May 31 , 2008

A few brave souls tolerated rain and mosquitos for our teen birding trip to Moose Bog. The Spruce Grouse eluded us, but despite the rain, we managed to pick up 33 species including boreals such as Gray Jay and Black-backed Woodpecker. Other highlights included extended looks at male Blackburnian Warbles (plus one female gathering nesting material). The morning's list is below:

Wood Duck
American Black Duck
Great Blue Heron
Wilson's Snipe
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Hairy Woodpecker
Black-backed Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Blue-headed Vireo
Tree Swallow
Blue Jay
Gray Jay
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Winter Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Veery
Hermit Thrush
Nashville Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Northern Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
Canada Warbler
Swamp Sparrow
Purple Finch

May 30 , 2008

Our weekly bird walk returned to North Branch today, where one of the morning's highlights was a Black-billed Cuckoo, which after being spotted, actually flew towards our group, giving us great views. Our bird list for the morning is below:

Mallard
Great Blue Heron
Spotted Sandpiper
Mourning Dove
Rock Pigeon
Black-billed Cuckoo
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Downy Woodpecker
Alder Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird (building nest)
Tree Swallow
Blue Jay
Tufted Titmouse
House Wren
Veery
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Canada Warbler
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Indigo Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole
Purple Finch
American Goldfinch

May 28 , 2008

Bog Haunter Wednesday was Dragonfly Day at a fen in Washington County. There we encountered one of Vermon'ts rarest insects, Ebony Boghaunter (pictured to the right). This tiny dark dragonfly is known from only three sites in the state. We also found the following other dragonflies on the wing (with a few photo links):

Eastern Forktail
Dusky Clubtail
Beaverpond Clubtail
American Emerald
Four-spotted Skimmer
Chalk-fronted Corporal
Hudsonian Whiteface
Belted Whiteface

Other notable sightings included Canadian Tiger Swallowtail, Mustard White, Spring Azure and Brown Elfin.

May 25 , 2008

A short walk by the Community Gardens, in search of an Indigo Bunting heard singing during lunch, produced some nice birds... however no buntings. Chestnut-sided Warblers were seen in the tall trees along the river, along with the sounds of House Wrens, Great Crested Flycatcher, and Song Sparrows singing loudly in the vicinity. A Ruby-throated Hummingbird whizzed by, as we searched some thickets for a singing Alder Flycatcher. A Gray Catbird danced in the branches, and a Yellow Warbler collecting nesting material was seen on the way back to the building. Even a ten-minute walk can reveal wonderous things.

May 23 , 2008

The spring bird walk today at Cow Pasture in Barre yielded a number of surprises. The first noteworthy sighting was that of three Field Sparrows, which are quite uncommon in Central Vermont. Nashville Warbler and Indigo Bunting were some other notables. Lastly, as the group was on its way out, a Peregrine Falcon flew over the road near Hope Cemetery, and then a female Merlin was seen calling... perhaps she was nesting nearby?

May 22 , 2008

Today, we had the first Spotted Sandpiper of the year by the bridge... a treat for our afterschool birding. Also heard was an American Redstart.

May 19 , 2008

May is certainly a busy time for conservation folk and outdoors-lovers, and the e-news has been somewhat neglected as of late. A rainy afternoon seems the perfect time to retroactively post some of the events of the past several weeks. We'll start with some sightings from last week: Kingbirds have been active in the field, and Baltimore Orioles have been visiting the feeders. On Thursday, a pair of Bobolinks were seen singing from the fields. Flowers are blooming, and creatures continue to wake up/return from a long winter