{BIRD NOTES} ~ May 22, 2015

 

 

 

Bird Notes

                                            

Here is a picture of the European Goldfinch which continues to come to my

feeder every day with other American Goldfinch. What a treat!

---Barbara Powers, Manchester Center, VT

 

European Goldfinch © Barbara Powers

 

 

 

Spring Bird Walk: Saturday, May 23
Experience the spring migration with Southern Vermont Audubon Society. We’ll

meet at 7:30 am in the former Walmart Parking lot off Rt. 119 and proceed from

there to the Parking lot near the Hinsdale Causeway. We will walk along the Fort

Hill Rail Trail, which is flat and accessible for walkers of all capabilities.  We

should see spring migrating birds and nesting Eagles, Ospreys, and possibly

Peregrine Falcons.  This will be our 4^th bird walk using the same Fort Hill Rail Trail.

This will be the last of the 5 field trips scheduled for the Rail Trail.

 

Next bird walk will be on Sunday, June7, “Whip-poor-wills Calling”. Watch for

announcement in future Bird Notes.

 

 

 

THE SVAS HINSDALE SETBACK FIELD TRIP # 4, MAY 16, 2015

Here are the birds we saw at our 4^th (of 5) Hinsdale Setback spring bird walks:

(2.5 hours, 9 people, overcast, 50-64 degrees, 50 species)

 

Species in orange are new this week and have not been seen on previous walks

this spring,

---Susan James,

 

6 Double-crested Cormorants

2 Great-blue Herons

15 Canada Geese

2 Wood Ducks

2 unidentified flying ducks (probably Mallards)

2 Osprey

1 Peregrine Falcon – (on VY tower by nest box)

1 Spotted Sandpiper

3 Ring-billed Gulls

1 Mourning Dove

1 Kingfisher

1 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

1 Northern Flicker

1 Eastern Pewee

4 Willow Flycatchers

6 Least Flycatchers

1 Eastern Phoebe

4 Eastern Kingbirds (1 gathering nesting materials)

LOTS OF Tree Swallows

2 or more Northern Rough-winged Swallows

20 or more Bank Swallows

1 Blue Jay

2 Carolina Wrens

3 Marsh Wrens

2 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers (actively working on a nest)

2 Veerys

12 or more American Robins

5 Gray Catbirds

2 Cedar Waxwings

6 Warbling Vireos (2 with nests)

2 Yellow-throated Vireos

3 Red-eyed vireos

5 American Redstarts

1 Canada Warbler

6 Yellow-rumped Warblers

1 Chestnut-sided Warbler

8 Black and White Warblers

10 Yellow Warblers (one pair with a nest)

2 Blackpoll Warblers

15 Common Yellowthroats

1 Northern Waterthrush

1 Scarlet Tanager

1 Northern Cardinal

1 Eastern Towhee

2 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks

2 American Goldfinch

9 Song Sparrows

2 Swamp Sparrows

LOTS OF Red-winged Blackbirds

10 Baltimore Orioles

 

 

West Brattleboro Birds, Hawks & a Bear

Bobolinks are back in the fields on Abbott Road. A male Indigo Bunting and a

pair of Catbirds have arrived in our backyard. They are sharing the handsful

of bird seed that I have been scattering beneath the willow and pine trees.

Feeders have been put in storage since the visit by a bear on Sunday night.

The Red-eyed Vireo and Ovenbird have been sounding off for several days.

 

I watched two large birds walk out the main limb of a locust tree that

stretches out over and high above our driveway. At first I passed them off

as crows since I was seeing them as silhouettes because of the sun’s position.

Then as they walked out further I could see that they were brown backed and

long tailed.  About that time they took off flying. Then I could distinguish the

bars in the tail. Because of their long tails I believed them to be of the Cooper

family. Perhaps a parent with a fledging, that was most likely taking flight training.

 

 

Bob-o-link (male)

 

PLEASE share your birding news and photos with us so we can all enjoy reading about your birds and birding experiences.

 

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

Al Merritt  chpmnkx@sover.net

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

Southeastern Vermont Audubon Society:   www.sevtaudubon.org

 

FW: {BIRD NOTES} ~ May 13, 2015

Bird Notes

 

 

 

Burt Tepfer writes that he has heard the song of a Carolina Wren in the Hospital’s parking area and is enjoying the chorus of Wood Thrush singing near his home in Putney. Here at Chipmunk Crossing we have two pair of very active Ruby-throated Humming Birds vying for their sipping syrup and several pairs of American Goldfinch taking over the bird feeder, along with 3 Tufted Titmice, and a pair of Cardinals. Our nesting Phoebe must have young in the nest as it has become very active snagging insects and swooping in and out of its nest high atop the second floor bathroom window. We spotted an American Redstart male in the Cottonwood tree yesterday and a “Teacher, teacher, teacher” (Ovenbird) has been heard for the past week, calling from a remote area of the wooded hillside.

---Al

 

 

 

Here are the results of Hinsdale Setback Walk #3 of 5/9 (approx. 2.5 hours; south breeze, overcast, avg. T 55 Degrees)  40 spp.

 

Species shown in blue are birds observed today, that were not seen on previous walks #1 and #2 in this same area.

