{BIRD NOTES} ~ March 1, 2012

Bird Notes

 

Yellow-collared Canada Geese

In the previous edition of BIRD NOTES Don Clark mentioned 4 Canada Geese with distinctive yellow collars numbered and lettered GA2, GL5, GL9 and GNS, found in the Connecticut River north of the dam in Vernon, VT. In keeping with the same protocol we followed a couple of years ago after finding Canada Goose G23 at the Retreat Meadows we contacted Tony Fox who is affiliated with The Department of Wildlife Ecology and Biodiversity, University of Aarhus,  in Denmark. We found that these 4 geese had been tagged by Danish volunteers in Greenland.  The geese had been tracked to a pond on campus at U. Mass, Amherst where they had been wintering until now.  See attachment for example of Canada Geese captured and collared in Greenland.

 

 

F.O.Y. Red-wing

Red-winged Blackbird today (2/28) at my home in Guilford!

---Mick Durante, Guilford, VT

 

 

West B. Creeper

I saw my little Brown Creeper on the black birch in my back yard - hadn't seen him last year.

---Lerna, West Brattleboro, VT

 

 

Sap Buckets & Blackbirds

The sap buckets are up on our road, and today (2/28) there were 3 Red-winged Blackbirds singing away above them in the trees. It's still February, and its going to snow tomorrow-- what a crazy winter!.

---Burt Tepfer, Putney VT.

         

 

Eagles Over Downtown

At 11 AM today (2/28) I saw 2 adult Bald Eagles circling low over Birge and Organ Streets here in Brattleboro. I watched them circle higher and higher until they caught a stream of air that swept them north. A third eagle was circling upwards well behind the first two, his head gleaming white as it caught the sunlight. There was a Turkey Vulture as well in the area.

---Mary Lea, Brattleboro, VT

 

 

Stebbins Road, Vernon (2/28)

We hoped to find an Eagle at the Vernon Dam as we scoped from the Stebbins Road overlook this afternoon, but no luck. But we did find 3 Common Mergansers in the river below anad a multitude of Ring-billed Gulls on the sandbars. On the south side of  the dam were a pair of Hooded Mergansers diving near the eddys of the river’s swift current. At the edge of a small cattail marsh off of Blodgett Rd. we heard, then saw, our first of the year Red-Winged Blackbird.

 

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Al Merritt

West Brattleboro, VT

chpmnkx@sover.net

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