December 15, 2007

What a day for a birdcount! Teams of bird counters braved the cold for the 45th annual Plainfield Christmas Bird Count. Although we are still waiting for one team's results to post final tallies, some highlights thus far include:

Canada Goose 1
Northern Goshawk 2
Ruffed Grouse 2
Barred Owl 4
Horned Lark 11
Bohemian Waxwing 393
Snow Bunting 7 (count week)
Pine Grosbeak 161
Common Redpoll 129
Evening Grosbeak 33



Plainfield CBC participants Amelia, Larry, Doug, Spencer & Chip (left to right) at Spruce Mtn.

December 14, 2007

Chip, Larry, and Amelia braved the snow for the Mad River Christmas Bird Count, and recorded the following:

American Black Duck 4
Mallard 4
Ruffed Grouse 1
Wild Turkey 7
Mourning Dove 40
Rock Pigeon 12
Downy Woodpecker 9
Hairy Woodpecker 12
American Crow 7
Common Raven 3
Blue Jay 7
Black-capped Chickadee 228
Tufted Titmouse 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 11
European Starling 40
American Tree Sparrow 1
Dark-eyed Junco 10
Evening Grosbeak 30
Pine Grosbeak 1

December 13, 2007

Red Squirrels have been scurrying around the Nature Center lately, enjoying the seed dropped by birds at the feeders. This curious squirrel has been coming onto the front porch and peering in through the windows. Three American Goldfinches also made an appearance at the feeder, which was busy today, for the first time in a while.

December 12, 2007

Among the usual visitors to the large Maple outside our office windows was a Brown Creeper. Anticipation is building for the upcoming Christmas Bird Counts. Stay tuned, for results will be posted here as they become available.

December 11, 2007

As Chip and a board member walked towards eachother down the path at the Nature Center, a Wild Turkey found itself caught in the middle. The startled turkey took off into the field.

December 10, 2007

The usual suspects have been frequenting our bird feeders: Mourning Dove, White-breasted Nuthatch, Black-capped Chickadees, and Tufted Titmouse. Chip had a Common Redpoll at his feeder in Middlesex.

Also note a programming change:
Sandal's women's walk previously scheduled for Jan. 20 has been cancelled due to a new special offering. See the programs section for info about Wildlife Tracking with Susan Morse, 9-4 on Sun. Jan. 20th.

December 5, 2007

A Northern Shrike perched on a tree limb outside our window just long enough to give an amazing close-up look! A Mourning Dove in a nearby branch remained frozen in place throughout the ordeal.

December 3, 2007

Late last week, in East Montpelier, Sandal discovered a caterpillar walking atop the snow. The caterpillar was identified as a Large Yellow Underwing, an invasive accidentally introduced into eastern Canada from Europe around 1979. It is not uncommon to see this species during thaws throughout the winter, so keep your eyes peeled!

December 1, 2007

A Northern Goshawk was sighted in Middlesex by Brandon, a former camper and friend on North Branch. It perched in a tree long enough for him to enjoy a great view!

November 15, 2007

About two weeks ago, USA Today ran a story about Citizen Science featuring NBNC's Monarch Tagging Program. Click here to view the article.

November 14, 2007

An interesting pair of moths was observed today at the Nature Center. Adults of the Bruce Spanworm, Operophtera bruceata, were found mating. The female of this species, oddly enough, is wingless. In the photos below, the male is pictured on the left and the female on the right.

November 12, 2007

A flock of at least 100 Bohemian Waxwings spent the better part of the day hanging around the Nature Center, and feeding on fruits from Winterberry Holly and Crabapple. A Brown Creeper was also seen at NBNC, and Pine Grosbeaks have been sighted in many towns around Montpelier. Also be on the lookout for a Barred Owl that has been seen during the day recently on East Hill Road in Middlesex.

November 11, 2007

During a walk around Berlin Pond, Chip sighted Common Loon, Ring-necked Duck, Common and Hooded Merganser, and Common Goldeneye. Farther north, Larry observed a Barred Owl perched on a telephone line outside Shelburne Farms during the early afternoon.

November 9, 2007

A lone Grackle was seen at the Nature Center.

November 3, 2007

Bohemian Waxwings continue to be seen down along the North Branch where they are feeding on honeysuckle fruits. White-crowned Sparrows and American Tree Sparrows are also being seen at the Nature Center.

