{BIRD NOTES} May 28, 2013

 

Bird Notes

 

 

3^rd Warning—Bears are Out and About and they are HUNGRY!

Well, it happened.  Looked out this morning and saw a branch down and lilac blooms all over the ground. Went out to take a closer look - NO bird feeder. Can't find it anywhere in the yard, so it appears my visitor just took the feeder with him for a snack later.  So, beware, my friends in the Greenleaf Street area. He/she has returned!
---Laurie Miner, W Brattleboro, VT

 

Westgate Catbird

Yes, for the first time I have a Catbird at my suet feeder in Westgate, West Brattleboro.

---Lynn Martin 

 

Cove and Marina Sightings

Two Black Terns brightened the cold rainy gray of Herrick’s Cove this morning. At the Marina in Brattleboro 2 Dunlin, 6 Least Sandpipers, ~12 Semi-palmated Plover, 1 Lesser Yellowlegs, and 6 Spotted Sandpipers were working the mudflats and shallows. A female Common Merganser was leading her 13 ducklings about including a lazy/smart one riding on her back.

---Dave Johnston, W. Brattleboro, VT

 

 

Birds of Brazil

Just back from a trip to Brazil, on the Atlantic coast between Sao Paulo and Rio, on the Tropic of Capricorn. (Our son lives there!) Saw and heard lots of birds and wish I were more knowledgeable.

These are the birds I am sure of:

Masked Water Tyrant

Southern Lapwing

Black Vulture (lots!) And the following:

 

Green-headed Tanager © Cornell Lab

 

 

Brazilian Tanager © Arthur Grosset

 

 

Red-necked Tanager © Arthur Grosset

 

The tanagers were magnificent -such colors.  Saw lots more in the distance that I couldn't ID - swallows, flocks of parrots, "little brown birds", various sparrow-types. Lots of fun - next time I'll try to be better prepared.

---Marj Wright, Marlboro, VT

 

Nighthawks Over Panasian

About 9 P.M. or so last night, Meg and I were coming out of Panasian in the Staples plaza, and heard a Common Nighthawk peenting overhead. First one we've heard in probably several years.  

Cheers,

---Ned Pokras, West Brattleboro

 

Acrobatic Hummer

The male Ruby-throated Hummingbird has only been here a few days and already he is chasing the female through the yard.  As the female hides in the new shoots of the Bee-Balm, he puts on his acrobatic pendulum act where he dives down over her head then quickly elevates and dives again back and forth forming a “U” shaped pattern in the airspace above her. If he is lucky she will fly out of hiding and join up with him. Today she stayed hidden and he gave up and flew off. She eventually revealed herself and flew off in a different direction.

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

Please share your birding news with us.

Any new migrants?

What have you seen while on a trip?

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

Al Merritt

chpmnkx@sover.net

SVAS   www.sevtaudubon.org