Birdnotes: [BIRD NOTES] ~ March 21, 2010

Black Bear caught in the act. © Google

Bird Notes

The resident Red-winged Blackbirds have arrived at the Retreat Meadows and are staking out territories as they display their bright red epaulets and shout to the world “Okareee!” On the east side of the meadows along Marina road near the corn stubble field, we came across a small flock of 9 Tree Sparrows and several Goldfinch.

At Chipmunk Crossing a Pileated Woodpecker has been calling, but not seen yet and our Song Sparrow has returned 4 days earlier than last year. On Thursday a Sharp-shinned Hawk fluttered against our dining room window before flying off into the woods. What is left of the snow, which at one time was knee deep, is melting away fast and the long fingers of the daffodils are poking up though last Fall’s dead leaves.

Westminster Tree Swallows

Tree Swallows are back at Allen Brothers Marsh in Westminster along with Kingfisher, Wood Duck and Hooded Mergansers.
---Don Clark, Grafton, VT

An Early Bat in Vernon

As we rode our bikes south on Route 5 in Vernon today (March 18), a bat was spotted flying over the road at about 2 pm.

---Mark Mikolas, Brattleboro, VT

Easter Phoebe

The Easter Phoebe brings fertile eggs to all good birds while they sleep, on the first Sunday morning after the first full moon of spring.

For the not so good birds; they get a visit from a Brown-headed Cowbird.

Couldn't resist.........

---Glenn d'Entremont, Stoughton, MA

Parker River NWR, Plum Island, MA (3/17/10)

Observer: Lance Tanino, Keene, NH

Red-throated Loon 1

Common Loon 4

Horned Grebe 2

Red-necked Grebe 1

Mute Swan 1

Canada Goose 39

Green-winged Teal 7

American Black Duck 180

Northern Pintail 17

Gadwall 73

Common Eider 27

Long-tailed Duck 4

Black Scoter 4

Surf Scoter 4

White-winged Scoter 2

Common Goldeneye 2

Bufflehead 7

Red-breasted Merganser 1

Ring-billed Gull X

Herring Gull X

Great Black-backed Gull X

Black-legged Kittiwake 1

Horned Lark 14

American Crow 2

Black-capped Chickadee 2

Song Sparrow 2

Red-winged Blackbird 6

Common Grackle 1

Vermont Public Television Program Note:

American Masters, Monday, March 22 at 10 pm

John James Audubon:

Drawn from Nature

In a dramatic, contradictory story, the man who is synonymous with the American wilderness and conservation movement emerges as the man who probably killed more birds than anyone else in history. Energetic, gifted and vain, Audubon was self-taught and self-made, the illegitimate son of a French sea captain and Haitian servant girl. From the Caribbean and the French countryside, he eventually settled in the American south at age 19 and, after failed business efforts and bankruptcy, pursued his true passion - finding, shooting and drawing birds - ultimately realizing his dream of publishing The Birds of America, the monumental collection of 435 life-size prints, now each fetching more than $100,000 at auction. The National Audubon Society has more than a half-million members today and his legacy is ever relevant.