{BIRD NOTES} ~ October 31, 2011

 

Bird Notes

 

 

Late Butter Butt (10/30)

As I was shoveling way too much snow out of my driveway this morning I was joined by a yellow-rumped warbler that was poking among leaves I had turned over as I shoveled. Now that the fields are covered I'm interested to see if all of the geese in the area will move out.
---Charlie La Rosa, Brattleboro, VT

 

 

Retreat Treats (10/30)

This afternoon at the Retreat Meadows: among the 600-odd Canada geese there was 1 cackler and 3 long-tailed ducks. It was a different cackler from one that Dave Johnson photographed here a couple of weeks ago. It was very dark- dark enough to be a Taverner's (reported from western MA a week or so ago), but the head and bill structure were wrong for that race - more like a typical hutchinsii.

---Hector Galbraith, Dumerston, VT

A Grand Day on Putney Mountain

Friday 10/28 turned out to be a spectacular day at the hawk watch on Putney Mt. 6 Watchers trudged up through the snow and were treated to 333 birds, of which 133 were Turkey Vultures . It seemed to be TV moving day, with most birds rising up one after another and gliding over our heads. Most passed in the space of 2 hours.  We also saw to 2 Bald Eagles, 3 Golden Eagles , over 90 Red-tails, Northern Harriers, Goshawks, Cooper's, Sharpies, Red Shoulders (9), 3 Osprey, Kestrels(5)  and a Rough-legged.

Weather: light to mod NW wind, Blue skies, Temps.... well....cold but not freezing and snow on the ground. Guess the birds knew a whomper of a storm was coming.
---Terri Armata, Bennington, VT where the snow is starting to whomp down.

 

 

How Clever Are Ravens?

Check out this short story about a Raven pair, a Dog and a Bone.

http://birdnote.s3.amazonaws.com/Birdnote/2011/10-Oct-2011/111011-Raven-Dog-Bone.mp3

 

 

The Trick or Treat Storm

After it finally stopped snowing, we measured 15 inches of snow in our backyard here at Chipmunk Crossing. The birds were frantically shuttling in and out of the bird feeders and virtually stepping on each other to get to the millet and black oil sunflower seed. There were no unusual species among them, just hungry regulars converting bird seed into energy. They included many Juncos and Chickadees, a male Cardinal, a handsome White-throated Sparrow, 2 Blue Jays, 4 Morning Doves, 2 White-breasted Nuthatches,  3 Goldfinch, and 3 Tufted Titmice. The day before the storm a small vociferous flock of crows flew over the house in hot pursuit of two croaking Ravens. They were doing their best to usher them out of the neighborhood.

 

Keep in mind that the Christmas Bird Count will be held on Saturday, December 17. We are in need of volunteers to do feeder counts. If interested, drop me an e-mail and include your address so we can determine if you live within the count circle.

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Please share your birding news with us.

What have you got coming to your feeders?

Are there any birds nesting in your yard?

What have you seen while on a trip?

Drop us an e-mail chpmnkx@sover.net

 

 Al Merritt

W. Brattleboro, VT

 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

 

 

{BIRD NOTES} ~ October 28, 2011

Swainson’s Hawk © e-Nature

 

Bird Notes

 

 

The Snow Brought in Some Snows at the Meadows   

This morning (10/28) at the Retreat Meadows in Brattleboro were about 400 canada
geese, 50 snow geese, and 1 clay-colored sparrow at the Rt. 30 boat launch.

---Hector Galbraith, Dummerston, VT

 

 

Allen Bros. Marsh (10/24)

8 coots were in Allen's Marsh, Westminster this AM.

---Don Clark, Grafton, VT

*NOTE:They were still there the afternoon of the 26^th.

 

 

Retreat Meadow (10/23)

1 Black Scoter, a pair of C. Mergansers, and ~500 Canada Geese were at the
Retreat Meadows off of Rt 30 in Brattleboro this evening.

---Dave Johnston, W. Brattleboro, VT

 

 

Hawk Watch Reward

The rare sighting of a SWAINSON’S HAWK over the Putney Mt. Hawk Watch site yesterday(10/23) was a surprise for the 6 counters present. It's the reason we put in long hours with many days of adverse conditions. You just never know what the next bird over the ridge will be.
---Don Clark, Grafton, VT

 

 

Backyard Birds in W. Brattleboro

My backyard was full of birds yesterday (10/26).  The most interesting was a male Black-throated Blue Warbler that spent a couple of hours gleaning insects from the birch tree. 

---Nori Howe, W. Brattleboro, VT

 

 

A Goose from Greenland at the Power Canal (10/26-27)

Nori Howe notified me of the sighting of a PINK-FOOTED GOOSE at the power canal in Turners Falls, Massachusetts yesterday and again this morning. This species breeds in Greenland, rarely finding its way south into New England in the fall.

