West Rutland Marsh - November 2022

Five people made the trek around West Rutland Marsh this morning with the results about what you would expect for mid-November. A total of 20 species was observed. Snow flurries accompanied us for the first half the trip, but fortunately there was no wind. 

Two female Common Mergansers were floating in the open portion of water (yes, ice is forming).

Four woodpecker species were tallied: Red Bellied, Downy, Hairy woodpecker as well as two Northern Flickers.

A dozen American Robins were seen on Marble Street.

Two Golden-crowned Kinglets were observed flitting in the hemlocks along Whipple Hollow Road.

Sparrows consisted of two Dark-eyed Juncos and one White-throated Sparrow.

Our next walk is scheduled for Thursday, December 8 at 8 a.m.

A complete list of what we saw can be found here. 

West Rutland Marsh - October 2022

RCAS’s October monitoring walk around West Rutland Marsh started on a cold note – one of the few chilly mornings we’ve had despite being well into October. Clear skies, low wind and the rising sun made the morning more pleasant as we went on.

Eleven participants tallied 27 species, about normal for this time of year. The first half of the walk was fairly quiet as was the Whipple Hollow Trail, but, overall, the second half of the walk was the ‘birdiest’ no doubt due to the sun and warming temperature.

Most of the observations on the walk were of the ‘usual suspects’ including Black-capped Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, White-throated Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos. One Song Sparrow and three Swamp Sparrows were seen or heard.

Two Gray Catbirds were spotted along Whipple Hollow Road.

While nowhere near as large as in past years, a large number of Red-winged Blackbirds and, to a lesser extent, Common Grackles, flew over.

No raptors or Turkey Vultures were seen.

A full tally of what we saw can be found here.

Our next marsh walk is scheduled for Thursday, November 17, at 8 a.m. 

West Rutland Marsh - September 2022

After being rained out last week, Rutland County Audubon managed to complete September’s monitoring of West Rutland Marsh before month-end. Five people tallied 44 species despite the cloudy and somewhat windy weather. 

After some of us remarked on the low number of raptors we’ve seen this month, we ended up seeing Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk and American Kestrel. 

All the expected woodpecker species were seen: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and Northern Flicker as well as Red-bellied, Downy, Hairy and Pileated woodpeckers.

Despite the prior day’s reports of warblers around the state, we only saw three species and only one each of those. They were Nashville Warbler, Common Yellowthroat and Yellow-rumped Warbler.

There was a higher number of sparrow species. They included Chipping, White-crowned, White-throated, Swamp and Song. Two, Dark-eyed Juncos, sometimes nicknamed snowbirds, were seen in a yard. No doubt we will be seeing more of those in the months to come.  

There was a high number of sparrows, including this Song Sparrow seen at West Rutland Marsh on Sept. 29, 2022The birding along the Whipple Hollow Trail was slow, but a Ruffed Grouse was observed near the spot where it was seen on past walk. 

Our next walk is scheduled for Saturday, October 22, at 8 a.m.

The list of the birds seen today can be found here.

West Rutland Marsh - July 2022

Swamp SparrowRCAS completed 21 years of monitoring West Rutland Marsh on July 21. Despite the increasing heat of the day and the promise of threatening weather, six participants observed 47 species.

Swamp Sparrows and Marsh Wrens are still very vocal while both Alder and Willow flycatchers have resumed singing after going silent for much of July.

A Barred Owl was heard in the far distance. No other raptors or any vultures were seen.

Several young birds were observed, many with adults near. These included Northern Rough-winged Swallow, American Redstart and Swamp Sparrow. An Eastern Phoebe was seen carrying food.

American RedstartThe cuckoos, heard everywhere earlier this year, were silent. One cuckoo, not identified to species, was seen briefly as it flew across the road.

Numerous Red-eyed Vireos were heard, but no Warbling Vireos. A Yellow-throated Vireo, a species not often reported on this walk, was heard along Whipple Hollow Road near the intersection with Water Street.

It was a relief to get on to the new Whipple Hollow Trail, into the woods on the first half at least, and out of the sun and heat. It was somewhat quiet, however. Only one Northern Waterthrush sang compared to the six or so heard earlier in the season. A Pine Warbler was singing in the white pines in the stretch between boardwalks. The Sedge Wren seen in the meadow since late May was not observed although there have been several reports this week.

