{BIRD NOTES ~ April 23, 2016}

 

Bird Notes

 

 

I’m pretty sure we’ve got two Purple Finches at our feeder in West B.

---Kevin O’Keefe, West Brattleboro, VT

 

Endangered Species

 

Blanding’s Turtle © Dale Martin

 

This afternoon while driving to a photo location, I noticed a turtle

crossing the road. So I stopped to get it across the road and

noticed is was a Blanding’s Turtle! This North American turtle is

considered to be an endangered species throughout much of its

range, including here in Massachusetts. After moving it to a safe

location I spent the next hour photographing this very rare turtle. 

Please feel free to share.

---Dale Martin, MA  (Submitted by Paul & Mary Miller, Vernon, VT)

 

Bird list for FIRST HINSDALE SETBACK walk. 

55-60 degrees F., NW breeze,  Mostly clear.

 

Mallard                   1

Canada Goose         4

Bald Eagle               1

Osprey                    1

Peregrine falcon       1

“Sandpipers” (Sp?)   3

Belted kingfisher      2

Common flicker       1

Pileated woodpecker 1

Red-bellied woodpecker  1

Hairy woodpecker    3

Downy woodpecker  2

Tree swallow           >25

Blue jay                  6

Black-capped chickadee  8 (two excavating nest cavity in W. birch snag)

Brown thrasher        1 (nice singing)

Robin                      2

Blue-gray gnatcatcher 5

Warbling vireo         1

Yellow-rumped warbler 7

Red-winged blackbird >25

Common grackle      4

Brown-headed cowbird 1

Cardinal                   2

Song sparrow          8

Swamp sparrow       4

American goldfinch >25

 

27 species (vs. 38 last year on 4/26)

 

The big difference this year was fewer residents (P. finch, Titmouse, C. wren, M. dove, Crow, etc.) and a few early arrivals (E. phoebe, other swallows, R-crowned kinglet) that we did not see. There were 2 red-tails near the old Wal-Mart parking lot and 1 singing chipping sparrow there, too. Might have heard E. towhee on setbacks, but lots of traffic noise.  Y-rumped and Palm warbler numbers down from last year.  Are they mostly through or were we between surges?  Many more yellow-rumps seen on recent days.

---Bob Engel, Marlboro, VT

 

 

Hildene Meadows & Marsh, Bennington, Vermont, (April 17, 2016)

1. Canada Goose  15    
2. Turkey Vulture  6    
3. Broad-winged Hawk  1    
4. Virginia Rail  3    
5. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker  1    
6. American Kestrel  2    
7. Eastern Phoebe  2    
8. Blue Jay  1
9. American Crow  4
10. Common Raven  1    
11. Black-capped Chickadee  2
12. Tufted Titmouse  1
13. White-breasted Nuthatch  1
14. American Robin  10
15. Chipping Sparrow  2
16. Dark-eyed Junco  6
17. Song Sparrow  12
18. Swamp Sparrow  2    
19. Northern Cardinal  2    
20. Red-winged Blackbird  26    

---Ruth Stewart, E. Dorset, VT

 

 

Hinsdale Setback (4/22)

1. Yellow-rumped Warbler 5
2. Palm Warbler 8
3. Red-wing Blackbird
4. Goldfinch 6
5. Northern Flicker 2
6. Cardinal
7. B-C Chickadee (several)
8. Downy Woodpecker
9. Canada Geese 2

 

 

Chipmunk Crossing, West B.

1. B-C Chickadee (several)
2. Tufted Titmouse 2
3. Phoebe 2
4. Goldfinch 5
5. Slate-colored Junco 2
6. Mourning Dove 2
7. Blue Jay 4
8. White-breasted Nuthatch
9. Cardinal (m&f)
10. Chipping Sparrow

 

 

Pileated Woodpecker

We watched a Pileated attack a tree on Gibson Rd. . . And observed many elongated feeding holes in dead trees around the Brattleboro area. Quite frequently there is a flyover at the Price Chopper parking lot.

 

 

North Pond, Marlboro

There were many Yellow-rumped Warblers acting like flycatchers in the over-hanging brush at the dam.

 

 

 

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

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Southeastern Vermont Audubon Society:   www.sevtaudubon.org