{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.

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

Al Merritt  chpmnkx@sover.net

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

Southeastern Vermont Audubon Society:   www.sevtaudubon.org

 

Lesser Black-backed Gull

 

FW: {BIRD NOTES ~ February 9, 2016}

Bird Notes

 

 

A Kingfisher is calling here in E. Dorset on this lovely "Spring"  day.  Why not? 

The chipmunks are out and daffodils are coming up too.
---Ruth Stewart, E. Dorset, VT

 

Black Vultures Over Bennington (2/7)

Today soaring over Harwood Hill in Bennington : 2 Black Vultures!
I got a very good look with Binoculars: Short tails with feet covering the length,

white patches on outer primaries (at the hands). No dihedral, circling up on  a

thermal and then gliding south toward Mt Anthony.
Quite a pleasant surprise. First I have ever seen.
---Terri Armata, Bennington., VT

 

Turners Falls, MA (2/5)

The BARROW’S GOLDENEYE, LESSER SCAUP, LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL

and ICELAND GULL all continue at Turners Falls

Tufted Duck and More at Champlain Bridge (2/3)

As with Cat Abbott on Wednesday, both Ian Worley and I got lovely views of
the Tufted Duck yesterday. Of all the many ducks by the bridge it stayed
obligingly close! Fantastic views, and if it weren't for the chop there
would have been lovely photo opportunities - that's how close it was
(though a scope is still your best bet). It's tuft was crystal clear, being
blown around so it didn't even matter that it was actively feeding part of
the time.  There were good numbers of Scaup (both), Bufflehead, Ring-necked

Ducks, Common Goldeneye, Common Mergansers, and a surprising number of

Redheads! Those were the more interesting, but there were Mallards,

American Black Ducks, Canada Geese, a decent number of Bald Eagles,

and a mix of gulls. Best of luck and calm waters if you try for them,
---Isis Erb, Burlington, VT

 

Cape Ann, MA Sightings

Reports from the waters off Andrews Point and Halibut Point in Rockport this

week included 3 KING EIDERS, 72 HARLEQUIN DUCKS, a BARROW'S

GOLDENEYE, a PACIFIC LOON, and 2 THICK-BILLED MURRES, and at

Halibut Point State Park a BARRED OWL was seen.  At the Jodrey Fish Pier

in Gloucester, a GLAUCOUS GULL and a THICK-BILLED MURRE were

observed. Noted at Parker River Refuge on Plum Island were 50 GADWALLS,

10 NORTHERN PINTAILS, a BALD EAGLE, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, and

8 LAPLAND LONGSPURS.

 

So, if you feel inclined to do a little driving, there seems to be plenty within

a couple of hours drive to add to your year list.  Not too much going on in the

bird world locally. However, we counted 10 Cedar Waxwings sitting in the tree tops

behind the Thompson House facility as we sat in our car in the BMH back

parking area. Here at home we have all the regulars plus a Carolina Wren

and a Red-bellied Woodpecker that frequent our suet feeder.

 

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

Barred Owl

{BIRD NOTES ~ February 3, 2016 }

Bird Notes

 

The following photos and check lists have been submitted

by Suki Russo and Lani Wright from the field trip they

led to Cape Ann, MA. on January 23.

 

 

European Black-headed Gull, Gloucester, MA (1.23.16)

 

Gloucester--Fisherman's Monument, Essex, Massachusetts, US
Jan 23, 2016 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Protocol: Stationary
16 species

Greater Scaup  38
Lesser Scaup  2
Common Eider (Dresser's)  25
Surf Scoter  8
White-winged Scoter (North American)  4
Black Scoter  2
Long-tailed Duck  2
Bufflehead  5
Common Goldeneye  3
Red-breasted Merganser  10
Common Loon  2
Horned Grebe  1
Great Cormorant (North Atlantic)  1
Ring-billed Gull  2
Herring Gull (American)  20
Great Black-backed Gull  35

 

Jodrey State Fish Pier, Essex, Massachusetts, US
Jan 23, 2016 9:45 AM - 10:30 AM
Protocol: Stationary
9 species

Canada Goose  1
Greater Scaup  2
Common Eider (Dresser's)  30
Surf Scoter  5
Red-breasted Merganser  6
Herring Gull (American)  30
Iceland Gull (kumlieni)  1
Great Black-backed Gull  20
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  70

 

Halibut Point, Essex, Massachusetts, US
Jan 23, 2016 11:30 AM - 12:05 PM
Protocol: Traveling
0.5 mile(s)
4 species

 

Mallard  20
Harlequin Duck  45
Herring Gull (American)  4
Great Black-backed Gull  6

 

The Himalayan Forest Thrush is a new species of bird that has

been described in north-eastern India and adjacent parts of

China by a team of scientists from Sweden, China, the US, India

and Russia, led by Professor Per Alström, Uppsala University

and Swedish University of Agricultural Science.

Himalayan Forest Thrush, Yunnan Province China, (Credit: Per Alström)

 

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