November 1, 2007

A large flock of 18 plus Bohemian Waxwings were seen down by the river this afternoon. The birds were resting in the tops of the trees and not actively feeding.

October 31, 2007

Snow Buntings and a Clouded Sulphur were both sighted at the Nature Center today. How strange to see a butterfly and visitors from the arctic in the same day! The group 5 Snow Buntings were seen in the parking lot this morning and the lone sulphur was seen visiting Johnny Jump-ups in the community garden. A mixed flock of Cedar and Bohemian Waxwings were also sighted flying over the Center.

Another surprise visitor was seen at the end of the day - a Northern Shrike. We were fortunate to watch the shrike catch and devour a dragonfly!

October 30 , 2007

The bird feeders at the Nature Center have been crowded lately! Visitors include Blue Jay, Northern Cardinal, Black-capped Chickadee, American Goldfinch, Dark-eyed Junco, Downy Woodpecker, Tufted Titmouse, and White-breasted Nuthatch.

October 25 , 2007

A Red-tailed Hawk was seen perched in the vacinity of the community gardens. Two Hermit Thrushes were also sighted.

October 23 , 2007

This past Thursday, 10/18, Larry found a dead moth in front of our barn. After further investigation, we discovered that we found a Pink-spotted Hawkmoth, a rare find in Vermont! Click here for more info on the Pink-spotted Hawkmoth.

October 17 , 2007

The NBNC teen birders headed over to the Champlain Valley today to check out the Snow Geese and search for other migrants. We estimated there were 750 to 1,000 Snow Geese visible in the fields north of Route 17 at Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area. There also a few lingering shorebirds including Black-bellied Plover, Lesser Yellowlegs and a probable Long-billed Dowitcher.

The highlight of our day though was seeing the family of 3 Sandhill Cranes in Bristol that nesting this past summer at Lake Winona - a first nesting record for this beautiful species in Vermont

October 14 , 2007

The cover article of The Burlington Free Press featured citizen science projects in Vermont, and the photograph featured NBNC's Monarch Tagging Program offered in September. Click here to view the article. If you are interested in citizen science projects at NBNC, but missed out on the Monarchs, stay tuned for winter bird counts and Amphibian Monitoring this spring!

October 10 , 2007

It has been a spectacular day for wildlife sightings at NBNC! During lunch, we viewed a Peregrine Falcon fly directly overhead, a new addition to the NBNC bird list! Other sightings include White-crowned and Song Sparrows, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Golden-crowned Kinglet, and Ruby-crowned Kinglet displaying. We also found a Common Snapping Turtle hatchling on its way to the river. Click here to see the baby turtle.

October 9 , 2007

Still lots of sparrows around the community garden at the nature center - mostly White-crowned, White-throated and Song Sparrows. The songs of migrating Ruby-crowned Kinglets can be heard occasionally and a Pileated Woodpecker has been seen flying over the center almost daily for the last week.

Pictures from our recent Plum Island teen birding trip are now posted! Scroll down to the News for 9/23 to see them

October 6, 2007

A NBNC trip over to Dead Creek to see the Snow Geese produced few Snow Geese (around 200 birds), but many other interesting migrants, including: American Pipit, Greater Yellowlegs, Northern Harrier, Black-crowned NIght-Heron, Merlin and 15 Great-blue Herons (all in one area!).

October 5 , 2007

A VESPER SPARROW put in an appearance today, down by the community gardens. The bird was quite skiddish, flying out and up into the tree tops when disturbed. Vesper Sparrows have only been seen here 3 or 4 times in the last 10 years.

September 28, 2007

A flurry of bird activity this morning for our last bird walk of the fall. Highlights included two low flying Osprey, a Lincoln's Sparrow and a Palm Warbler. Here's the complete list:

Turkey Vulture
Canada Goose
Osprey
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Parula
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Palm Warbler
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting
American Goldfinch

September 23, 2007

It was a bright, sunny day for the teen birding trip to Plum Island this past Sunday. Click here for a picture of the group, and see the links in the bird list below for pictures of those that were close enough to photograph.


Our bird list is as follows:

Double-crested Cormorant Sanderling
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Snow Goose
Canada Goose
Gadwall
American Black Duck
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Osprey
Northern Harrier
Red-tailed Hawk
Merlin
Black-bellied Plover
American Golden-Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Spotted Sandpiper
Whimbrel
Baird's Sandpiper
Dunlin
Long-billed Dowitcher
Short-billed Dowitcher
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Willet
Red Knot
Bonaparte's Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Laughing Gull
Caspian Tern
Mourning Dove
Belted Kingfisher
American Crow
Blue Jay
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
American Pipit
Baltimore Oriole

September 19, 2007

More Monarch tagging today - that makes about two dozen or so tagged so far. Also a Band-winged Meadowhawk around the butterfly garden today.

