BIRD NOTES ~ March 11, 2009

 

Bird Notes

 

 

 

Guatemala Birds

Paul and I just returned from a two week service trip to Guatemala.  Outside of our project, we were privileged to participate in some great birding.  I felt the sightings compared very favorably to what we saw in Costa Rica.  On a four hour tour with one guide near Poptun we saw over 50 species; on another 1½ hour tour in Tekal we saw nearly 40 varieties.  One serious birder in our group saw several new life time additions to his list. 

 

One of my favorites was the Masked Tityra.  Our guide in Tekal got excited when we came across a Pheasant Cuckoo doing his mating display; drumming and call.  The great Curassow; Ocellated Turkeys;  Tiger-heron; Collared Aracari; Keel-billed Toucan; Scissor-tailed Flycatcher; Blue Grosbeak; Blue-gray Tanager; varieties of hummingbirds, flycatchers and parrots all added to an enjoyable experience. 

 

The attached photos by Paul are the Lesser Kiskadee, Gray-necked Wood Rail, Limpkin and the Blue-crowned Mot-mot which is a crowd pleaser as it softly says "mot-mot" while the tail ticks like a clock. 

---Mary Miller, Vernon, VT

 

 

Putney Birds

Saw our first Redwing Blackbird on Feb. 27, and heard and or saw him again over the weekend.  Three Evening Grosbeaks at the feeder last week too- The rest of the usuals are around, this year the Red-belly and the Pine Siskins are regulars, new for us.   Today I was surprised to see a Crow on the feeder!!    Always something different.

---Burt Tepfer, Putney, VT

 

 

 

 

Bohemian Bliss & Florida Lifers

We continue to be in your debt. After once again coming home from a fruitless morning of driving around Brattleboro looking for Bohemian Waxwings, we found your message with the latest information on where to look for these birds. Immediately after lunch we got back in the car and headed for the Brattleboro Country Club. Presto! There were scores of them perched in the top of a few large trees right next to the driveway. A life bird for the both of us, up close and personal through a scope.

I've always read you'd be lucky to see one or two of them in a flock of cedar waxwings. And there we were looking at a huge flock of nothing but Bohemians! You made our day.

We got back from a trip to Key West and the Everglades last week where we picked up five lifers -- short-tailed hawk, painted bunting, scissor-tailed flycatcher, white-winged dove and lesser black-backed gull -- as well as a lot of other Florida specialties.
---Michael King, Marlboro, VT

 

 

 

Small Bird, Big Sound

I got a nice birthday gift this morning: stepping out on the deck in the spring-like air to let the dogs out, I heard this amazingly strong full-throated song. I scanned the trees for the songster, looking for a large bird but finally discovered a small brown non-descript bird singing high on an oak tree. I took a photo of what turned out to be a Carolina Wren, and taped the song.

 

A photo and snippet of the song is here:

 

http://www.onejackdaw.com/Carolina_Wren_song.html

 

---Hilke Breder, Brattleboro, VT

 

 

 

March 6^th afternoon at Stebbins Road Overlook

 5 Turkey Vultures

 2 mature Eagles

60 Common Goldeneye

   Common & Hooded Mergansers

 2 Red-tailed

   Pileated woodpecker

*(See attached photo, taken March 6th from Stebbins Road overlook, it is of an eagle cloud.)

 

March 7^th at SRO

4 male Wood Ducks

  mature Bald Eagle

  Red-tailed Hawk

  Mute Swan

 

A Red-tailed Hawk swooped down and attempted to rake it's talons over the mature Eagle's head. Seems there might be competition for the "Miksis" nest.

 

March 7^th Above the Vernon Dam

   a bat eating insects

 1 Canada Goose

 4 Hooded Mergansers

12 Mallards

 2 Red-bellied Woodpeckers

 

March 7^th from the New Hampshire Bluffs

 2 mature Bald Eagles perched

   Common Mergansers

   Hooded Mergansers

   Ring-necked Duck

10 Bluebirds

   Mute Swan

 4 Black Ducks

 2 Redwing Blackbirds

 

Downtown Brattleboro On the 7^th

Saturday I watched the downtown Brattleboro Cedar Waxwings, though down in numbers to a few dozen, switch from eating berries to snagging the warm weather insect hatch. A new arrival was a Killdeer seen Sunday near the former Georgia Pacific building.

---Robyn Flatley & Paul Miksis, Brattleboro, VT

 

Please keep us abreast of what birds you are seeing, whether at home or on a trip in or out of the Windham County area.

Al Merritt

W. Brattleboro, VT

chpmnkx@sover.net

 

A friend is someone who reaches for your hand

 and touches your heart.