[BIRD NOTES] December 15, 2006

Bird Notes

 

 

Dec 10 there was an Otter sliding into a hole in the thin ice of the beaver dam on the south side of Route 9 in Marlboro opposite Church Hollow Road.  It was a nice otter tail and I would say it was a youngster. I have had some Goldfinches, both Red- and White-breasted Nuthatches, Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers, Bluejays, Chickadees, Juncos, a pair of Cardinals, and one Titmouse. Last week there was a flock of Turkeys up Larson Road and quite a few Moose on our hill.  There is also a nice flock of Turkeys across from the Shell station in Wilmington but not much else.

  ---Barbara Cole, Wilmington, VT

 

 

How Many Do You Know?

Match up the bird names with the description in the left column.

For instance:

15.Bouquet of      Pheasants

 

 1.Cast of          Herons

 2.Charm of         Swallows

 3.Chattering of    Woodpeckers

 4.Congregation of  Plovers

 5.Descent of       Sparrows

 6.Dule of          Hawks

 7.Exaltation of    Owls

 8.Fall of          Teal

 9.Flight of        Doves

10.Host of          Ducks

11.Paddling of      Finches

12.Parliament of    Larks

13.Siege of         Starlings

14.Spring of        Woodcocks

 

(Answers next time.)

 

 

S I G H T I N G S

 

The female Barrows Goldeneye continues at the power canal in Turners Falls. It is accompanied by a couple of Common Goldeneye females that give the viewer good comparisons to the head size and shape, and the bill color.

 

 

Nutritious Golden Rod

Two Golden-crowned Kinglets were enjoying the seeds of the Golden Rod in the field across the street from us. Earlier in the day I had watched Dark-eyed Juncos doing the same thing not too far from our feeders that were full of seed. Natural food seems to be the food of choice.

 

 

Squab?

Yesterday on our hillside, a Coopers Hawk made a kill of an unsuspecting Mourning Dove as it flattened itself in the grass. It was probably frozen with fright.

 

 

Brattleboro Christmas Bird Count

Tomorrow is the day for Southeastern Vermont Audubon volunteers to participate in the 107^th annual Christmas Bird Count. It lasts for a 24 hour period starting at midnight tonight and lasting until midnight tomorrow night. With all water supplies open it may produce record numbers of waterfowl and may even add a never before recorded species or two. Species seen 3 days before and 3 days after the count day can be counted as species seen during the count week. Check your feeders often and let us know of anything unusual. We will take hooting owls too.

 

Al Merritt

W. Brattleboro, VT