Boogie On Birdy Woman…
Wonderful walk this morning with the Enosburgh Conservation Commission up in northern Vermont. I got to do the Life Bird Boogie for the second time this spring for a Bay-breasted Warbler this time. (Photo by Dan Pancamo, not the individual we saw)
Here’s our eBird list for the walk…not too shabby for a overcast morning with showers!
East Berkshire, Franklin County, VT, US, Franklin, US-VT
May 13, 2012 7:00 AM - 10:10 AM
Protocol: Traveling
4.0 mile(s)
Comments: Landowner’s property to do a bird walk related to forest bird management.
42 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) X
Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus) X
American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) X
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) X
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) X
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) X
Least Flycatcher (Empidonax minimus) X
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) X
Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) X
Blue-headed Vireo (Vireo solitarius) X
Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus) X
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) X
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) X
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) X
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) X
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) X
Brown Creeper (Certhia americana) X
Winter Wren (Troglodytes hiemalis) X
Veery (Catharus fuscescens) X
Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) X
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) X
Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) X
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) X
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) X
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) X
Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia) X
Bay-breasted Warbler (Setophaga castanea) X
Blackburnian Warbler (Setophaga fusca) X
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) X
Chestnut-sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica) X
Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga caerulescens) X
Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens) X
Canada Warbler (Cardellina canadensis) 1 Heard not seen. Correct habitat, mixed forest with swamp-like, wet hummock-y area
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) X
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana) X
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) X
Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea) 1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) 3
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) X
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) X
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) 2
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) X
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org/vt)
My next walk is this weekend at the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge in Swanton, VT for International Migratory Bird Day. Hope you’ll join me. If you get a Lifer…I’ll teach ya how to boogie.
Your Vermont eBird Mission...from the Vermont Center for EcoStudies
Bank Swallow photo by Derek Rogers from nature.org
Had a FABULOUS day birding over at the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge and then cruising the edge of Lake Champlain in Alburg, Vermont. The Rusty Blackbird was the highlight of the day along with calling Northern Leopard frogs. Photo from eBird taken by David Shaw.
Wanted to make sure I got my eBird report in on these birds, especially since the Rusty Blackbird is in decline.
Here’s what I saw today walking the Discovery Trail behind the refuge headquarters:
Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge, Franklin, US-VT
Mar 23, 2012 11:40 AM - 12:15 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
Comments: Walked the Discovery Trail from the Refuge Visitor Center.
16 species
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 4
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 1
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) 2
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) 4
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) 2
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 5
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 7
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 2
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) 1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 5
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 8
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 1
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 8
Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus) 11 Mixed flock with Red-winged Blackbirds. On the Discovery Trail on the edge of Maquam Bog where the boardwalk moves through the wetland.
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 3
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) 1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org/vt)
Red-bellied Woodpecker?
I saw an unusual woodpecker at my feeder this am (he’s perhaps been here a week or so?). When I looked him up, it looks like he’s a red-bellied woodpecker, but the book said this was outside their territory - so thought I’d ask the expert!
I live in North Ferrisburgh and have quite a few woodpeckers (mostly downy & hairy) at my feeders, as well as a pair of pileated that come back in the spring. This one is very unusual and big, and the markings are so distinct that I’m pretty sure…but wanted to know what you thought.
Thanks!
Jen
Hey Jen,
Nice sighting! I had one on the Christmas Bird Count two years ago on my St. Albans route so it is possible. In fact, data from the Christmas Bird Count shows that this woodpecker is expanding it’s range, check it out.
I created this graph by visiting the CBC website and using their Make a Graph feature, cool huh? A quick look tells you that Red-bellied Woodpeckers are being seen more on CBC’s in Vermont. And after a little quick math, if we go back where that red line really starts to pop, to let’s say the 96th CBC which was in 1996, we have a fairly significant increase in sightings over the past 16 years.
How about one more graphic for fun? Take a look at this one. Okay, click on it for a better close up version, then come back to this post.
This one is from eBird from this winter! Not bad for sightings in Vermont. And as for breeding, the Red-bellied Woodpecker became a confirmed breeder in Massachusetts in the 1990s and in just a little over 10 years finally came to breed in southern Vermont. You can read Chris Petrak’s blog post about a family discovering a nesting pair in their backyard in 2001.
Now, just because there’s all those dots on the map and the Vermont Breeding Bird Atlas confirms their nesting success in Vermont, doesn’t make it any less fabulous that you spotted this bird in your backyard! I say get a picture! Post it on eBird and become one of those little red flags and represent your bird-geekery for Ferrisburg.
And Jen…thanks for asking. I learned a lot by digging through all this data to really prove what a kinda sorta new in a very off hand way.
Bird-on!
Bridget
Snowy Invasion Minus the Snow
Lots of talk about snowy owls making an appearance all over this winter. It’s a good thing too, because with the lack of snow in Vermont I could really use something special to spruce up the muddy landscape for the Christmas Bird Count.
I can remember seeing snowy owls on Cape Cod before I was a birder and how exciting it was. Post-bird nerd transformation, I truly flipped out for an owl that visited the Mad River Valley in 2006. This was back when I was doing my Beaks Radio Show, broadcasting out of an old schoolhouse on the backroads in Warren for WMRW. The owl actually showed up in an apple tree right there at the station. It had found the community garden’s compost pile and was casually picking off small rodents finding food in the pile. Mesmerizing and ghostlike it was quite the treat that season.
