{BIRD NOTES} ~ February 27, 2012

N. Shrike by Paul Miksis   2.20.12

 

Bird Notes

 

 

A New Yard Bird

See attachment for a close up photo of a handsome Northern Shrike snapped by Paul Miksis at his home in downtown Brattleboro. It had been feeding on a House Sparrow that it had captured.

 

 

Red-bellied woodpecker Sunday (2/19) on the suet for a good fifteen minutes!

---Barbara Cole, Wilmington, VT

 

Robins Galore

In the midst of a snowstorm and wild wind yesterday, a flock of over 30 Robins arrived here and were feeding on the apples on our venerable old tree and on the ground.  They joined the group of Cedar Waxwings that have been here for about a week.  Then a few Starlings also showed up, too.  I've never seen anything like it in February  I've seen and heard a couple of Robins around during this strange winter, but this is something else!  I'm just very happy that they have found food here.

          Naturally, my feeders were well-visited during the storm by the usual crowd, including over 30 Goldfinches and Purple Finches.

---Mary Ann McLeod, Wilmington, VT

 

Eagles and more Eagles in Ferrisburg

A friend and I watched 19 Bald Eagles (10 adults, 9 immatures) at Kellogg Bay, Ferrisburg, VT this afternoon.  When we got there at 1pm there were 5 eagles.  When we left 3 hrs later there were 19.  Even got to watch two immatures swim in the water.  One seemed to fall in off a piece of ice; maybe it had reached to grab something and lost its balance.  This individual had to row with its wings quite a ways before reaching shallow enough water to stand in and be able to fly up.  It perched nearby and didn't seem any worse for wear.  Never even shook out its feathers.  Makes me wonder what sort of plumage characteristics they have to allow them to maintain body heat while swimming for so long in such cold water.   Has anybody ever plucked an eagle?  Do they have a pseudo down layer? (I raise geese and chickens for meat, so know all about their plumage characteristics.) There were Bluebirds in Monkton, Redwings and Grackles along Otter Creek, and 1000+ mallards at the mouth of Dead Creek.  Enjoy birds,
---Liz Lackey

 

CT River from Charlestown south to Hinsdale/Vernon (2/26) there was quite a pick-up in waterfowl migration:

Pintail    21

Canada geese  1500
Common mergs  140
Hooded merg    40
Common goldeneye  40
Black duck  20
Mallard   50 

G-W teal  1
       Also:

Turkey Vultures   6
Common grackle  200 (in flock at Hinsdale)
Bald Eagle sitting, presumably incubating, on its nest.
---Hector Galbraith, Dummerston, VT

 

Great Backyard Bird Count

Did you by any chance participate in the 15^th Annual GBBC last week? If you did and you haven’t yet sent in your species list and numbers of each, you still have time.  The deadline for submitting is March 6^th.  The website where you will find all of the pertinent information is www.birdcount.org.

 

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

Al Merritt

W. Brattleboro, VT