I couldn’t find any Nantucket trip reports online, so, thought my casual sightings from a late May family holiday may help to give a flavor of the birding a visiting birder might expect.
We were staying at a beach rental house near Tom Nevers pond on the far southeast corner of the island. Often migrants could be found first thing in the hedgerow around our clifftop house. Each morning, I would walk the beach road between Tom Nevers and Siasconset checking gardens along the way. Siasconset was often very birdy with the tall trees. Thanks to the book Birding Nantucket (see below) I found some of the best areas including the famous cherry tree that was often quite productive. On the whole, the weather was windy but sunny. The first day (5/18) was a bit rainy but 5/19 was warm and sunny. Although the birding wasn’t fantastic, I did enjoy a nice array of migrants for my efforts.
Wooded lanes of Siasconset were often good for migrants, especially around Codfish Park where this photo was taken.
The famous cherry tree in Siasconset. On this day, Magnolia Warblers, Redstart and Red-eyed Vireo were in the tree and hedgerow.
May19 Tom Nevers to Siasconset. Male Scarlet Tanager, male Blackpoll Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Red-eyed Vireo, Warbling Vireo, male Baltimore Oriole, 2 male Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Yellowthroat, Tree Swallows, Chimney Swifts, fem Indigo Bunting, Osprey, Eider, Northern Harriers, many Gray Catbirds and American Robins
May 20 Tom Nevers to Siasconset. Female Orchard Oriole, Prairie ,Yellow-rumped, Bay-breasted, 3 Magnolia, Yellow, male Mourning Warbler - excellent views in a garden by the beach, male American Redstart, Brown Thrasher, 3 Eastern Kingbirds, male Indigo Bunting, Red-eyed Vireo
May 21 Near Hummock Pond looking for the Black-backed Woodpecker. Didn’t see it but did see: Pine Warblers, Great-crested Flycatcher
May 22 Tom Nevers to Siasconset. Male Scarlet Tanager, Pine Warbler,
May 22 Eel Point. Looking for Roseate Terns. Didn't see the terns but did see: 1 White-rumped Sandpiper, Piping Plover, 5 Eastern Kingbird, Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow, Carolina Wren, fem Black Duck