September 18, 2007

It's a great time of year for darner dragonflies. Black-tipped, Lance-tailed and Canada. Yellow-legged Meadowhawks are also still flying.

September 17, 2007

Some interesting bird reports from over the weekend, including a Red-necked Grebe on Berlin Pond and an immature Hooded Merganser from a small pond in Middlesex. Also in Middlesex an Ovenbird was heard giving its breeding season "flight song", a song usually heard in the summer months.

September 14, 2007

More migrants about for this morning's bird walk. A Northern Parula Warbler put in a brief appearance, as well as Black-throated Green, Yellow-rumped and Chestnut-sided Warblers. Purple Finches, Gray Catbirds, and large flocks of Cedar Waxwings and American Robins are all taking advantage of the abundance of fruit along the river. Seed heads of Ten-rayed Sunflower are attracting the attention of Black-capped Chickadees

September 13, 2007

More migrants out and about today - Solitary Sandpiper, Red-eyed Vireo, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Black-throated Green Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Northern Flicker - as well as more Monarchs

September 12, 2007

Despite the winds, a good day for Monarch. We tagged 10 this afternoon during our first Monach Butterfly Tagging program of the season. Also a good day for raptors - Turkey Vulture, Broad-winged Hawk and Northern Harrier were all seen migrating south today.

September 12, 2007

Despite the winds, a good day for Monarch. We tagged 10 this afternoon during our first Monach Butterfly Tagging program of the season. Also a good day for raptors - Turkey Vulture, Broad-winged Hawk and Northern Harrier were all seen migrating south today.

September 8, 2007

Pictures of the emerging Black Swallowtail have been posted. Click here, or scroll down to the news for August 31st.

September 7, 2007

A wonderful assortment of migrating songbirds graced our first morning bird walk of the fall. A young Merlin seemed to be attracted to the large flock of migrants foraging in the woods along the river. The following birds were all seen or heard along the trails at the nature center:

Merlin
Swainson's Thrush

Belted Kingfisher
American Robin

Mourning Dove
Gray Catbird

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Cedar Waxwing

Downy Woodpecker
Chestnut-sided Warbler

Hairy Woodpecker
Yellow-rumped Warbler

Northern Flicker
Black-throated Green Warbler

Pileated Woodpecker
Ovenbird

Blue-headed Vireo
Common Yellowthroat

Red-eyed Vireo
Song Sparrow

Blue Jay
Northern Cardinal

American Crow
Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Black-capped Chickadee
Purple Finch

White-breasted Nuthatch
American Goldfinch

September 5, 2007

Two Ospreys were spotted flying over the North Branch of the Winooski from the Nature Center.

August 31, 2007

With summer camp a few weeks behind us, it is time to share some of the natural wonders we have witnessed with our campers:

Black Swallowtail emerging from chrysalis (click here for pictures)
Northern Dusky Salamander guarding eggs
Great Blue Heron flying along the river
Spring and Two-lined Salamanders
American Toad secreting from Paratoid glands
Pitcher Plants, Sundew, and other unique bog flora
...And More!

August 29, 2007

Chip, Sandal, Amelia, and Larry took a field trip to Peecham Bog, and found Common Gartersnakes, Pitcher Plants, Labrador Tea, Cranberry, and more

August 2, 2007

It's been a great year for Peregrine Falcons in Vermont. The Marshfield Mountain pair, which NBNC staff and volunteers monitored successfully fledged one chick. This report is courtesy of the National Wildlife Federation in Vermont.

