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Friday, May 29, 2009

May 29, 2009

Four participants braved the rain for our spring migration bird walk, at Hubbard Park this week. The rain, which varied from light to mderately heavy, hampered our efforts to find birds, but dispite the weather we managed to tally 16 species, with the highlight being two male Scarlet Tanagers on one tree! We also explored the many ferns of Hubbard Park, including New York, Christmas, Interrupted, Cinnimon, and Wood Ferns. Our complete bird list can be seen below:

Hairy Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Great-crested Flycatcher
Red-eyed Vireo
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Winter Wren
Veery
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Pine Warbler
Northern Parula
Ovenbird
Scarlet Tanager

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

May 27, 2009

Bobolink have persisted on the property and males can be heard and seen singing as they circle over the fields. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have been seen more frequently too, as a pair regularly visits the now-opened lilacs near the main building of the Nature Center. Canadian Tiger Swallowtails are also becoming a more common sight.

Friday, May 22, 2009

May 22, 2009

Our second spring migration bird walk at NBNC turned up a wide variety of birds and some new migrants returning to the area such as Alder Flycatcher and Veery. Ten participants tallied 46 species including Bobolink, which last year only briefly passed through the Nature Center's fields. A full list is shown below:

Hooded Merganser
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Alder Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Tree Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren
Winter Wren
Veery
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Pine Warbler
American Redstart
Ovenbird
Common Yellowthroat
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting
Bobolink
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Baltimore Oriole
American Goldfinch

Friday, May 15, 2009

May 15, 2009

Participants of our spring migration bird walk, held this morning at Sodom Pond, were treated to a variety or resident birds with highlights including very active Warbling Vireos, very cooperative Wood Ducks and a female Baltimore Oriole constructing a nest. A full bird list form the morning is below:

American Bittern
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Ring-necked Duck
Broad-winged Hawk
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Kingbird
Warbling Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Tree Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Gray Catbird
Northern Parula
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow Warbler
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Baltimore Oriole
American Goldfinch

Thursday, May 14, 2009

May 14, 2009


We had a Rose-breasted Grosbeak visit the Red Maple outside the office windows this afternoon. It was joined in the tree by several Yellow-rumped Warbkers, a Yellow Warbler, a Blackburnian Warbler and a Pine Siskin. The year's first Indigo Bunting(male) was also seen around the building in its brilliant, blue breeding plumage. Installment 7 of "Tales of Texas" is now posted for more insight into the life of a field tech studying the Golden-cheeked Warbler.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

May 12, 2009

This morning and afternoon, several Bobolinks(2 male, 1 female) were seen in the fields, perching and singing from bushes and fence posts. Eastern Kingbirds have been returning to Central Vermont and were seen and heard flying overhead at the Nature Center this morning. A Great Crested Flycatcher was also heard from around the building.

Monday, May 11, 2009

May 11, 2009

An Osprey was seen today flying north along Route 12, parallel to the North Branch of the Winooski River.

Saturday, May 9, 2009

World Series of Birding

As a new twist to this annual competition, in which NBNC has participated since 1999, our team was comprised of 'alumni' youth birders, who have participated in past programs and are now pursuing higher education. For 24-hours, we birded non-stop across Cape May County.

Fueled by caffeine and adrenaline, the “North Branch Noddies” managed to see and hear 156 different species of birds, topping their previous yeaBlack-necked Stiltr’s total.  While the Noddies placed fourth in their division of the competition, they found more rare and unusual birds than ever before including Black-necked Stilt (pictured right) and Swallow-tailed Kite.