 

Vernon Geese and Retreat Meadows Waterfowl

32 Brant, 140 Snow Geese, and ~250 Canada Geese occupied the cornfield on the corner of Rt142 and Newton Rd in Vernon between 5 and 5:30 this evening ( 10/27). The Snow Geese, Brant, and ~2/3 of the Canadas flew off to the west as it started to snow. Beautiful sight! 

 

Earlier 5 Bufflehead( 4 drakes), 8 C. Mergansers, and 2 Double-crested Cormorants were diving about at the Retreat Meadows in Brattleboro.

---Dave Johnston, W. Brattleboro, VT

 

 

Herricks Cove Scoters

2 Black and 11 Surf Scoters at Herricks Cove in Rockingham midday.

---Don Clark, Grafton, VT

 

New Movie: “The Big Year”

Don't know if everybody's heard there's a new Steve Martin movie just out that centers around a birding "big year."  I assumed it would be lousy because Hollywood always treats birding badly, but the folks at Cornell went to see it and loved it!   Here's their review: http://tinyurl.com/3ecshu7
---Jane Stein

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please share your birding news with us.

What have you got coming to your feeders?

Are there any birds nesting in your yard?

What have you seen while on a trip?

Drop us an e-mail chpmnkx@sover.net

 Al Merritt

W. Brattleboro, VT

Check out our website:  http://sevtaudubonbirdnotes.blogspot.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

{BIRD NOTES} October 25, 2011

Bird Notes

 

 

Herricks Cove (10/21)

A small flock of mostly song sparrows, yielded a clay-colored sparrow this morning at Herrick's Cove in Rockingham. Also a imm. white-crowned and a few juncos.
Picture of the clay-colored sparrow on Flickr VT eBird.
---JoAnne Russo, Saxtons River, VT

 

 

Herricks Cove and Spring Tree Road (10/22)

The Clay-colored Sparrow that JoAnne Russo found yesterday at Herricks Cove was there again this morning. It was feeding with about a dozen Song Sparrows and two  White- throated Sparrows in the short grass on the right hand side of the road, going out to the point in the picnic area, in the area between the gate and the big willow tree.

The West River behind the Marina Restaurant in Brattleboro had ~400 Canada
Geese and 1 Cackling Goose early this afternoon.

---Dave Johnston, West Brattleboro, VT

 

 

A Lucky Day

Last Saturday (10/15), about 4:30 in the afternoon, I was standing below the Marina looking over toward route 30.  The sun was in my eyes, to my right and bright. Just then about 100 Canada Geese flew over my head toward route 30. Right into the sun.  Every wing was aglow and like a light show across every wing, and the very tips of all the wings were afire.  How lucky can you get to be there at just that time?  I can’t imagine getting time, place and birds in just that place again.   

---Lynn Martin, Brattleboro, VT 

 

 

Top Ten Reasons There Are No Birds at Your Feeders

1. There was an abundance of rain this growing season in many parts of the country, producing bumper crops of wild foods.

2. There are lots of wild seeds of composite flowers available, such as Rudbeckias (Coneflowers), Coreopsis, Sunflowers, Asters and others.

3. There are tons of tasty weed seeds available, such as smartweeds, pigweeds, goldenrod, etc. Sparrows love all these seeds.

4. It is a bumper year for berries — Holly, Chokeberry, Dogwood, Pokeberry, raspberries, etc.

5. Crabapple trees are heavy with fruits.

6. The cone and seed crop on many trees has done well. Here, in NH, we have many Hemlock cones, acorns, birch seeds, Spruce cones, etc.

7. The weather has been warm and birds do not need to eat as much as they do when the weather is colder and they need to keep warm.

8. Because of warm weather some insects are still available and have not gone into dormancy.

9. Fall is migration time for many raptors, some of them hunt birds at your feeders. This morning we had a Cooper's Hawk, juv., sitting in a tree in our yard. The wise feeder birds had sought cover and were nowhere to been seen. In general, these hawks move on.

10. It is a self-fulfilling prophesy of "there are no birds at my feeders so I do not have to fill the feeders." An empty feeder will not attract birds, especially any of the ones that are still around.

Birds like chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, are permanent residents in an area and, even though they are not at your feeders now, come colder weather they will return, but not if the feeder is empty. So Keep those feeders full !

--- Lillian and Don Stokes

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please share your birding news with us.

What have you got coming to your feeders?

Are there any birds nesting in your yard?

What have you seen while on a trip?

