{BIRD NOTES} ~ April 18, 2014

 

Bird Notes

Southeastern Vermont Audubon Society

 

 

 

 

White-fronted Geese

I suspect that these are the same 4 that were at Westminster about 10 days ago, at Vernon a couple of days before that, then at Turners Falls, MA just before arriving at Vernon. They seem to be taking their sweet time about migrating north. I suspect that this is because north of here is still pretty deep in snow.

---Hector Galbraith, PhD

   National Wildlife Federation

 

 

The Phoebe has been calling around our outbuildings for two days.  So far the new arrivals in SE Westminster have been Osprey, Cowbirds. Titmice and Red Shouldered Hawks.  Paddling the West River yesterday (4/6) downstream from Newfane we saw a Kingfisher.  Happy birding.

---Tom Prunier, Westminster, VT

Happy spring to you.  We now have three Phoebes in our yard on the Westminster/Putney line at 900 feet elevation.  Saw the first paper wasps of the year.  

---Tom Prunier

 

4/15

A drake N. Shoveler was busy preening and feeding at the puddle inside of the water treatment plant on Rt 30 in Brattleboro this evening about 6:00. A pair of Greater Scaup, 1 female C. Goldeneye, and 3 D-c Cormorants occupied the waters of the Retreat Meadows this evening as well.

 ---Dave Johnston, W. Brattleboro

 

4/15

A group of 4 Blue-winged Teals off shore of Vermont Yankee caught my eye this morning on a brief walk. Along with a field sparrow, a few singing swamp sparrows, 3 ruby-crowned kinglets, a group of palms, a pair of bald eagles with one on the nest, a pair of kingfishers, loads of geese, a few ring-necked ducks, common mergansers, pine warblers, a sapsucker and a lone osprey carrying sticks to the nest post.  Oh, and a mute swan.

---Jesse Wampler,33 Beech St. Brattleboro, VT

 

4/14

A Louisiana Waterthrush was singing in my yard. Continuing a 10-year tradition

---Hector Galbraith, PhD, Dummerston, VT

 

 

Louisiana Waterthrush © Google Image

 

Fort Dummer set-back (4/14)

Common Merganser 3

Tree Swallow 2

Rusty Blackbird 3

 

 

Chipmunk Crossing in W. Brattleboro (4/14)

Fox Sparrow

Chipping Sparrow 2

White-throated Sparrow 4

Song Sparrow

Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2

NASHVILLE WARBLER

Dark-eyed Junco 6

White-breasted Nuthatch 2

Goldfinch 4

 

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (4/15)

 

 

Springtree Road Cornfield (4/15)

Wood Duck (male)

 

 

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PLEASE share your birding news and photos with us.

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

Al Merritt

chpmnkx@sover.net

 

 

 

Southeastern Vermont Audubon Society:   www.sevtaudubon.org

 

{BIRD NOTES} ~ April 7, 2014

Bird Notes

Southeastern Vermont Audubon Society

 

 

 

Osprey at the Meadows (3/31)

Osprey fishing off the east bank of the Retreat Meadow

---Judith Kinley, Brattleboro, VT

 

Hinsdale Setback (4/2)

Great Blue Heron  1

Great Black-backed Gull  3

Herring Gull  4

Ring-billed Gull  2

Ring-necked Duck  72

Mallard  12

Common Merganser  8

Hooded Merganser  61

Canada Goose  14

         

 

Birders Asked to Seek and Report Rusty Blackbirds

The Rusty Blackbird is one of North America’s most rapidly declining species and is the focus of efforts by scientists and volunteers to better track the blackbird’s migration habits and stopover habits.

          The Rusty population has declined 85 to 95 percent since the mid-20^th century. To this end, the Rusty Blackbird “Spring Migration Blitz” of 2014 is urging birders to go out between now and April 30^th to see where they take breaks during their migration to boreal breeding grounds. Reports should be made through the online eBird checklist program. Birders can identify male Rusties in the spring by their glossy black plumage and the female by their rusty highlights on an otherwise silvery-gray body. The birds have pale yellow eyes.

 

 Rusty Blackbird ( female) © Cornell U.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

 

 

          The “Spring Migration Blitz of 2014” is an international project planned and coordinated by Judith Scarkl of the Vermont Center for Ecostudies in Norwich, VT. More information is available at www.rustyblackbird.org

 

A few new arrivals in Vernon this morning. (4/3)

Horned Grebes

Palm Warblers

Osprey

---Don Clark, Grafton, VT

 

Report from Florida

Here in Florida, we've had a flock of black-bellied whistling ducks take up residence on our pond.

         

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks © Mark Mikolas

 

 

 

 

 

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

PLEASE share your birding news and photos with us.