 

5 Double-crested Cormorant

20 Canada Goose

1 Mute Swan

1 Osprey

2 Mourning Dove

1 Belted Kingfisher

1 Red-bellied Woodpecker

2 Downy Woodpecker

2 Eastern Kingbird

25 Tree Swallows

4 N. Rough-winged Swallow       

4 Bank Swallow

2 Blue Jay

1 Black-capped Chickadee

2 Marsh Wren

6 Catbird

4 Robin

2 Wood Thrush

4 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

3 Yellow-throated Vireo

1 Red-eyed Vireo

6 Warbling Vireo

2 Black-and-White Warbler

2 Northern Parula

25 Yellow Warbler

25 Yellow-rumped Warbler

2 Blackpoll Warbler

1 Northern Waterthrush

3 Yellowthroat

1 American Redstart

25 Red-winged Blackbird

8 Common Grackle

8 Baltimore Oriole

1 Cardinal

8 Rose-breasted Grosbeak

3 American Goldfinch

1 Savannah Sparrow

1 Chipping Sparrow

3 Song Sparrow

2 Swamp Sparrow

 

 

 

 

Least Bittern

 

Spring Bird Walks: May 16, May 23
Experience the spring migration with Southern Vermont Audubon Society. We’ll

meet at 7:30 am in the former Walmart Parking lot off Rt. 119 and proceed from

there to the Parking lot near the Hinsdale Causeway. We will walk along the Fort

Hill Rail Trail, which is flat and accessible for walkers of all capabilities.  We

should see spring migrating birds and nesting Eagles, Ospreys, and possibly

Peregrine Falcons.  This will be our 4^th bird walk using the same Fort Hill Rail Trail.

Total species observed for the three Saturday outings stands at 66 species.

 Indigo Bunting

 

PLEASE share your birding news and photos with us so we can all enjoy reading about your birds and birding experiences.

Al Merritt  chpmnkx@sover.net

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

Southeastern Vermont Audubon Society:   www.sevtaudubon.org

 

 

 

{BIRD NOTES} ~ MAY 05, 2015

Bird Notes

 

 

 

 

 

Our handsome male Ruby-throated Hummingbird arrived at 11:30 a.m. for a long sip of syrup this morning (5/4). Last year he arrived a few days later (5/10). The female hummer arrived several hours after that. Isn’t it amazing how they find their way!. We just know it is the same pair as previous years. Besides the hummer there were a pair of Cardinals, a gorgeous male Purple Finch, 5 White-throated Sparrows, 2 Tufted Titmice, 4 Goldfinch, a Phoebe that is probably a repeat since it has built a nest in the same spot over an upstairs window for several years now, 3 Juncos, and an unidentified accipiter that tried to snag a junco, but missed.                                                   

---Al, West Brattleboro

 

While working on some photos this morning (5/3) and watching the feeders, the birds suddenly frantically took flight.  I didn't see what set them off, but one, a little Pine Siskin flew right into one of our windows.  I went outside and found the little guy sprawled out on the deck but looking like it was still intact.  I wrapped the little guy up in a towel and set him in the sun allowing him to regain his wits.  After about 15 minutes, I unwrapped him, he looked up at me (appreciatively?) and flew off.  Some stories have happy endings.  

---Dave Baker

 

 

Had even more siskins today (5/3) 12....joined by 6 purple finches (2 males, 4 females), some goldfinches, cardinals, MODOs, wb nuthatches, downy, hairy, and red-bellied woodpeckers. Adult bald eagle overhead.
---Charlie La Rosa, Brattleboro

 

 

 

Here are the results of Hinsdale Setback Walk #2.  There are subtle changes, nothing dramatic. Species in BLUE are birds we observed today that we didn’t see on the first walk.  

 

May 2, 2015 ~ Approx. 2 hours, clear, calm wind, average temp. 60 degrees, No. of species 38:

   1 Common Loon

   1 Double-crested Cormorant      

20 Canada Goose

  1 Mallard

12 Common Mergansers

  1 Broad-winged Hawk

  1 Bald Eagle

  1 Osprey

  1 Great Blue Heron

  2 Mourning Dove

  2 Belted Kingfisher

  1  Red-bellied Woodpecker

  2 Downy Woodpecker

  1 Hairy Woodpecker

25Tree Swallows

  1 Blue Jay

  1 Black-capped Chickadee

  2 Marsh Wren

  1 Catbird

  4 Robin

  2 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

  1 Warbling Vireo

  1 Black& white Warbler

  2 Nashville Warbler

  2 Yellow Warbler

  6 Palm Warbler

25 Yellow-rumped Warbler

25 Red-winged Blackbird

  3 Common Grackle

  2 Brown-headed Cowbird

  1 Northern Oriole

  1 Cardinal

  1 Rose-breasted Grosbeak

  9 American Goldfinch

  1 Savannah Sparrow

  3 Song Sparrow

  7 Swamp Sparrow

  5 House Sparrow

---Bob Engel, Marlboro, VT

 

 

 

 

PLEASE share your birding news and photos with us so we can all enjoy reading about your birds and birding experiences.

 

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

Al Merritt  chpmnkx@sover.net

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

Southeastern Vermont Audubon Society:   www.sevtaudubon.org

 

 

Hermit Thrush