Other warbler species than mentioned above included Ovenbird, Black-and-white Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler and a good number of Common Yellowthroat (24!)

A trip report of all the species seen can be found here. 

The next walk is scheduled for Saturday, August 13, 7 a.m.

West Rutland Marsh - June 2022

Eastern KingbirdFourteen participants joined RCAS’s June walk around West Rutland Marsh. As expected, the birds were busy with nesting activities with several species seen carrying food and young making their first public appearances. Some species were in full song, but others are quieter than the previous month.

A Wilson’s Snipe was heard winnowing above Pleasant Street, somewhat surprising in the bright sun. Two Green Herons and one Great Blue Heron were seen while some of the other marsh residents such as Virginia Rail and American Bittern were not noted.

A high number of cuckoos, both Black-billed and Yellow-billed seen or heard and two more brief flyovers not identified to species.

Raptors included Osprey, Broad-winged Hawk and Red-tailed Hawk.

Woodpeckers were well represented with all the expected species: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Northern Flicker and Red-bellied, Downy, Hairy and Pileated woodpeckers.

Aside from several Eastern Kingbirds, flycatcher numbers were rather low although all the expected species were noted: Alder, Willow, and Least Flycatchers along with only one Eastern Phoebe.

The Whipple Hollow Trail produced several warbler species, Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush, Nashville Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Pine Warbler and Canada Warbler.

Elsewhere on the trip Yellow Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler and more Ovenbirds, Common Yellowthroats, American Redstarts and Chestnut-sided Warblers rounded out the warbler contingent.

Also along the Whipple Hollow Trail, Sedge Wrens, a rare Vermont bird, were heard calling and singing and also seen briefly.

Marsh Wrens and Swamp Sparrows are still singing away. Several Veerys were heard along the route as well. A Field Sparrow as singing up in the meadows east of Marble Street.

A full list of the birds seen can be found here.

Our next marsh walk is scheduled for Thursday, July 21, at 7 a.m.

Century Count XVII

How many species can you find in Rutland County in one day? If it’s May, the weather is good and you have teams out scouring a good portion of the county, at least 120!

On May 21 RCAS held annual Century Count XXVII. With the Covid pandemic still with us, we again divided into teams. This allowed us to cover a wide variety of habitats from marsh to forest to lakeshores to fields and power lines.

Each team had highlights and also found species other teams missed. The big find of the day was a yellow-breasted chat at the Buckner Preserve in West Haven.

A flock of 55 pine siskins, a species we associate with winter, were at a feeder in Shrewsbury.

It’s shaping up to be a big cuckoo year – both black-billed and yellow-billed cuckoos were seen at quite a few locations.

With warbler migration winding down, most warbler species were seen with the exception of Cape May warbler and bay-breasted warbler, which may be at the tail end of their migration through our area. The ‘winged’ warblers, golden-winged and blue-winged and their hybrids including the ‘Lawrence’s’ hybrid were seen.

Some of the birding hotspots covered included the Buckner Preserve, Cogman/Ghost Hollow Roads in West Haven, West Rutland Marsh (including the new Whipple Hollow Trail), the Pleasant Street power line, Bomoseen State Park and the lake, Lefferts Pond and Kent Pond among others.

Many thanks to all who participated and submitted all their sightings to eBird!

Link to the eBird trip report, click here.

The List:

Canada Goose Wood Duck Mallard Hooded Merganser Common Merganser Wild Turkey Ruffed Grouse Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Yellow-billed Cuckoo Black-billed Cuckoo Chimney Swift Ruby-throated Hummingbird Virginia Rail Common Gallinule Killdeer American Woodcock Wilson's Snipe Spotted Sandpiper Ring-billed Gull Common Loon Great Blue Heron Green Heron Turkey Vulture Osprey Bald Eagle Broad-winged Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Barred Owl Belted Kingfisher Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker Pileated Woodpecker Northern Flicker

Peregrine Falcon Eastern Wood-Pewee Alder Flycatcher Willow Flycatcher Least Flycatcher Eastern Phoebe Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird Yellow-throated Vireo Blue-headed Vireo Warbling Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Blue Jay American Crow Common Raven Black-capped Chickadee Tufted Titmouse Northern Rough-winged Swallow Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Red-breasted Nuthatch White-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper House Wren Winter Wren Marsh Wren Carolina Wren European Starling Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Eastern Bluebird Veery Swainson's Thrush Hermit Thrush Wood Thrush American Robin Cedar Waxwing

