You Can Check Out... but you can never leave

Well, thanks to a blizzard in New York, a week long trip to California has turned into two. Not much time for a thorough account, but sandwiched in between family time I've managed to get out and see some good birds and other wildlife. A few pictoral highlights below:


Coyote at Placerita Canyon, Santa Clarita, CA


Black-necked Stilts in the Los Angeles River, Van Nuys, CA


Royal Tern at Zuma Beach, Malibu, CA

More pictures to come...

Rare Birds that Blend In

Sometimes, the difference between a dime-a-dozen commoner and a rare bird can lie in minuscule details. This was the case for three such birds seen today:


The Fish Crow (right) is noticebly smaller than the American Crow (right) with a remarkably shorter bill and smaller head. The very distinctive "eh eh" vocalization of the Fish Crow helped to tune into its location, but while subtle, the size difference is still quite obvious when you look closely.


Gulls are amongst the most challenging groups of birds to identify, and this Iceland Gull(center) could have easily gone unnoticed. White wingtips were key to picking this bird out from amongst the hundreds of gulls congregating at the Winooski Falls. The relatively thin, all dark beak, pink legs, and mottled, but very light plumage all helped make it recognized.


The bird-of-the-day was this Lesser Black-backed Gull (center frame) sitting on a giant compost heap in Burlington. It's similar in size to the Herring Gull (right) but with a darker back. It is smaller than the Great Black-backed Gull (back, partially hidden) and sports a darker, streaky head. It's yellow legs also distinguish it from these two similar species. While commonplace in Europe, the Lesser Black-backed Gull is rare here. See another picture

Thanksgiving Birding... Bring A Fork!

Fork-tailed Flycatcher in Stamford, CT... second state record! About the closest these guys normally get to here is southern-most Texas, but occasionally they wander north, often winding up on the coast of the Atlantic. This one stuck around for over a week, giving holiday travelers like myself a great pit stop! During the time I was there, I talked to birders from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, even as far as Chicago!


Northern Mockingbird in the driveway eating berries from the Japanese Barberry in Elmsford, NY. Used my car as a blind to get close enough to take this photo.

A Lingering Heron

Although not too unusual, it caught me by surprise to find a late Great Blue Heron in the Winooski River near my apartment! It certainly seemed out-of-place amongst the dead vegetation and partially-frozen water. The young heron didn't seem very comfortable either... it was very skittish, extending its neck to search for danger and then jerking it back to hide in the grass.



Also, I could count over 100 Ring-billed Gulls, nearly 50 Herring Gulls, and a whopping 15 Great Black Backed Gulls from one spot along the riverwalk! (can you find all 3 species in the photo below?) It's easy to forget that there is such good birding and wildlife watching so close to home!

Catching Up

Quite a number of fun natural history highlights have come and gone since my last blog post. Each of the following events of the past month could certainly have been it's own long blog post, but a quick review will have to do. Anyhow, here's a synopsis:

October 2 & 3 - FungiBlitz!
Over 150 people, 16 workshops & forays, and over 117 species of fungi and lichens made our first FungiBlitz a great success! Planned and executed with great help and leadership from others in NBNC, the North Branch Mushroom Club, and volunteers. I only got to go to one workshop, but it was great! Kay taught me tons about lichens!



October 4 - Woolybears!
A sure sign that fall is here. A couple present at NBNC



October 17 - Western Conifer Seed Bug!
Yet another sign of the coming winter... this guy was near a building in South Burlington... I guess it hadn't found its way in yet!



October 21-23 - NEEEA Conference!
After 18 months of planning with a great group of people, we pulled off a great annual New England Environmental Education Alliance conference in Lake Morey, VT. 250+ people, over 40 workshops & field trips, 3 keynotes (Bill McKibben, Peter Forbes, & Dana Hudson). Plus, some great birds including Black and Surf Scoter, Common Loon, Merlin, and others.



November 6 - Champlain Valley Birding
You can never go wrong birding in the Champlain Valley. Started out with the Audubon Group and had over 20 Coot, Pied-billed Grebe and others. The quality birding continued after with Bonaparte's Gulls, Pine Siskin, and a Mockingbird!



November 13 - Long-tailed Duck at Berlin Pond!
I had never seen one of these away from the coast, even though they're not an unusual fall migrant. Got great looks as it approached within 30 feet!

VT Bird Photography Challenge: COMPLETE!

As fate would have it, I photographed three new species today at the North Branch Nature Center. Here we have our 98, 99, 100!


