Cloud Formation at Sunset

The commute from Winooski to Montpelier may be long but the scenery is stunning. Meandering along with the Winooski River, I-89 weaves through the heart of the river valley. Wide open views of the working landscape are framed by the forested mountains and the endless sky. The clouds are what make the sky intersting... what make one sunset different from the next. I believe these clouds are called altocumulus, and they filled the empty blue space like spilled popcorn on a movie theater floor. More sky pictures coming soon!

Superbowl of Birding VII

Saturday, January 30, 5:00 am to 5:00 pm

In the Superbowl of birding, you don't need helmets, pads, or mouth guards. But a pair of binoculars, a spotting scope, and a sturdy tripod will be essential. The rules are simple. Each species of bird is given a point value from one to five. One pointers are the easiest to find, like Chickadees or Mallards. The more difficult birds are assigned higher point values, with five being the toughest... ie Dickcissel, Dovekie, Ivory-billed Woodpecker. The team with the most points wins.

In our second year participating in the Superbowl, we followed a very similar game plan. We started our morning in Cape Ann and worked our way north towards Plum Island. Conditions were bleak in the wee hours, with a low of 6 F and gusting winds, an initial fear set in that our owling may be unproductive. Luckily for us, we were able to whistle in a Eastern Screech-Owl within a half hour of the competitions start.

Daylight hours are the most precious, and in our first hours we were racking up points rather slowly. Westerly winds seemed to hamper our ability to find alcids, and winter finches have not wandered south this year. But around noon, when the fatigue should have been setting in, our energy surged and our vision sharpened. As we left Cape Ann, en route to Salisbury Beach, Nik glimpsed a Turkey Vulture on the horizon, a five point bird! We actually passed another three on our way north.

We continued picking up great birds regularly for the remainder of the day. Yellow-rumped Warbler, Snowy Owl, Brant, and Northern Shrike were among our best finds, and all three point birds. But the bird with the greatest value didn't get us any points in competition. While cruising north, Nik made another great find... a beautiful red form Eastern Screech-Owl, sunning itself from a tree cavity on the side of a busy road. After observing this marvelous bird for a moment, we reminded ourselves of the birds we had left to see and moved on.

When the day was through, we had seen 57 species earning us 84 points. A full day of birding on the coast and the seafaring avifuana we encountered were quite a treat when coming from a landlocked state and the smell of salt water was warmly welcomed. I think we all went home satisfied that we had a successful day.