected were seen during the fall migration at the LLNF. Most numerous were Merlins, then Peregrine Falcon then American Kestrel. Merlins have been seen a few times this spring as well as a few migrant American Kestrels in mid to late April. All three species can be expected in some numbers in late September and October.