Blackpoll Warbler


Magnolia Warbler


Red-eyed Vireo

VT Bird Photography Challenge

The blog has suffered serious neglect lately, and may continue to do so until more time becomes available for maintenance. I was recently trying to recollect whether or not I had photographed 100 species of birds within the state of Vermont. It turns out, I'm pretty darn close. I may have a few other species with photos buried somewhere, but I came up with a count of 97! Here they are:

1. Snow Goose, Shelburne
2. Canada Goose, Berlin
3. Wood Duck, Adamant
4. American Wigeon, Milton
5. Mallard, Burlington
6. Lesser Scaup, Island Pond
7. Common Goldeneye, South Hero
8. Hooded Merganser, Berlin
9. Common Merganser,Shelburne
10. Spruce Grouse, North Ferdinand
11. Wild Turkey, South Burlington
12. Common Loon, Danville
13. Great Blue Heron, Addison
14. Cattle Egret, Shelburne
15. Black-crowned Night-heron, Addison
16. Turkey Vulture, Montpelier
17. Osprey, Thetford
18. Red-tailed Hawk, South Burlington
19. Merlin, Winooski
20. Killdeer, Huntington
21. Solitary Sandpiper, Huntington
22. Lesser Yellowlegs, Huntington
23. Least Sandpiper, Huntington
24. Wilson's Snipe, Jericho
25. Ivory Gull, Alburgh
26. Bonaparte's Gull, South Burlington
27. Ring-billed Gull, Winooski
28. Herring Gull, Shelburne
29. Iceland Gull, Burlington
30. Glaucous Gull, Burlington
31. Common Tern, Burlington
32. Rock Pigeon, Burlington
33. Mourning Dove, Montpelier
34. Snowy Owl, South Burlington
35. Northern Hawk-owl, Eden
36. Barred Owl, Shelburne
37. Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Montpelier
38. Belted Kingfisher, Berlin
39. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Montpelier
40. Downy Woodpecker, Essex Jct.
41. Hairy Woodpecker, Winooski
42. Black-backed Woodpecker, North Ferdinand
43. Northern Flicker, Colchester
44. Pileated Woodpecker, Winooski
45. Eastern Phoebe, Montpelier
46. Northern Shrike, Montpelier
47. Gray Jay, North Ferdinand
48. Blue Jay, Montpelier
49. Purple Martin, Addison
50. Tree Swallow, Montpelier
51. Tufted Titmouse, Montpelier
52. Red-breasted Nuthatch, South Burlington
53. White-breasted Nuthatch, Montpelier
54. Brown Creeper, Montpelier
55. Eastern Bluebird, Montpelier
56. American Robin, South Burlington
57. Gray Catbird, Adamant
58. Brown Thrasher, Williston
59. Bohemian Waxwing, Winooski
60. Cedar Waxwing, Thetford
61. Blue-winged Warbler, Hinesburg
62. Golden-winged Warbler, Hinesburg
63. Yellow Warbler, Berlin
64. Chestnut-sided Warbler, Thetford
65. Yellow-rumped Warbler, Montpelier
66. Palm Warbler, Montpelier
67. Black-and-white Warbler, Winooski
68. American Redstart, Jericho
69. Common Yellowthroat, Williston
70. Hooded Warbler, Jericho
71. Eastern Towhee, Hinesburg
72. American Tree Sparrow, Montpelier
73. Chipping Sparrow, Montpelier
74. Clay-colored Sparrow, South Burlington
75. Field Sparrow, South Burlington
76. Savannah Sparrow, Montpelier
77. Fox Sparrow, Marshfield
78. Song Sparrow, Berlin
79. White-throated Sparrow, Thetford
80. White-crowned Sparrow, Brighton
81. Golden-crowned Sparrow, Orwell
82. Dark-eyed Junco, Montpelier
83. Snow Bunting, South Burlington
84. Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Thetford
85. Bobolink, Addison
86. Red-winged Blackbird, Montpelier
87. Rusty Blackbird, Burlington
88. Common Grackle, Montpelier
89. Brown-headed Cowbird, Montpelier
90. Baltimore Oriole, Berlin
91. Pine Grosbeak, South Burlington
92. Purple Finch, Montpelier
93. White-winged Crossbill, Montpelier
94. Common Redpoll, Williston
95. Pine Siskin, Montpelier
96. American Goldfinch, Montpelier
97. House Sparrow, Winooski

Around the Corner and to the Left

To see this Robin's nest, I simply stick my head out my office window and turn left! Apparently the sound of a camera shutter makes them think that a parent is coming with food, and they strike the "ready to eat" pose!