Preliminary Statistics:
Territorial Pairs: 35 (new record)
Nesting Pairs: 31 (new record)
Successful Pairs: 23 (74%)
Fledglings: 56 (up from 45 last year)

Site by Site Results:
1. Arrowhead Mt (Milton) - failed
2. Bald Mt (W Haven) - 2
3. Barnet Roadcut (Barnet) - 1
4. Belvidere Mt Quarry (Lowell) - 4
5. Benson Ledges (Benson) - 3
6. Bird Mt (Ira) - 3
7. Bolton Notch (Bolton) -4
8. Bone Mt (Bolton) - 1
9. Bristol Cliffs (Bristol) - 2 (min)
10. Brousseau Mt (Averill) - territorial pair
11. Checkerberry Ledge (Bakersfield) - failed
12. Crystal Lake (Barton) - 4
13. Deer Leap (Bristol) - 3
14. Elephant Mt (Bristol) -3
15. Fairlee Palisades (Fairlee) - renest failed
16. Haystack Mt (Pawlet) - failed
17. Hazen*s Notch (Lowell) - 3
18. Highgate Cliffs (Highgate Springs) - 4
19. Jobs Mt (Westmore) - 1
20. Marshfield Mt (Marshfield) - 1
21. Mt Horrid (Rochester) - 1
22. Mt Pisgah (Westmore) - 1
23. Nebraska Notch (Underhill) - renest failed
24. Nichols Ledge (Woodbury) - 3
25. Pond Mt (Wells) - 2 (min)
26. Rattlesnake Pt (Salisbury) - failed
27. Red Rock (Hinesburg) - 3
28. Red Rock Bay (Benson) - territorial pair
29. Sawyer Mt (Fairlee) - 2
30. Skitchewaug Mt (Springfield) - failed
31. Smuggler*s Notch (Cambridge) - 1
32. Snake Mt (Addison) - territorial pair
33. Swanton Quarry (Swanton) - 4
34. Vulture Mt (Stockbridge) - territorial pair
35. Wallace Ledge (Wallace Ledge) - failed

August 2, 2007

It's been a great year for Peregrine Falcons in Vermont. The Marshfield Mountain pair, which NBNC staff and volunteers monitored successfully fledged one chick. This report is courtesy of the National Wildlife Federation in Vermont.

Preliminary Statistics:
Territorial Pairs: 35 (new record)
Nesting Pairs: 31 (new record)
Successful Pairs: 23 (74%)
Fledglings: 56 (up from 45 last year)

Site by Site Results:
1. Arrowhead Mt (Milton) - failed
2. Bald Mt (W Haven) - 2
3. Barnet Roadcut (Barnet) - 1
4. Belvidere Mt Quarry (Lowell) - 4
5. Benson Ledges (Benson) - 3
6. Bird Mt (Ira) - 3
7. Bolton Notch (Bolton) -4
8. Bone Mt (Bolton) - 1
9. Bristol Cliffs (Bristol) - 2 (min)
10. Brousseau Mt (Averill) - territorial pair
11. Checkerberry Ledge (Bakersfield) - failed
12. Crystal Lake (Barton) - 4
13. Deer Leap (Bristol) - 3
14. Elephant Mt (Bristol) -3
15. Fairlee Palisades (Fairlee) - renest failed
16. Haystack Mt (Pawlet) - failed
17. Hazen*s Notch (Lowell) - 3
18. Highgate Cliffs (Highgate Springs) - 4
19. Jobs Mt (Westmore) - 1
20. Marshfield Mt (Marshfield) - 1
21. Mt Horrid (Rochester) - 1
22. Mt Pisgah (Westmore) - 1
23. Nebraska Notch (Underhill) - renest failed
24. Nichols Ledge (Woodbury) - 3
25. Pond Mt (Wells) - 2 (min)
26. Rattlesnake Pt (Salisbury) - failed
27. Red Rock (Hinesburg) - 3
28. Red Rock Bay (Benson) - territorial pair
29. Sawyer Mt (Fairlee) - 2
30. Skitchewaug Mt (Springfield) - failed
31. Smuggler*s Notch (Cambridge) - 1
32. Snake Mt (Addison) - territorial pair
33. Swanton Quarry (Swanton) - 4
34. Vulture Mt (Stockbridge) - territorial pair
35. Wallace Ledge (Wallace Ledge) - failed

July 13, 2007

The rescheduled North Montpelier NABA (North American Butterfly Count) was held today. A great day for butterflies, until the clouds rolled in mid-afternoon. And here are the results of our 8th annual count, which covers a full 15-mile diameter circle:

Canadian Tiger Swallowtail - 2
anglewing species - 2
Cabbage White - 31 Milbert's Tortoiseshell - 1
Clouded Sulphur - 3
Red Admiral - 5
Bog Copper - 30 White Admiral - 6
Striped Hairstreak - 2
Northern Pearly-Eye - 1
Acadian Hairstreak - 1
Eyed Brown - 14
Azure species - 7
Little Wood-Satyr - 1
Great-spangled Fritillary - 3
Monarch - 3
Atlantis Fritillary - 3
European Skipper - 107
greater fritillary species - 2
Long Dash - 4
Northern Crescent - 7
Hobomok Skipper - 3
Baltimore Checkerspot - 189
Dun Skipper - 11
Question Mark - 1 grass skipper species - 2
Eastern Comma - 1 24 species total

