Birdnotes: {BIRD NOTES ~ Feb. 28, 2016}

Bird Notes

A flock (four or five) of chilly Bluebirds on Ellen Ware Rd near Rt 30 in Townshend

this afternoon. (2/17) Poor little ones!

---Martha Stitelman

Bluebirds (2/18)

Another four Bluebirds were counted flying around the pasture at the Farm on the Hill on Abbott Road in West Brattleboro.

Not a Bird, But . . .

Our Chipmunk has made its second appearance of the year today the 25^th . It first showed up on Tues. the 23^rd . Our first sighting last year was on APRIL 3^rd . The animals seem as confused about the weather as we humans are.

Blackbirds are Moving North (2/25)

There was a vociferous flock of Redwings at Bennett'e Meadow (Northfield, MA) yesterday and while I was ogling them two skeins of geese flew north up the river! No skunk cabbage yet tho.

---Lani Wright, Brattleboro, VT

A LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was found again at Turners Falls.

M A R C H 4^TH P R O G R A M :

“The Birds in Your Woods”

Please note the different address for this program, it is NOT at the Brattleboro library.

The Windham Regional Woodlands Association, in cooperation with the Southeastern Vermont Audubon Society, is pleased to announce that Dr. Robert E. Engel, the locally well-known and distinguished Marlboro College Professor of Biology Emeritus, will give an illustrated lecture on "The Birds in Your Woods: How You Can Help Them", to be held at the Vermont Learning Collaborative (471 Rte 5, Dummerston) on Friday March 4th at 7 pm, free and open to the public. This presentation is especially timely because the welfare of many of our beloved ground-nesting and other forest-dependent birds --- sadly including our State bird, the Hermit Thrush --- are being increasingly challenged owing in some part to neglect or mis-management under our own control. Engel will touch upon the important role that our woodland birds --- including thrushes, warblers, flycatchers, grouse, woodpeckers, owls, and hawks --- play in that ecosystem. And, most importantly, he will be pointing out for us some straightforward management approaches (some do's and don'ts) to help us restore and maintain our local woodlands for those many valued birds.

PLEASE share your birding news and photos with us, so we

can all enjoy reading about your birds and birding experiences.

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Al Merritt chpmnkx@sover.net