{BIRD NOTES} ~ April 3, 2012

     Bird Notes

 

 New Hampshire Birding

 We walked along the Cheshire Rail Trail in Keene today (3/31/13).  A Northern Shrike was hunting from the wires by the WKBK radio tower near the pedestrian bridge over Route 9.  It was there for at least 1&1/2 hours.  Further along the trail a Golden-crowned Kinglet was flitting through the trees.  Yesterday there was a Greater White-fronted Goose with hundreds of Canadas at the Power Canal in Turners.  Also watched a Red-tailed Hawk hunting from one of the power poles along the canal.  Eventually it dropped down and enjoyed a rodent lunch.  An interesting sidelight was a black squirrel working over some brush piles in a backyard on Depot Street in Turners Falls!    

---Nori Howe, West Brattleboro, VT 

  

 

Eagles Nesting

I was out hiking today and ran across this Eagle nest up at Townshend Dam area.......I imagine people know about it, but Sue said I should check........Have you seen it ?  couldn’t get very good photos, it was pretty far away. (See below)  

---Rick Enos, Newfane, VT

 

Bald Eagle nest © Rick Enos

 

Waterfowl in Putney

The Wilson Wetlands on Sandhill Rd. in Putney are starting to come alive…on several trips over the weekend there were several Common and Hooded Merganser pairs, Mallard pairs and today 3/31 the Kingfisher!  Also redwing blackbirds are there in good numbers….

---Marilyn Tillinghast, Putney. VT

 

Birding the Meadows

Checked out the Upper Meadows this morning (0845-1037) for the first time
this year.  25 species tallied:

Canada Goose  360+  (~80 in field; the rest in flight)
Wood Duck  7 FOY
American Black Duck  3
Mallard  11
Ring-necked Duck  10
Hooded Merganser  2
Common Merganser  3
Great Blue Heron  1 FOY
Turkey Vulture  1
Bald Eagle  2 (1 adult on nest; 1 2nd or 3rd year bird perched next to nest)
Red-tailed Hawk  2
Mourning Dove  2
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1
Pileated Woodpecker  1
Blue Jay  8
American Crow  X
Tree Swallow  2 FOY
Black-capped Chickadee  4
Tufted Titmouse  1
White-breasted Nuthatch  1
American Robin  3
American Tree Sparrow  8
Northern Cardinal  3
Red-winged Blackbird  X
Common Grackle  14
          Also took a quick spin (1050-1112) by Springfield Meadows which are not
holding water therefore devoid of waterfowl.  Spotted one adult Peregrine
Falcon over Skitchewaug Mountain north cliff.
---Kenneth Cox, South Reading, VT

 

 

Barred Owl in West B.

Another Barred Owl sighting ! Right on our deck sitting on a post not 10' away from the window!!! 

---Lerna, West Brattleboro, VT

 

Herrick’s Cove (4/1)

We arrived at 9:15am to find a FOY Osprey flying and diving for fish.   Upriver on the CT was a lone male Red-necked Grebe - beautiful red neck glistening in the sun.  Also 2 Bufflehead, 40 Ring-necked dux, plus the usual g-w teal, hoodies, woodies, com mergs, mallards, blacks and Canada geese. 
---JoAnne Russo, Saxtons River, VT

 

Fox at Chipmunk Crossing

Our dining area has a good view of our backyard so while eating dinner last evening I noticed some movement beneath a low hemlock branch whose tip was being held down by the deep snow that is still lingering. I grabbed my ever-present binoculars for a look. Much to my surprise it was a fox with nose covered with snow as it sniffed for sunflower seeds that we had sprinkled there for the late visiting Cardinal that shows up each evening at about dusk. It eventually wandered out into full view. I could now see that it did not have black feet nor did it have a white tip to the tail. This was a handsome GRAY FOX. It hung around a few minutes finding more sunflower seed to devour. It must have been real hungry, though it didn’t look like it was under fed. It eventually lumbered off up the hill and out of sight.

 

Gray Fox

 

This morning (4/1) I went out on the back deck to check for any overnight animal tracks and could clearly see fox tracks in the snow leading from that hemlock branch across the backyard and up the hill into the wooded area to the south of our yard. It had paid us another visit under the cover of darkness.  But . . .that’s not the end of the story. We sat down for our evening repast at about dusk. Soon after the Fox again appeared and was digging in the snow in search of seeds. It stopped a couple of times and looked in the direction of the top of the hill and then continued its quest.  Unexpectedly to its left appeared a second fox. Apparently it was the mate that had arrived to join in the digging and munching of the succulent sunflower seeds. They both stayed on until who knows when. It was too dark to see them.

 

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Please share your birding news with us.

What have you got coming to your feeders?

What have you seen while on a trip?

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Al Merritt

W. Brattleboro, VT

chpmnkx@sover.net

 

SVAS   www.sevtaudubon.org