July 10 , 2007

Finally a day that feels like summer! The butterflies are happy to see the sun as well. Butterflies flying around the fields and gardens at the nature include both Baltimore and Harris' Checkerspots, European Skipper and Monarch. And yesterday kids during summer camp discovered a recently emerged Copper Underwing (moth) in one of their terrariums.

June 20, 2007

A NBNC-sponsored hike this morning up to Sterling Pond from Smuggler's Notch yielded some interesting birds, including both Bicknell's and Swainson's Thrush, Canada, Magnolia and Blackpoll Warbler. The weather was quite blustery and most birds were keeping a low profile!

June 13, 2007

We conducted our second "unofficial" butterfly census at the Nature Center. This is something we plan to do every week or every other week. Chip, Larry, Amelia and Sandal walked the perimeter of the field for an hour and recorded the following:

Canadian Tiger Swallowtail - 4
Clouded Sulfur - 3
Orange Sulfur -1
Silvery Blue - 4
Harris' Checkerspot - 6
Crescent species - 13
Red Admiral - 4
Viceroy - 2
Common Ringlet - 31
Little Wood-satyr - 1
Silver-spotted Skipper - 1
Arctic Skipper - 1
Hobomok Skipper - 1

We also noted a Black Swallowtail earlier in the day. Other critters on our walk included a Four-spotted Skimmer and a garter snake trying to devour a Savannah Sparrow nestling!

June 9, 2007

NBNC's Grand Re-Opening Festival on June 9 featured everything from birds to bugs to botany and a bounty of biologists. Bobolinks were bouncing. Bee mimics were buzzing. Well, you get the idea. Here's the bird list from our morning walk.

Hooded Merganser
Mourning Dove
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Alder Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Tree Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Brown Creeper
Veery
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Cedar Waxwing
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
American Redstart
Ovenbird
Common Yellowthroat
Chipping Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Bobolink
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Baltimore Oriole
American Goldfinch

Our butterfly listed included Canadian Tiger Swallowtail, Cabbage White, Silvery Blue, Northern Crescent, Harris' Checkerspot (pictured here) and Hobomok Skipper.

June 1, 2007

The final Friday bird walk of season this morning. Most of the birds we saw were residents (with maybe a few migrants mixed in)

May 25, 2007

NBNC conducted a birdwalk this morning in Barre at the "Cow Pasture". The Cow Pasture is across the street from Hope Cemetary and features deciduous woods, fields and early successional habitat perfect for birds. Our list for the morning included:

Pileated Woodpecker
Alder Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
Red-eyed Vireo
Veery
Hermit Thrush
Cedar Waxwing
Nashville Warbler
Northern Parula
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Ovenbird
Canada Warbler
White-throated Sparrow
Indigo Bunting
Baltimore Oriole

May 23, 2007

We conducted our first "unofficial" butterfly census at the Nature Center. This is something we plan to do every week or every other week. Chip, Larry and Amelia walked the perimeter of the field for an hour and recorded the following:

Cabbage White - 5
Clouded Sulfur - 5
Eastern Pine Elfin -2
Silvery Blue - 4
Anglewing species - 1

We also noted a Canadian Tiger Swallowtail earlier in the day.

May 21, 2007

The warm weather has brought with it butterflies - finally! A Silvery Blue was seen checking out wild strawberry flowers in the butterfly garden and several Milbert's Tortoiseshells were found skimming over the fields.

May 19, 2007

Venus and the moon formed a beautiful pair in the evening sky tonight. Brilliant Venus was situated just below the crescent moon, forming a "cosmic question mark!"

May 18, 2007

A Nature Center bird walk at Sodom Pond in Adamant this morning turned up 2 more Black Terns (see Erika Mitchells photo to the right). As reported elsewhere, the terns were feeding along with swallows (Tree, Barn, Cliff and No. Rough-winged). Common Loon, Wilson's Snipe and Ring-necked Duck were also seen on the walk.

Meanwhile, back at the North Branch Nature Center, staff added two new species to the bird list - a Northern Waterthrush and a flock of about 30 Brant! A flock of 60 Brant were also reported yesterday from Lake Willoughby.

