Birdnotes: {BIRD NOTES} ~ July 21, 2010

Piping Plover © Hilke Breder

Bird Notes

Black-winged Redbird in Putney

I spotted a Scarlet Tanager sitting atop a sunflower in our garden in Putney. (From a distance, I noticed a bright spot of red and imagined an errant flowering vine growing up the stalk.) The bird flew to a near-by tree, then back atop the unripe sunflower, giving me a long viewing time. I have not seen him again, since then.

---Laurie Rizzo Medved, Putney, VT

Townshend Dam Bald Eagle

Last Tuesday, while swimming, in the lake at the Townshend Dam, we and a few other swimmers, saw an adult Bald Eagle glide overhead. The eagle then went into a steep dive, a splash and then took flight with a large fish in it's talon. I wish I had a camera because that would have made a great picture. Last year, while swimming there, we saw an Osprey, at a further distance, dive and catch a fish.

---Steve Medved, Putney, Vt.

Orchard Orioles at the Putney Meadows

Following Dave Johnston's lead on the Orchard Orioles I went out to the Putney Great Meadow and was able to get some photos, although somewhat fuzzy since they wouldn't let me come close. The male remained hidden in the leaves of the buck-thorn on which they were feeding. http://tinyurl.com/2cx8u26

---Hilke Breder, Brattleboro, VT

THE BEAR FACTS:

Night Marauder

Last night, three of our feeders were ruined, poles were bent, and we apparently provided a nice meal for the local bear.

Not wanting a repeat, I went out tonight about 8:30 to bring in the surviving feeders and who should I spot watching me intently?! Yes, our nocturnal visitor. I have never seen a bear in the wild, and it was pretty exciting. He seemed to be at a safe distance behind a tree, so I continued the task at hand.

After watching me intently as I removed the feeders, he ambled into the woods behind the house. So, beware all in the West Brattleboro area of Greenleaf St, Country Hill and Green Meadow, keep your eyes open and feeders in at night!
----Laurie Miner, West Brattleboro

Day Marauder

We too had a bear visit our yard, probably the same one that the Miner's had since we live only a quarter mile away. On Saturday we had hibernated from the burning heat of the afternoon sun and pulled down all the shades to help keep out old sol. When we raised them as the cooler shade of the trees moved in, we found all of the feeders on the ground and empty. One suet feeder was missing and the other one was bent and broken. I had all of the feeders hanging from a wire that is strung out 8 feet above the ground; this is no small creature if it is able to reach up over 6 feet. So, beware, bears do strike during the daylight hours too.
---Al Merritt, West Brattleboro

Local Sightings

The small pond off Marina Road was quite active this morning (7/17). We watched a juvenile Green Heron doing a high wire balancing act on one of the guy wires of the radio tower. A little wobbly, but it made its way to a chosen overlook. Two Belted Kingfishers rattling and swooping low over the water didn’t help matters any. A Great Blue Heron disturbed by all the activity arose from the cattails and flew off toward the West River. Today at the same spot it was very quiet. But along the far shore of the river we counted 5 Great Blue Herons. Later while driving along Quarry Road in Dummerston we flushed up a lone Dark-eyed Junco. Here at the “Crossing” around sunset, we are still hearing the call of the Veery and the melodic song of the Wood Thrush. On one hot afternoon a lone hen Turkey pecked its way across our backyard gleaning beetles and other wild turkey delicacies.

Plum Island Piping Plovers

On Sunday I made a trip to Sandy Point on Plum Island to see and photograph Piping Plovers, a life bird for me. It was a beautiful day. I got there very early in the morning before the crowds and saw several adults and juveniles, also a couple of chicks. I was so busy taking pictures that sorry I didn't get around to counting but would guestimate about 15 for the adults and juvies who were all feeding on the moist sand at low tide and 2 chicks inside the roped off enclosure. I didn't see any adults stopping to feed the chicks who were running around and picking at things. http://tinyurl.com/2d3fw6r

---Hilke Breder, Brattleboro, VT

Join Us for the SVAS Summer Pot Luck Supper: Tuesday, July 27 @ 5 p.m.

Birding along Stark Road in Marlboro, a leisurely amble around Hollie Bowen’s Marlboro home. A Pot Luck Supper follows at 6 p.m. Good food, good birds and biological gossip followed by a brief SVAS board meeting.

(Directions: Take Route 9 west, turn left on MacArthur Road for 1 .4 miles to “T” intersection with Stark Road. Left on Stark Road. First home on the right.)