So…with the CBC just around the corner many of us have our fingers crossed for even a moment with a snowy owl. Make sure to check out fellow Vermont birder Bryan Pfeiffer’s detailed post complete with eBird maps on sightings in Vermont and beyond.
eBird's Hurricane Irene redux
eBird is encouraging folks to get this week’s bird sightings uploaded into the database, especially if you had sightings of birds blown in by the storm. The big star of the storm turns out to be the White-tailed Tropicbird - click the link to see pictures and a list of other reports that have all ready come in.
Team eBird Hurricane Birding Tips
Safety first of course, but birders just can’t help but think about what might turn up on the coast and inland as a result of Irene. Click on the title to read their detailed blog post.
eBird Reports for the Weekend
From Flickr Stillwel, Laura Meyers at laurameyers.com
Here’s my eBird report from my hike in St. Albans Town Forest where I heard the Black-throated Blue Warbler this weekend.
Location: St. Albans Town Forest
Observation date: 4/30/11
Notes: Saved a map of the loop I took through the woods. 46 degrees at start of walk and 50 degrees by the end.
Number of species: 9
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - Sphyrapicus varius 3
Northern Flicker - Colaptes auratus 1
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus 7
Brown Creeper - Certhia americana 3
Winter Wren - Troglodytes hiemalis 2
Hermit Thrush - Catharus guttatus 3
Black-throated Blue Warbler - Dendroica caerulescens 1
Black-throated Green Warbler - Dendroica virens 2
American Goldfinch - Spinus tristis 1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org/vt)
Afterwards I headed to Fairfield Swamp accessed off of French Hill Road and saw/heard these birds:
Location: St. Albans Fairfield Swamp, French Hill Access
Observation date: 4/30/11
Number of species: 13
Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos 3
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - Sphyrapicus varius 2
Eastern Phoebe - Sayornis phoebe 1
Blue-headed Vireo - Vireo solitarius 1 Seen, not heard
Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata 1
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus 13
White-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta carolinensis 2
Brown Creeper - Certhia americana 3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - Regulus calendula 12
Hermit Thrush - Catharus guttatus 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler - Dendroica coronata 23
Black-and-white Warbler - Mniotilta varia 1 Seen, not heard
Louisiana Waterthrush - Parkesia motacilla 1 Heard and seen
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org/vt)
eBird for Everyone!
Yup even her! Join me on Tuesday, May 3rd from 7-9 pm to learn how to use the online database for birdwatchers called eBird. Take your interest and passion for birds and use it to make a difference in bird conservation and research across the state! This database allows birders to store their bird sightings while assisting scientists at Audubon Vermont, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and the Vermont Center for Ecostudies. Participants will learn how to submit their sightings online, to create special databases for their favorite places to birdwatch, and to view and explore data from around the state. We’ll also tell you how to be a part of the 2011 Vermont County Bird Quest!
WHERE: St. Albans Free Library, 11 Maiden Lane, St. Albans VTWHEN: 7-9 pmHOW MUCH: Zero, zip, it’s freeWHAT TO BRING: A laptop or iPad if you have oneREGISTRATION: Call the St. Albans Free Library at 524-1507LIMITS: Minimum 5 participants, maximum 15
First of the season Fox Sparrows spotted on this weekend’s monthly bird walk at the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge in Swanton, VT. Bummer you didn’t join me…turns out only Ken, the other walk leader and I showed up! The heavy rains on Friday from the N’oreaster kept people away but not the sparrows. Here’s the eBird report:
Due to the soggy weather, we had just 2 observers on Saturday's walk. We found 16 species and a total of 318 individual birds. New species added to the list this month were Yellow-rumped Warbler and Fox Sparrow. After 8 months of bird monitoring walks, 90 participants have observed 85 species and 1497 individual birds.
Location: MNWR-Old Railroad Passage Observation date: 10/16/10
Canada Goose 12 flyover Northern Harrier 1 flyover Ring-billed Gull 100 flyover; one large, loose flock Mourning Dove 2 Blue Jay 4 American Crow 3 Black-capped Chickadee 8 House Wren 1 American Robin 6 European Starling 80 Yellow-rumped Warbler 1 Fox Sparrow 2 Song Sparrow 3 White-throated Sparrow 3 White-crowned Sparrow 2 Red-winged Blackbird 90 This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org/vt)
September at Missisquoi
Saturday was our monthly bird monitoring walk at the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge in Swanton, VT. As Friends of the MNWR, Ken Coppenhaver & I started these walks back in March. We rotate trails every month and this month we were at the Stephen Young Marsh on Tabor Road.
New species added to the list this month were Common Merganser, Wilson’s Snipe, Canada Warbler, and Blackburnian Warbler. After 7 months of bird monitoring walks, 88 participants have observed 83 species and 1179 individual birds.
Here’s our report to eBird:
Location: MNWR - Stephen Young Marsh
Observation date: 9/18/10
Notes: Monthly Bird Monitoring Walk. Walked clockwise around trail (usually walk counter-clockwise).
Number of species: 23
Canada Goose 11 flyover
Mallard 10 flyover
Common Merganser 1 flyover
Ruffed Grouse 1 flushed
Great Blue Heron 1 flyover
Wilson’s Snipe 2 flyover
Hairy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 3
Pileated Woodpecker 2
Eastern Phoebe 2
Blue Jay 4
American Crow 7
Black-capped Chickadee 10
American Robin 2
European Starling 44
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1 heard only
Blackburnian Warbler 1 probable
Common Yellowthroat 3
Canada Warbler 1
Song Sparrow 2
Swamp Sparrow 1 heard only
White-throated Sparrow 1
Red-winged Blackbird 115
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org/vt)