I will post an update when they have fledged, but right now they are pretty content just sitting and getting fed. I hear them constantly as I sit at my desk with the window open, and on occasion, other noises from the office make them beg for food... often noises caused by the computer. I'd have to say they make good, entertaining neighbors!

See Gulls

Inspired by Alan Strong's recent post to the VTBird listserv, I stopped at a congregation of gulls that I probably would have driven by normally. There were at least 40 or so in a feeding frenzy. Flying ants were taking off in droves from large colonies alongside the USDA Forestry Services parking lot in South Burlington. The stream of ants went on for a half hour while I was there, and as the pace of ants lifting off slowed around 7:40pm, the gulls began to leave. I counted at least 4 Bonaparte's Gullsout of all the Ring-billeds in the flock, and managed to get a few photos of one. I feel like I have seen large groups of gulls near I-89 in Burlington in past years around this time, and will have to start paying more attention to them!

Turtles Laying

Not much time for updates these days, but I will give a quick warning that turtles are laying eggs this time of year. You're likely to see them on and alongside roads. If you come across a turtle, see if you can find evidence whether or not she has laid eggs yet (is she walking towards the water? away? Is she digging a hole? filling one?). If she hasn't laid eggs yet, bringing her back to the water will do little good. She has to go on land to lay, and this might mean facing danger.

If she has laid, moving her to out of harms way is a good idea. There's no easy way to move a large, female snapper. You can grab her with a hand on each side of her carapace (top shell) just above her hind legs. Be careful, as her neck is long and can snap backwards a considerable distance. Also beware that her claws are long and sharp, and without protective hand wear, she can easily draw blood.


Whatever the situation, if you see a turtle from a car, you may have an opportunity to save her, and her clutch of unborn young from becoming roadkill. Just be careful not to compromise your own safety in the process. Good luck!

All photos, except of snapper being held, were taken this season

Hooded Warbler in Jericho!

The Hooded Warbler is, by all accounts, a spectacular bird... one of highlights of my several trips to Cape May, NJ. Up here in Vermont, their smooth whistly song... "twee-twee-twee-teeo" is all but a sound that comes out of a computer speaker as I brush up on songs before a trip out-of-town. This is considered a southern species of warbler, with its range barely penetrating into southern New York. The male Hooded that showed up in Jericho on Friday was a few hundred miles north of where he's supposed to be, and from what I've heard, one hasn't been seen in Vermont in 20 years (and the last time was also in Jericho).

I knew I would try for this bird this weekend, but wasn't sure if I'd make a birthday trip or wait until Sunday. I went Sunday (5/23), and after bumping into Pat Folsom and Scott Sainsbury, they showed me the way to the area it had been seen. It was singing vigorously when we arrived and it wasn't long before I spotted the bird perched in a huge tamarack, offering an extended view of his brilliant yellow plumage, and prominent black ski-mask.

For such a vividly colored bird, it was very tough to photograph, especially since the digi/scope was back at the parking (I did run back to get them at one point). Below are the best images I managed to get, although a great image by Fernando B. Corrada is available here, and if you use your imagination, you can see how my two photos add up to that bird.




The bird wasn't relocated today, although I hope it is so I can milk this rare opportunity to watch a vagrant bird so close to home. Such moments must be cherished while they're available. And technology has allowed unprecedented ability to "twitch" rare birds that would otherwise be nothing more than a story that caught up with you long after taking place.



Thanks to the internet, mainly the VTBird list, I've managed to see rare birds such as Ivory Gull and Great Gray Owl. In the case of the Golden-crowned Sparrow discovered last March in Orwell, I saw the bird at the feeders in the backyard of Norton & Marlene Latourelle (video above; first state record). In at least 10 days, over 100 people made the (in some cases long) drive to see the bird. This sparrow was so consistent, every person who made the trip managed to see it. The Latourelles even had a "sign-in" book for birders to log their visit. Of course, not all birds are seen by many: in the case of this Hooded Warbler, I might end up being the last person to ever see it in Vermont during its short stay.

Of course, beyond the rush of seeing a rare bird, "twitching" a rarity that has already been discovered lacks a certain excitement and surprise. Not everyone can discover a rare bird, so the thrill of excitement for an everyday naturalist can often come in the form of unique encounters with our resident creatures. Tonight, my encounter with butterflies was surprising and exhilarating. That story will need to wait until tomorrow, save for the photo below.