We also raised over $5,000 to support NBNC’s Youth Birding Program. Our team's total species count for the trip was 173 and included two dozen species of warblers (Northern Parula pictured above, photo by Sean Beckett) Other non-avian sightings included Box Turtle, Spotted Turtle, Common Five-lined Skink, Fowler's Toad, American Bullfrog, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, American Beauty and much, much more!
The North Branch Noddies
"The North Branch Noddies"
Top row: Henry Wilton, Amelia Klein, Nik Kotovich, Chip Darmstadt & Sean Beckett
Bottom row: Mathius Sirch, Eric Cannizzaro & Larry Clarfeld
Mute Swan Sanderling Hermit Thrush*
Snow Goose Semipalmated Sandpiper Wood Thrush
Brant Least Sandpiper American Robin
Canada Goose Dunlin Gray Catbird
Wood Duck Short-billed Dowitcher Northern Mockingbird
Gadwall Laughing Gull Brown Thrasher
American Black Duck Bonaparte's Gull European Starling
Mallard Ring-billed Gull Cedar Waxwing*
Northern Shoveler* Herring Gull Blue-winged Warbler
Black Scoter Great Black-backed Gull Northern Parula
Long-tailed Duck Gull-billed Tern Yellow Warbler
Red-breasted Mergamser Royal Tern Chestnut-sided Warbler
Wild Turkey Common Tern Magnolia Warbler
Common Loon Forster's Tern Black-thoated Blue Warbler
Northern Gannet Least Tern Yellow-rumped Warbler
Double-crested Cormorant Black Skimmer Black-throated Green Warbler
Great Blue Heron Rock Pigeon Yellow-throated Warbler
Great Egret Mourning Dove Pine Warbler
Snowy Egret Black-billed Cuckoo* Praire Warbler
Little Blue Heron Yellow-billed Cuckoo Blackpoll Warbler
Tricolored Heron Great Horned Owl Cerulean Warbler*
Cattle Egret* Barred Owl** Black-and-white Warbler
Green Heron Chuck-will's-widow American Redstart*
Black-crowned Night-Heron Whip-poor-will Prothonotary Warbler
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Chimney Swift Worm-eating Warbler
Glossy Ibis Ruby-throated Hummingbird Ovenbird
White-faced Ibis Red-headed Woodpecker Northern Waterthrush**
Black Vulture Red-bellied Woodpecker Louisiana Waterthrush
Turkey Vulture Downy Woodpecker Kentucky Warbler
Osprey Northern Flicker Common Yellowthroat
Swallow-tailed Kite* Eastern Wood-Pewee Hooded Warbler
Mississippi Kite Acadian Flycatcher Yellow-breasted Chat
Bald Eagle Eastern Phoebe Summer Tanager
Northern Harrier Great Crested Flycatcher Scarlet Tanager
Cooper's Hawk Eastern Kingbird Eastern Towhee
Red-shouldered Hawk* White-eyed Vireo Chipping Sparrow
Broad-winged Hawk* Blue-headed Vireo Field Sparrow
Red-tailed Hawk Yellow-throated Vireo** Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow
Merlin Red-eyed Vireo Seaside Sparrow
Peregrine Falcon Horned Lark Song Sparrow
Clapper Rail Purple Martin White-throated Sparrow
King Rail Tree Swallow Northern Cardinal
Virginia Rail Northern Rough-winged Swallow Rose-breasted Grosbeak
American Coot Barn Swallow Blue Grosbeak
Black-bellied Plover Blue Jay Indigo Bunting
Semipalmated Plover American Crow Bobolink
Piping Plover Fish Crow Red-winged Blackbird
Killdeer Carolina Chickadee Eastern Meadowlark
American Oystercatcher Tufted Titmouse Boat-tailed Grackle
Black-necked Stilt White-breasted Nuthatch* Common Grackle
Greater Yellowlegs Carolina Wren Brown-headed Cowbird
Lesser Yellowlegs House Wren Orchard Oriole
Solitary Sandpiper Marsh Wren Baltimore Oriole
Willet Ruby-crowned Kinglet Purple Finch*
Spotted Sandpiper Blue-gray Gnatcatcher House Finch
Whimbrel Eastern Bluebird American Goldfinch
Ruddy Turnstone Gray-cheeked Thrush House Sparrow
Red Knot Swainson's Thrush*  
*  bird found in Cape May but not during competition
** bird found on the way to/from New Jersey but not during competition

May 9, 2009


As a new twist to this annual competition, in which NBNC has participated since 1999, our team was comprised of 'alumni' youth birders, who have participated in past programs and are now pursuing higher education. For 24-hours, we birded non-stop across Cape May County. Fueled by caffeine and adrenaline, the “North Branch Noddies” managed to see and hear 156 different species of birds during the competition (173 total for the trip), topping their previous year’s total and found more rare and unusual birds than ever before including Black-necked Stilt (pictured right), Mississippi AND Swallow-tailed Kites, White-faced Ibis, two dozen warblers and much more. See our Youth Birding News for a full species list and trip report.

Friday, May 8, 2009

May 8, 2009

Our second spring migration bird walk took place this morning at Berlin Pond. Some highlights are listed below:

Canada Goose
Mallard
Common Loon
Spotted Sandpiper
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Kingbird
Warbling Vireo
Tree Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
American Goldfinch

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

May 6, 2009

A White-crowned Sparrow showed up around the feeder yesterday in the late afternoon, and it was present again this morning. A Brown Thrasher has also been present most of the day, singing loudly from the treetops. Staff and volunteers were also treated to extended views of a Northern Flicker singing from a fence post in the middle of the fields.

Friday, May 1, 2009

May 1, 2009

Nine participants joined NBNC staff this morning for our first spring bird walk of the season here at NBNC. We had an excellent morning of birding tallying 36 species; our list can be found below:

Great Blue Heron
Canada Goose
Merlin
Spotted Sandpiper
Rock Dove
Mourning Dove
Belted Kingfisher
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Brown Creeper
House Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Purple Finch
American Goldfinch

Also seen today after the bird walk were copulating American Robins, White- and Red-breasted Nuthatches and Pine Siskins.