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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

May 11, 2009

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

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 year’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"
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.

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

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.

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.