FW: {BIRD NOTES} ~ May 03, 2013

              Indigo Buntings

Bird Notes

Juvenile Red-throated Loon ~ Hinsdale Setback

Last Saturday I drove out to the Hinsdale setbacks to see the juvenile Red-throated Loon that's been hanging around there for the past couple weeks according to Hector Galbraith. It was very early and the water was smooth and mirror like. The bird was quietly floating about 75 ft off shore on the upstream side of the causeway to the power tower, perfectly exposed in the morning sun.

 

RED-THROATED LOON (juvenile) © Hilke Breder

 

Other birds:

2 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers

1 Palm Warbler

1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet

1 Great Blue Heron

1 small flock of Yellow-rumped warblers

1 Black-and-White Warbler

---Hilke Breder, Brattleboro, VT

 

 

Ski-birding at Stratton Mt.

Thought of you Sunday on Stratton Mountain.  I skinned up the ski trails with my tele skis to the sounds of Winter Wrens, along with Juncos and White-throated Sparrows.  Their songs remind me of being on Monadnock.  I hear juncos and the white throats singing all the time over there.  Also saw a moose at the top of the ski area.   Second one I've seen in a week. 

---Jeff Nugent, Brattleboro, VT

 

 

BLACK VULTURES © Konchog Norbu

 

BLACK VULTURES at Morningside (4/27)

This morning I was walking/birding in Morningside Cemetery when I chanced upon this pair of Black Vultures. They were perched on the east side, in the trees along Frontage Road by the river. Specifically, they were just north of the obelisk where one of the former governors is buried ( Douglas ?), opposite a big memorial with the name Averill on it, and one that has several parallel Greek columns. I understand this is a bit of a rarity in Vermont , and maybe there's never been any evidence of a breeding pair? I saw them at about 9AM, then when I saw how rare they were, rushed back out to get pix about 9:30. Anyway, hope another pair of eyes gets on these birds.

---Konchog Norbu, Brattleboro, VT

 

 

Greentree Road (Marina)

The Killdeer are back in the plowed field below the Marina.  It was peeping not far from me, but sounded like it was coming from every direction. 

---Lynn Martin, Brattleboro, VT

 

SVAS Field Trip ~ 4/27/2013

Many thanks to all of you for joining us Saturday morning on this annual early spring bird walk. The weather was near perfect, though it was a little chilly (34 degrees) at the start, but it turned into a beautiful sunny morning in the 60s.  It was the kind of day that gave us all a chance to shake off the winter blahs and enjoy spring at its finest with a great group of birders, on the back roads of Brattleboro. If you stuck with us until the noon hour and you saw or heard all of the species counted, you would have realized 30 on your list. They are as follows:

 

1. Canada Goose
2. Double-crested Cormorant
3. Turkey Vulture
4. Sharp-shinned Hawk
5. Killdeer
6. Greater Yellowlegs
7. Rock Pigeon
8. Mourning Dove
9. Belted Kingfisher
10. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
11. Downy Woodpecker
12. American Crow
13. Tree Swallow
14. Black-capped Chickadee
15. Tufted Titmouse
16. White-breasted Nuthatch
17. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
18. American Robin
19. Brown Thrasher
20. European Starling
21. Yellow-rumped Warbler
22. Chipping Sparrow
23. Field Sparrow
24. Song Sparrow
25. Swamp Sparrow
26. White-throated Sparrow
27. Northern Cardinal
28. Red-winged Blackbird
29. Common Grackle
30. House Finch

Participants:

Phyllis Benay, Jan Drechsler, Bob Engel, Henry Glejzer, Richard Glejzer, Susan James, Patty Meyer, Greg Moschetti, Anne Moore Odell, Chris Petrak,

Emily Talley, Susan Whittemore, Malcom & Marj Wright, and trip leaders Barbara & Al Merritt.

 

 

Man-made Platform Attracts Osprey

The Ospreys have chosen the platform atop the power line tower leading from Vermont Yankee. Yesterday the birds were both at the new nest of sticks practicing landing techniques, or maybe it was a courtship ritual. When we checked them a second time they were seen copulating. Guess they plan on staying.

 

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Please share your birding news with us.

Any new migrants?

What have you seen while on a trip?

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Al Merritt

W. Brattleboro, VT

chpmnkx@sover.net

 

SVAS   www.sevtaudubon.org