May 17 , 2007

If you need proof that low-pressure systems knock birds out of migration and into view, just go outside. The wet, wild weather of the past two days has produced nice fallouts across Vermont. Here in Central Vermont, 22 Black Terns joined a swallow flock feeding at a small farm pond in Marshfield on May 16. And today at Berlin Pond, birds were abundant (including two Black Terns among about 1200 swallows out on the pond). Here's the list:

Canada Goose (4)
Wood Duck (3)
Mallard (2)
Hooded Merganser (2)
Ruffed Grouse (1)
Spotted Sandpiper (2)
Black Tern (2)
Mourning Dove (2)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (1)
Downy Woodpecker (1)
Hairy Woodpecker (1)
Northern Flicker (1)
Olive-sided Flycatcher (1)
Eastern Wood-Pewee (1)
Willow Flycatcher (1)
Least Flycatcher (1)
Eastern Phoebe (1)
Eastern Kingbird (1)
Blue-headed Vireo (1)
Warbling Vireo (3)
Philadelphia Vireo (1)
Red-eyed Vireo (1)
Blue Jay (2)
American Crow (1)
Tree Swallow (80)
N.Rough-winged Swallow (2)
Bank Swallow (20)
Cliff Swallow (100)
Barn Swallow (200)
Black-capped Chickadee (2)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (1)
White-breasted Nuthatch (1)
Brown Creeper (1)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (1)
Veery (1)
Hermit Thrush (1)
Wood Thrush (1)
American Robin (3)
Gray Catbird (2) Tennessee Warbler (1)
Nashville Warbler (1)
Northern Parula (1)
Yellow Warbler (12)
Chestnut-sided Warbler (3)
Magnolia Warbler (3)
Cape May Warbler (1)
Black-throated Blue Warbler (2)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (15)
Black-throated Green Warbler (2)
Blackburnian Warbler (2)
Pine Warbler (2)
Bay-breasted Warbler (1)
Blackpoll Warbler (1)
Black-and-white Warbler (2)
American Redstart (5)
Ovenbird (2)
Northern Waterthrush (6)
Mourning Warbler (1)
Common Yellowthroat (4)
Canada Warbler (2)
Song Sparrow (4)
Swamp Sparrow (6)
White-throated Sparrow (2)
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (2)
Indigo Bunting (1)
Red-winged Blackbird (15)
Common Grackle (10)
Brown-headed Cowbird (3)
Baltimore Oriole (4)
Purple Finch (1)
American Goldfinch (5)
Evening Grosbeak (2)

May 8, 2007

A definite influx of migrant birds overnight! Gray Catbird, Common Yellowthroat, Ovenbird and House Wren all first of season birds at the Nature Center. And reported from the local area were Blackburnian, Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green and Nashville Warblers. Enjoy!

May 7, 2007

Nature Center staff are often in the habit of eating lunch outside, which inevitably results in some interesting wildlife sightings. Today's catch featured the first Spring Azure (butterfly) of the season, a Six-spotted Tiger Beetle, a Bee Fly (probably Bombylius major), a Broad-winged Hawk and a Savannah Sparrow visiting the birdfeeders.

May 6, 2007

Participants in our regular Sunday afternoon women's walks were treated to a nice display of early spring wildflowers. Between the nature center and the trail to Hubbard Park, walkers enjoyed blooming Spring Beauty, Blue Cohosh, Coltsfoot, Bloodroot, Dutchman's Britches and Red Trillium.

Meanwhile, around the Wrightsville Reservoir, some interesting bird sightings were reported:

Common Merganser
Osprey
Spotted Sandpiper
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker
Blue Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Ruby-crowned Kinglet


American Robin
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Rusty Blackbird
Common Grackle
Purple Finch
American Goldfinch

May 4, 2007

More birds were heard than seen on a Middlesex Notch bird walk this morning. New arrivals included a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Hermit Thrush, Black-and-white Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Blue-headed Vireo and a pair of Winter Wrens.

Wildflowers are just starting to bloom in the notch, including hepatica, Red Trillium and Trout Lily. Spring ephemerals should be in full bloom in a week or so! There were also masses of Eastern Red-spotted Newt eggs in the beaver ponds at the top of the notch.

