Our Mission
The club’s mission is to promote bird watching, education about birds and the ecosystems they inhabit, and to build community among and between birders.
We believe birding is for everyone, and we welcome everyone, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, or birding experience. We watch and learn about birds primarily on the island of Noepe, Wampanoag lands known today as the island of Martha’s Vineyard.
Birding MV Calendar
Birding at Squibnocket Beach with Rich Couse
Birding at Squibnocket Beach with Rich Couse
Club Activities
Free Bird Walks
Twice monthly. Led by local birders on Saturday mornings in the off-season (Indigenous People’s Day to Memorial Day); Tuesdays: Memorial Day to Indigenous People’s Day. Details are in the calendar.
Free Birding 101 walks
Quarterly walks focused on helping beginning birders build their skills held in January, April, July, and October. Leaders will have binoculars and field guides to loan. Details are in the calendar.
Meetings
April, October, and February in the basement of the Mary P. Wakeman Center at 57 David Avenue (off of Lambert’s Cove Road) in Vineyard Haven, MA 02568, or via Zoom. Meetings are open to members and non-members. Our meetings include social time before the meeting, a formal meeting to discuss bird club business, and a presentation from an invited speaker. Details are in the calendar.
Field Trips
We offer periodic off-island field trips focused on pelagic birds, warblers, or other bird groups of specific interest.
Community
We gather for coffee/tea or adult beverages at various local venues to chat about birds and birding informally. Details are in the calendar.
Birding News
Getting Ready for Bird Nesting Season
Promoting natural habitat is the best way to provide nesting opportunities for birds. Dead trees are an excellent source for nesting cavities. These snags also offer insects shelter where they complete their life cycle; many species are integral to decomposition and...
Why Planting Native Species Matters
Over the course of 50 years, populations of terrestrial insectivorous birds have declined by about 2.9 billion individuals (Tallamy & Shriver, 2021). Recent research suggests a strong correlation between these insectivorous bird declines and similar declines in...
An overview of 60 years of Martha’s Vineyard Christmas Bird Count Data
Martha's Vineyard Christmas Bird Counts (CBC) have recorded 224 different species since 1960, including 5 species seen during the count week but not on the count day. That is a shocking number, but it is important to note that the CBC tally in any given year ranged...
Join The MV Bird Club
Membership in the MV Bird Club is on a sliding scale of $10 to $50, but larger donations are welcome to support the club. Member dues will cover website, communications, and operational expenses for the club as well as speaker fees to guest speakers.
Members will receive advance notice of off-island field trips and guest lectures. MV Bird Club bi-weekly bird walks, led by local birders, are free.
Your donation is tax deductible through BiodiversityWorks, a 501c3 non-profit.