10 Reasons I haven't been Updating

Everything happens in May. Birthdays, bird migrations, weddings, wildflowers... between it all there just isn't enough time for everything, let alone a blog update. Here's 10 reasons I haven't had time to update the blog in almost two weeks:






















1. Exploring a shorebird concentration (7 species!) in drained beaver pond in Hinesburg. [Solitary Sandpiper and Killdeer (left to right) shown above]

2. Observing some late-departing Scaup in Island Pond. [shown below]

3. Unexpectedly encountering a Philadelphia Vireo in Bolton.

4. Watching the sun set to the sounds of Northern Saw-whet Owl, Barred Owl,
Wilson's Snipe, and American Woodcock in Chittenden.

5. Witnessing copulating Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers in Berlin.

6. Scrutinizing over unfamiliar birdsong at Moose Bog (eventually determined to be Blackburnian Warbler, White-winged Crossbill, and Lincoln's Sparrow!)

7. Tallying rare grassland species (Grasshopper and Vesper Sparrow) during a 24-hour birding marathon in Highgate.

8. Being engulfed by the sounds of elusive birds (including Sora, Common Moorhen, Virginia Rail, and Marsh Wren) in West Rutland.

9. Finding the rare boreal breeders (Spruce Grouse, Black-backed Woodpecker, and Boreal Chickadee) or the Northeast Kingdom in North Ferdinand.

10. Perplexing over the disgruntled wails of a nesting pair of Red-shouldered Hawks in Essex, ultimately determining that they were distressed by a nearby Red-tailed Hawk.



These 10 accounts from 10 Vermont towns encompass only those in the realm of birds, and only from the last 72 hours. Furthermore, these highlights include only unusual encounters, or those which took significant effort, travel or otherwise. For better or worse, much else has happened over the last several weeks, and a lot more to come over the next several. I hope to post more detailed blog entries (including a discussion of Nicaragua) in due time, but now I must rest up for another day of May Madness.

From the Tropics to the Tundra

Well, not quite the tundra, but it sure felt like it when we returned from Nicaragua just ahead of the biggest late-April snow storm on record, with up to 2 feet of the wet, white stuff in some places! It's been a week now that I've been back, and there hasn't been much time for a blog post, but in keeping with the 'cold climate' theme of this post, this past Sunday I took a trip with one of our avid young birders to Moose Bog (one of my favorite places) in search of the boreal birds that barely penetrate our northern border.



We struck gold, and managed to not only see the elusive and endangered Spruce Grouse, but one almost landed right on top of us! These stunning birds have a reputation for being gregarious, and we experienced this first-hand as a male flew out of a tree, and strutted right up to us, passing within a few feet.



Our young birder also managed to spy a Black-backed Woodpecker, another boreal breeder, excavating a nest cavity. Keep in mind he spotted this from a moving vehicle! I managed to hear a Boreal Chickadee, but the Gray Jays eluded us, and so I'll need to try again other time for the coveted Boreal Grand Slam (seeing a Boreal Chickadee, Gray Jay, Spruce Grouse, and Black-backed Woodpecker in one day). Other noteworthy birds seen that day (5/2) include Blue-headed Vireo, Northern Parula, White-crowned Sparrow (pictured below), and others.



As you've noticed, I won't touch Nicaragua in this post... I have neither the time nor inclination to properly address the subject at the moment, but plan to give a nice summary of the trip sometime later this spring

Leaving behind early spring for the tropics!

As you know, spring has sprung early, and flowers and frogs have emerged ahead of schedule. While hiking this week around the Nature Center this week, I stumbled across Blue Cohosh(below), a wildflower I typically associate with May in this area, not mid-April. Notice how fresh the flowers look, and the six yellow-and-green stamen at the center of each flower are open to varying degrees. The plant times its flowering so that a steady flow of fresh flowers are available for early insects, such as bumblebees, to pollinate.



I leave first thing tomorrow morning for Nicaragua, and by the time I return, the Blue Cohosh won't look so fresh. And other beautiful wildflowers that define early spring, like Dutchman's Breeches and Blood Root, may be long gone. The new birds will continue to arrive, but I won't be here to greet them. I'll be having my own adventure, and I'll just have to dive right back into Vermont spring after my mind has been shattered by the tropics. Until then, adios amigos!

Amphibian Crossing 4/7/10

First Spring Wildflowers & Peepers Galore

A host of the early spring flowers were in bloom at the Nature Center today. Blood Root was poking through the leaves by the river, and although I didn't go to check, the Colt's Foot was undoubtedly up by the Stump Dump Road.