April 29, 2007

A Great Egret was seen flying over Berlin Pond and then landed in the wetlands at the pond's southern end. The huge collection of Tree Swallows nearby included a few Barn Swallows and six (somewhat early) Cliff Swallows. Two Common Loons were also visiting the pond. (Perhaps they'll nest there.) A day later, an American Bittern showed up in a wet, roadside ditch on East Hill Road in Plainfield. The spring migration is about to move into high gear!

April 23, 2007

A Common Tern, quite rare for central Vermont, made a brief appearance at Berlin Pond the day after Earth Day. Another highlight was a Horned Grebe in breeding plumage. And arriving warblers included Palm Warbler (1) and Yellow-rumped Warbler (2). A few Ruby-crowned Kinglets (right) were flashing their crowns and singing. Here's the complete list from the pond:

Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Green-winged Teal
Ring-necked Duck
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Horned Grebe
American Bittern
Great Blue Heron
Cooper's Hawk
Ring-billed Gull
Common Tern
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Palm Warbler
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Purple Finch
American Goldfinch

April 20, 2007

The first bird walk of the season here at the Nature Center featured some early migrants, including two beautiful Eastern Meadowlarks. Here's the list for the morning:

Wood Duck
Mallard
Hooded Merganser
Ruffed Grouse (drumming)
Mourning Dove
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
European Starling
American Robin
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Common Grackle
American Goldfinch

April 18, 2007

First butterfly of the season today! At least one Milbert's Tortoiseshell was seen resting on the ground during the warmest part of the day. This species, like its relative the Mourning Cloak, overwinters in Vermont as an adult! They fly during these early warm days of spring in order to seek mates for the next generation.

April 3, 2007

Migrant waterfowl are starting to move into the area. A pair of Wood Ducks, a pair of Mallards and a Common Merganser were all spotted on the North Branch of the Winooski today. In addition to large numbers of Canada Geese, a pair of Ring-necked Ducks were seen in a small pond off of Route 2 in Middlesex.

April 1 , 2007

New arrivals at the North Branch Nature Center today included a Song Sparrow and an Eastern Phoebe. Elsewhere in the area, a Northern Goshawk and a Sharp-shinned Hawk were reported from Middlesex. In the botany department, Coltsfoot was seen blooming in Middlesex as well.
There were rumors of a Black-footed Albatross and a Tufted Puffin at NBNC, but it is April Fool's Day after all!

March 28, 2007

Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles and American Robins are everywhere now! A lone Turkey Vulture was spotted flying over downtown Montpelier this afternoon.

March 22, 2007

A Carolina Wren was heard singing in Waterbury today. Did this bird survive our cold winter or is it an early migrant from further south?

March 20, 2007

It may not feel like it, but spring officially starts today at 8:07pm! Early spring migrants, like Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles, are being seen throughout the area. Keep your eyes out for Eastern Phoebes and Song Sparrows - they won't be far behind.

Now is a good time to look for Jupiter in pre-dawn sky. If you're up and out by 6am, you'll notice a brilliant "star" in the eastern sky. That's Jupiter in the constellation Scorpius and it outshines everything else in that section of the sky.

March 15, 2007

More signs of spring from East Montpelier. A single American Kestrel and 2 Killdeer were seen on Gould Hill Road (about a mile from the nature center).

March 13, 2007

A singing Red-winged Blackbird at NBNC today made it official - spring is on its way! A Barred Owl was heard calling during the daylight hours from the trail across the footbridge. And, from the local area, Common Grackles, American Robin and Red-winged Blackbirds in Berlin. American Goldfinches and Purple Finches have very vocal lately and Brown Creepers were reported singing in Middlesex over the weekend.

March 8, 2007

A single Brown Creeper explored the Red Maple right next to the office building at the Nature Center this morning. Keep your ears open - these inconspicuous birds will soon be singing their beautiful cascading song.

February 25, 2007

February 25, 2007

More reports of amorous owls! A Barred Owl was heard calling in Middlesex (during the day). And in Montpelier a Great-horned Owl was heard in the vicinity of Hubbard Park.