Drop us an e-mail chpmnkx@sover.net

 

 Al Merritt

W. Brattleboro, VT

Check out our website:   http://sevtaudubonbirdnotes.blogspot.com/

~~~~~~~~~~

A friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart.

 

 

 

{BIRD NOTES} ~ October 20, 2011

American Coot

 

Bird Notes

Allen Brothers Marsh (10/19)

A bit more activity at the marsh this afternoon.
1 American Coot
1 Greater Yellowlegs
1 Belted Kingfisher
14 Wood ducks
---JoAnne Russo, Saxtons River, VT

 

 

Saturday morning in Vernon...(10/15)
15 American Pipits.  Going south on Rt 142 into Vernon, take a left on the unpaved road leading to the river just past the railroad tracks. The Pipits were in the fields on the left (north)
2 Greater Yellowlegs in 2 pools on the right side of the same road.

The stump dump off of Stebbins Rd...(10/15)
1 Vesper Sparrow perched on a stump
1 Field Sparrow
2 White-crowned Sp.
1 Lincoln's Sp. Along with uncounted Song, Savannah, Swamp, Chipping, & White-throated Sp.
6 Ruby-crowned Kinglets
1 Nashville Warbler
---Dave Johnston, W Brattleboro, VT

 

 

Lake Champlain King Eiders? (10/20)

Watch for four eiders -- initially identified as King Eiders from head and bill detail -- for a match, see flight images of female King Eiders in the Sibley Guide to Birds.

The eiders  drifted into view from behind cedars to my left at 7:55, along with two  White-winged Scoters and three Goldeneyes. Eiders must have been present for the entire half-hour that I scanned the lake; and have been the "decoys"  that drew in the scoters which had flown in 15-20 minutes earlier.  Both the scoters and goldeneyes swam and flew north some more, then flew south.  The four eiders, still glued closely together, soon flew a bit  farther out into the lake, but were gone (south?) by the time I got back from  the house with a camera and lens extension. 

---Dave Hoag, Grand  Isle, VT

 

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Please share your birding news with us.

What have you got coming to your feeders?

 

Are there any birds nesting in your yard?

 

What have you seen while on a trip?

 

Drop us an e-mail chpmnkx@sover.net

 

 Al Merritt

W. Brattleboro, VT

 

 

Check out our website:   http://sevtaudubonbirdnotes.blogspot.com/

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

A friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart.

 

 

{BIRD NOTES} ~ Oct. 2, 2011

Bird Notes

 

Re: Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Funny you should mention it . . . I just enjoyed a lovely little Hummingbird who perched on a rose bush this afternoon (9/30 Friday) in Wilmington.  My feeder is still up and I still have honeysuckle vines in bloom, which they love.

---Mary Ann McLeod, Wilmington, VT

 

 

Retreat Meadow (10/1)

For those of you that haven’t been there yet, there are still Great Egrets to be seen at the Retreat Meadows. The Turkey Vulture roost near the Veterans Memorial Bridge seems to be growing larger by the day. There was an enormous kettle circling over that area today in the rain.

 

 

Migration Continues (10/1)

Reports from Sullivan County in New York State indicate large flocks of wood warblers and thrushes moving south through the Bashakill Wildlife Management area today despite very wet conditions.

 

 

North American Raptors by the Numbers

Smallest: American Kestrel (9" long, 22" wingspan)
Broadest wingspan: Bald Eagle (80")
Heaviest: Golden Eagle (10 pounds)
Longest distance migrant: Peregrine Falcon from Arctic slope to Tierra del Fuego, an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan.
Biggest comeback: Bald Eagle removed from the endangered species list in 2007.

---Courtesy of Audubon Magazine

 

 

Buying Binoculars?
Following birds in flight requires a good pair of binoculars. Picking among the sizes, optics, prices, and brands is crazy-making.  Luckily, Audubon Magazine has great recommendations. Find the best binocs for you.

 

 

Taking a Time Out

Barb and yours truly are taking a break and heading for our Catskill Mountain retreat for a few days. We have no access to computers there, so we’ll be in touch when we return.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please share your birding news with us.

What have you got coming to your feeders?

Are there any birds nesting in your yard?

What have you seen while on a trip?

Drop us an e-mail chpmnkx@sover.net

 

 Al Merritt

W. Brattleboro, VT

 

Check out our website:   http://sevtaudubonbirdnotes.blogspot.com/

~~~~~~~~~~

A friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart.

 

{BIRD NOTES} ~ September 30, 2011

Bird Notes

 

My Last Hummer? (9/26)

Hummingbirds disappeared from this area about September 10 - until today.

This afternoon, I had a brief visit by (probably) one immature hummer.

Now I'm glad I kept the feeder up.

---John MacArthur, Marlboro, VT

 

This morning I counted about 22 Palm Warblers feeding on the stubble field behind the
Marina in Brattleboro. They were flying back and forth between the field and the hedge along
the West River trail. I scrutinized only a small portion of the field - so there could have been
many more.
---Hilke Breder, Brattleboro, VT

 

Mornings have been very active here this past week with MANY robins and lots of flickers, those usually a bit later in the day.  Unfortunately, I have not done an ernest count lately, but birds are definitely on the move.
---Ruth Stewart, E. Dorset, VT

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please share your birding news with us.

What have you got coming to your feeders?

Are there any birds nesting in your yard?

What have you seen while on a trip?

Drop us an e-mail chpmnkx@sover.net

 Al Merritt

W. Brattleboro, VT

Check out our website:   http://sevtaudubonbirdnotes.blogspot.com/

~~~~~~~~~~

A friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart.