Two New Species Added to the 59th Annual MV Christmas Bird Count

In the wee hours of January 5th, 2019, Robert Culbert was out owling to begin his species list for the 59th Annual Martha’s Vineyard Christmas Bird Count (MV CBC). He went to [...]

Northern long-eared bats have foregone the Batz Carlton, a fancy hibernation space that Simon Hickman built for them in April, opting instead for the same unfinished cinderblock basement on his [...]

A day in the field for our staff can be filled with many different experiences.  Much of our time is spent focusing intently on reading the behavior, tracks, and sign of beach-nesting birds as [...]

Last sunday, after a winter storm with high winds and heavy rain, a friend mentioned she had found a small injured bird in the middle of a paved road near the beach.  I asked her to describe it, [...]

We recently checked a wildlife camera on a river otter latrine we monitor at Edgartown Great Pond.  This camera was out during the month of October.  In addition to capturing an otter deep into [...]

People are often amazed to learn that river otters inhabit the ponds, streams, and nearshore waters of Martha’s Vineyard.  The most common questions we are asked are: “How many are [...]

  We recently finished the last round of Saltmarsh bird surveys at 14 randomly selected marshes on Martha’s Vineyard and Chappaquiddick.  We conducted 3 surveys during the breeding [...]

We have been working long hours since early April, but all of the hard work is well worth it when the first chicks begin to hatch.  American Oystercatchers began hatching chicks in Mid-May, and [...]

This past saturday, we had our first volunteer work day.  Liz and I met 13 amazing volunteers at our storage area to tackle organizing and preparing beach-nesting bird signs and fencing for the [...]

This morning, a local birder reported the first American Oystercatcher in Lagoon Pond.  This is our earliest record of an oystercatcher returning to a breeding territory on the island.  Will the [...]