February 24, 2007

Six intrepid souls joined Dr. Bill Barnard over at Victory Basin WMA to search for Gray Jays and other boreal birds. Gray Jays were no where to be seen, but Victory Bog was alive with the sight and sounds of White-winged Crossbills and other winter finches. After lunch our group headed to Moose Bog (Wenlock-Buxton WMA) near Island Pond to search for the Three-toed Woodpecker. No luck finding the woodpecker but we did finally see some Gray Jays. Here's our bird list for the day:

Ruffed Grouse
Wild Turkey - flock flying over Nulhegan River
Mourning Dove
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Black-backed Woodpecker - one male at Victory Bog
Gray Jay - 3 at Moose Bog
Blue Jay
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Golden-crowned Kinglet - one at Victory
Dark-eyed Junco - several at Victory
Purple Finch
Red Crossbill - 2 males, 1 female at Victory
White-winged Crossbill - many pairs
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
Evening Grosbeak - flock of 12 at Victory

February 23, 2007

A Northern Saw-whet Owl was vocalizing in Middlesex last night, across the street from Rumney School. Another sign of spring right around the corner?

February 21, 2007

Bird song is in the air! A Tufted Titmouse was heard singing today at the Nature Center and a Northern Cardinal was heard pouring out its heart in Waterbury.

February 19, 2007

Venus and the crescent moon formed a beautiful pair in the evening sky. Look for Venus in the west after sunset now and through March. It's the brightest object in the night sky after the sun and moon. You can't miss it (although you might think it's a UFO)!

February 14, 2007

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Bryan Pfeiffer noticed a Tufted Titmouse singing in downtown Plainfield on Febaruary 13. American Tree Sparrows, regular winter visitors, have been making the rounds at area bird feeders. And Carolina Wren reports from feeders seems to have picked up in the last few weeks. Feeder activity may rise as the winter storm covers natural food supplies birds normally pursue in winter.

But perhaps the biggest birding news comes from the Northeast Kingdom, where a rare Three-toed Woodpecker has been visiting a frozen beaver pond since mid December. This boreal species is one of the rarest woodpeckers in the eastern United States. It wasn't seen over this past weekend, but stay tuned for more reports. And, by the way, yes indeed, unlike other woodpeckers, which have four toes, this species (and its cousin the Black-backed Woodpecker) has only three by design. Go figure.

January 24, 2007

While skiing, Dave Thurlow flushed a Wilson's Snipe from a marshy area at Sparrow Farm in East Montpelier.

January 8, 2007

Here's an acrostic poem composed by the 15 women and 7 Girl Scouts on the Sunday afternoon Women's Nature Walk with NBNC educator Sandal Cate:

Nature Walk Acrostic
Advance past ash and alder
Branching birch tree and beaver pond
Cattails on the trail
Delightful but daring duck domain
Earth, we love your support
Full branched birch, feet in the flood plain
Green grass in January
Happy habitat
Icy pond
Jumping on bridge
Kids in knee high boots kicking bridge
Lovely January day
More mud, and milkweed pods
Nice nest
Orange brown sumac stem
Peaceful day
Quickly moving water
Rushing river
Some squishy walking on Sunday
Tree trunk too big to hug
Underwater living
Various levels of beaver dams
Woolly bear caterpillar
Xtreme warmth in mid-winter
Yellow birch-open branched happy golden birch
Zig-zagging twigs!

It was a fun Sunday!


Plainfield Christmas Count Results
The Plainfield Christmas Bird Count, held on December 12, 2006, revealed a lot about the birds now wintering in the area. More than 20 intrepid observers counted a total of 34 species (4,128 individual birds) on December 12 -- plus another five species (43 individuals) not on count day but during the week of the count. Here's the list (with some highlights in bold):

2 American Black Ducks
59 Mallards
2 Common Mergansers
2 Bald Eagles
2 Northern Goshawks
3 Red-tailed Hawks
1 Merlin (count week)
5 Ruffed Grouse
90 Wild Turkeys
199 Rock Pigeons
128 Mourning Doves
1 Belted Kingfisher (count week)
33 Downy Woodpeckers
31 Hairy Woodpeckers
2 Northern Flickers
3 Pileated Woodpeckers
209 Blue Jays
742 American Crows
33 Common Ravens
1343 Black-capped Chickadees
7 Tufted Titmice
40 Red-breasted Nuthatches
42 White-breasted Nuthatches
8 Brown Creepers
21 Golden-crowned Kinglets
25 Cedar Waxwings (count week)
1 Brown Thrasher (count week)
1 Northern Shrike
703 European Starlings
25 Northern Cardinals
41 American Tree Sparrows
60 Dark-eyed Juncos
15 Snow Buntings (count week)
1 Pine Grosbeak
90 Purple Finches
20 White-winged Crossbills
20 Common Redpolls
137 American Goldfinches
19 House Sparrows





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