{BIRD NOTES} ~ August 12, 2012

Giant Swallowtail © eNature and Turkeys in Brookline © Barbara Ritchie

Bird Notes

 

Giant Swallowtail (8/5)

A first for us was a Giant Swallowtail butterfly visiting our butterfly bush in Putney. It cooperated long enough for us to match it up with the picture and description, in our Audubon Field Guide. I hope to get a photo, if it returns.          (Meanwhile see photo attachment © eNature)

---Steve and Laurie Medved, Putney, VT

 

More Hens and Poults  

This was on June 20th, so not within the turkey survey time, but we had a LOT of turkeys in our yard on Ellen Ware Road in Brookline.  As they kept moving so much it was hard to count the poults, but we kept getting about 25 each time we tried.  Three hens were watching over them.    (See attachment)

---Barbara Ritchie, Brookline, VT

 

Identifying Fall Warblers

When it comes to identifying the colorful wood warblers, it is much easier doing it in the spring than in the Fall when they have lost their spring finery.  Here is a link that might be of help to you in identifying those “confusing fall warblers”:

http://www.migrationresearch.org/mbo/id/fall_warblers.html

 

Accipiter in Downtown Brattleboro

While visiting the Recycle Venue on Fairgrounds Road, I looked up in time to see an accipiter flapping and sailing low over the house tops directly toward me. As luck would have it, it landed on a large bare tree limb across the street offering me a great naked eye view.  I grabbed my binoculars for a better look and was able to identify it as a first year male Coopers Hawk.  I eyeballed it for a minute or two before leaving it to its own devices. I don’t think he was planning on recycling anything. Nice bird! 

 

There was nothing unusual to be found along Springtree Road near the Marina, though we did observe a Great Blue Heron standing on the highest branch of a dead tree along with a lone immature Cedar Waxwing. Quite a comparison of size between this very odd couple.

 

A large flight of Barn Swallows had gathered on the electric wires at the Gateway Farm on Abbott Rd. in West B.  this morning. (7/11)  Perched on the wire with them was a lone MEADOWLARK.

 

Ruby-throats and the Intruder

We had been experiencing leakage problems with our Hummingbird feeders so we purchased a so=called leak proof feeder by Stokes. It is only a couple of days old and so far it hasn’t leaked a drop. Time will tell. We have it hanging from the eaves so we can view it through the window while sitting at our dining room table.  The immature Ruby-throated, male and female, play flying games all day long, like hiding in the willow and attacking the other when they attempt to land and get a sip of syrup. They have quickly mastered the ups and downs and flying in reverse modes. I am sure that Sikorsky developed his helicopters from watching these little aerial acrobats. Today another party showed up. A Hummingbird Moth. It was hovering around and dipping into the geranium and phlox blossoms when the two hummers spied it.  They zipped in from their lofty willow perches chirping loudly and hovering above the intruder. The moth paid them no attention and continued feeding. Satisfied that the tiny “hummer-moth” was no threat to their well being, the two youngsters stopped by the feeder for a quick sip before retreating to their perches in the willow.

Please let us know what you are seeing/hearing so we can share it with everyone.

 

***************

Al Merritt

W. Brattleboro, VT

chpmnkx@sover.net