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

Al Merritt

chpmnkx@sover.net

 

 

Southeastern Vermont Audubon Society:   www.sevtaudubon.org

 

 

 

 

 

{BIRD NOTES} ~ April 01, 2014

Bird Notes

Southeastern Vermont Audubon Society

 

 

APRIL ARRIVALS

Week 1 - Horned Grebe, Double Crested Cormorant, Northern Shoveler, Redhead, Long-tailed Duck, Osprey, Merlin, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Winter Wren, Water Pipit, Loggerhead Shrike, Field Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow.

Week 2 - Common Loon, Red-necked Grebe, American Bittern, Black Scoter, American Coot, Greater  Yellowlegs, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Pine Warbler, Palm Warbler, Vesper Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow.

Week 3 - Cattle Egret, Black-crowned Night Heron, Brant, Surf Scoter, Virginia Rail, Sora, Pectoral Sandpiper, Purple Martin, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Bank Swallow, Barn Swallow, Solitary Vireo, Louisiana Waterthrush, Rufous-sided Towhee.

Week 4 - Great Egret, Green-backed Heron, Glossy Ibis, White Winged Scoter, Common Moorhen, Solitary Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, Upland Sandpiper, Chimney Swift, Eastern Kingbird, Cliff Swallow, House Wren, Marsh Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Brown Thrasher, Black-throated Green Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Chipping Sparrow.

 

 

 

Listening to the Woodcock

This morning when I let the dog out at 6 am, I heard a,woodcock peenting in the marsh across the road from us ("Phyllis' Marsh")
---Hilke Breder, Brattleboro, VT

 

Vernon Dam (3/23)

This afternoon I stopped in Vernon to check out the waterfowl above the dam. Among about 800 Canada geese were two classic hutchinsii-type cackling geese, apparently a pair. Feeling pretty chuffed at this, I then drove south to Blodgett rd to check out the waterfowl extravaganza. After a hour or so of watching about 3000+ geese and ducks pile into the cornfield, I walked back to my car and was getting in when I looked up and noticed a large dark bird circling above me. Thinking TV I put the glasses on it and saw that it was in fact a subadult golden eagle. And it was being mobbed by a red-tailed hawk (which looked minuscule by comparison). The eagle ignored the hawk and kept circling and drifting north up the Connecticut valley. Although it had an extensive and well developed golden crown and nape, it still had a little white in its tail and some white at the base of the primaries - maybe on its way into adult plumage. Not too shabby an afternoon.

---Hector Galbraith, PhD. Dummerston, VT

         

Golden Eagle  at Vernon VT, © James Smith

                                                                      

 

Goldeneyes, Westminster/Walpole 3/24

There is some nice open water from the Westminster/Walpole bridge over the Connecticut extending down to behind the Vet Clinic.  I saw a dozen Common Goldeneye going through courtship displays.  Very interesting to watch.  I was hoping to see a Barrows mixed in but no luck.  There were also three Common and two Hooded Mergansers

---Mitch Harrison, Alstead

         

Miller Farm (3/26)

Just a note to let you know we have 28 Snow Geese on the meadow north of VY.

Have had a regular flock of Horned Larks around the farm all winter.

---Paul Miller=, Vernon, VT

 

VERNON

Yesterday(3/30) the subadult Golden Eagle was in its usual area at Vernon up until at least 3pm. At about 4.30 Rand Burnett and Eric Masterson had a subadult about  20 miles upriver at Walpole. Are these the same bird - I suspect not and think that there may be two on this stretch of the river.

---Hector Galbraith, PhD

 

This morning (3/30) Dave Johnson and I spent a couple of hours estimating the numbers of geese along the CT from Walpole in the north to Vernon in the south - approximately 20 miles. We estimated a total of 7,000-8,000 Canadas and about 40 snows. One massive flock of 5,000-6,000 cagos in Putney Meadows. Weather and viewing conditions were poor, which limited our count precision and prevented us from finding the rarities that were no doubt lurking among the cagos.

---Hector Galbraith, PhD

 

This morning (3/31) about 7,000 Canada Geese between Walpole and Vernon/Hinsdale. Also 4 Snow Geese. (Most of Canadas at Putney Meadows.)

---Hector Galbraith, Phd         

 

Great Meadows

An early Broad-wing Hawk near Great Meadows in Putney.

---Suki Russo

 

Woodcocks and More

Two Woodcocks are peenting tonight (4/1) across the street - one seems to be quite close to the road while the other sounds like it is back of the knoll.  A Bluebird has been house sitting for a couple of days - hope it will withstand the coming Tree Swallows and House Wrens.  Last year the House Wren waited to nest until after the Bluebirds were done! Yesterday there was a male Northern Harrier working over the field where the race track used to be in Hinsdale.

---Nori Howe, West Brattleboro, VT

  

West Brattleboro

Our resident Pileated Woodpecker has returned to creekside along Ames Brook on Greenleaf Street in West Brattleboro. The Tufted Titmice are giving out with their Spring  “Peter, Peter” call.

 

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

PLEASE share your birding news and photos with us.

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

Al Merritt

chpmnkx@sover.net

 

 

Southeastern Vermont Audubon Society:   www.sevtaudubon.org