{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.

 

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PLEASE share your birding news and photos with us.

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Al Merritt

chpmnkx@sover.net

 

 

Southeastern Vermont Audubon Society:   www.sevtaudubon.org