The last wildflower I encountered, and my favorite of the bunch, is the February Daphne. It's fragrance is so strong that you can smell the sweet aroma from feet away. The overpowering odor would do well to reverse the smell of two cats in my apartment, but I'd think twice before yanking this shrub out of the ground. The leaves of the plant, which are barely opening when it's pink flowers first go into bloom, are poisonous to the touch and can cause irritation and blisters. Eating its berries can result in death.



The succession of wet and warm weather last week was good for more than just the wildflowers. A loud chorus of Spring Peepers and Wood Frogs rang from the beaver ponds, getting especially noisy towards the early evening. This is early spring at its best!

Amphibian Crossing 3/30/10

Bluebirds Sticking Around

Since I've worked at NBNC, Bluebirds have came each spring to check out the nest boxes and moved on. This year, the male showed up early and was joined on Friday by a female! The two were both observed today, with one bird almost always perched on a favored nest box. At one point, the male (bottom) and female (top) switched spots between a post and the box.

At around 4:00pm, for the first time, I spotted an American Kestrel hovering over the fields looking for a meal. I ran to tell someone, and by the time I returned to the scene, the Kestrel was perched on the Bluebirds' favored nest box. I hope they didn't get eaten!

Peregrine Falcon Monitoring at Marshfield Mountain

I took a trip to Groton State Forest today to monitor the Peregrine Falcons that nest there. Marshfield Mountain, the cliffs where the Falcons nest, was one of three sites where they first started releasing young Peregrines as part of a reintroduction program in the early-mid 1980's. Since that time, the number of nesting pairs has gone from 1 nesting pair in 1984 to a record high of 38 pairs in 2009.

It is a really nice hike in to a small fen with a giant glacial erratic that you can climb up on to view the cliffs. Along the hike in, some sightings included Brown Creepers, 3 Ruffed Grouse, and the first Winter Wren of the year.



Upon arriving at the cliffs, I climbed the slippery boulder and set up to start monitoring. Within eight minutes, the first falcon showed up. The Audubon Society currently administers the Peregrine monitoring. Below is a sample of my field notes:

9:08 First Peregrine seen flying over/around cliffs. Lands in favorite snag at top and begins preening.
9:17 Wailing call heard briefly (3 sec.) Preening continued.
9:36 Second Peregrine arrives and lands in favorite snag carring prey. Prey appeared to be a blackbird. After a few moments, second Peregrine leaves favorite snag with prey and flies to top of another nearby tree. Second Peregrine begins plucking feathers from prey and is also seen eating some. First Peregrine remains on favorite snag.

On the way out, the birds were quiet and the temperature had increased. Snow that contained coyote tracks on the way in had melted away to reveal mud with moose tracks that had been hidden beneath.



As I arrived back at the Nature Center, a I found a few Mourning Doves blocking the drive way. I caught this one mid-blink! Check out the pale blue eyelids.

Weekend of Ducks

My goal this weekend was to see ducks, and I certainly saw some ducks! I started Saturday morning at a Green Mountain Audubon Society walk at the Intervale, seeing lots of familiar faces and some good birds including a male Rusty Blackbird and a very cooperative Golden-crowned Kinglet. No ducks here, but a great start to the day.



After everyone had dispersed from the Intervale, Alison Wagner and I headed towards Milton. My top spot for the day was Sandbar WMA, a duck magnet. Plentiful amounts of Mallard, American Black Duck, Ring-necked Duck, Common Merganser, and Green-winged Teal were scattered throughout the marshy areas alongside the busy road. We also managed to pick out Hooded Merganser, Common Goldeneye, Gadwall, some Wood Ducks and a Northern Shoveler from amongst the masses. Where else can you find 10 species of duck on a 1/4 mile stretch of road than here?



From there, we stopped at many spots along the lake, eventually making our way towards Dead Creek. Lots more first-of-year sightings, including a Fox Sparrow and Bufflehead in Ferrisburg, a Kestrel in Milton, Snow Geese and Great Blue Heron at Dead Creek. We ended the day at McCuen Slang, where a feeding frenzy amongst 100's of Common Mergansers and countless onlooking gulls commenced offshore. We ended the day with 43 bird species and 1 reptile (our 1st Gartersnake of the year!) Not a bad way to spend the first day of spring!



On Sunday, I came back to Sandbar WMA again to see if any other ducks had escaped my detection. Sure enough, in an isolated beaver pond at the edge of reach, a pair of American Wigeon (male pictured below) sat with the whole big pond to themselves. A dozen duck species for the weekend, so I'd say mission accomplished!