House Sparrow House Finch Purple Finch Pine Siskin American Goldfinch Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Eastern Towhee Yellow-breasted Chat Bobolink Eastern Meadowlark Orchard Oriole Baltimore Oriole Red-winged Blackbird Brown-headed Cowbird Common Grackle Ovenbird Louisiana Waterthrush Northern Waterthrush Golden-winged Warbler Blue-winged Warbler Black-and-white Warbler Tennessee Warbler Nashville Warbler Mourning Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Northern Parula Magnolia Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Yellow Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Pine Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Prairie Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Canada Warbler Scarlet Tanager Northern Cardinal Rose-breasted Grosbeak Indigo Bunting

Whipple Hollow Trail

Click here for a link to the Public Service Announcement that PEG-TV did for the new and beautiful Whipple Hollow Trail. It co-stars Ralph Nimtz, lead boardwalk developer, and Kathleen Guinness, current president of RCAS, and it both visually and aurally demonstrates the serenity and uniqueness of this recreational addition to West Rutland's Marsh.

West Rutland Marsh - February 2022

Five participants joined RCAS’s monthly walk around West Rutland Marsh, the walk scheduled to coincide with the annual Great Backyard Bird Count. Snow fell non-stop throughout the walk, somewhat limiting visibility, but overall, the weather was not bad for February with little wind and the temperature in the mid-20s.

Nineteen species were tallied in all. This compares to 15 one year ago and 18 for our February average.

Not surprisingly, many of the species were seen near the feeders by the Marble Street boardwalk. Several American tree sparrows and black-capped chickadees were joined by a blue jay, a purple finch, mourning doves and a downy woodpecker among others.

A flock of American robins, a species being seen in good numbers throughout the state this winter, was flying back and forth over Marble Street

The only raptor for the day was a red-tailed hawk and, while crows were numerous, only one common raven was heard.

The walk along the new Whipple Hollow Trail was pretty in the snow, but otherwise quiet except for a chickadee and a few goldfinches.

Upon our return to the feeders, a single common redpoll was feasting on seed. Redpolls made a sudden appearance in the state the day before so it was good to have one included on our walk.

Our next walk is scheduled for Saturday, March 19, at 8 a.m.

The list: 

Mourning Dove  8

Red-tailed Hawk  1

Downy Woodpecker  3

Hairy Woodpecker  1

Blue Jay  14

American Crow  15

Common Raven  1

Black-capped Chickadee  26

Tufted Titmouse  3

White-breasted Nuthatch  6

Eastern Bluebird  1

American Robin  16

Purple Finch  1

Common Redpoll  1

American Goldfinch  38

American Tree Sparrow  7

Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)  17

White-throated Sparrow  1

Northern Cardinal  10

West Rutland Marsh - January 2022

Robin was the word of the day for January’s monitoring of West Rutland Marsh! Of the 20 species tallied, American robins were the most abundant with about 130 in all, some in sizable flocks. But, no, it did not feel, like spring was in the air.

The day started at minus 8 degrees, but sunshine and no wind, made it almost bearable. The eight participants managed to keep warm by being bundled up in everything they own and walking briskly in spots where no birds were to be seen.

Twenty species is the same number we saw a year ago and one less than our average for the month of January.

No raptors were seen, but one red-tailed hawk was heard. Three woodpeckers, either downy or hairy, were drumming. Though not in full song, birds were more vocal than they were on our December walk no doubt in response to the longer days (though certainly not the temperature!).

Our next walk is scheduled for Saturday, February 19, at 8 a.m. That count is scheduled to coincide with the Great Backyard Bird Count.

The list: 

Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  3

Mourning Dove  7

Red-tailed Hawk  1

Downy/Hairy Woodpecker  3    drumming

Pileated Woodpecker  1

Blue Jay  12

American Crow  12

Common Raven  1

Black-capped Chickadee  18

Tufted Titmouse  8

White-breasted Nuthatch  3

Carolina Wren  1

European Starling  10

American Robin  130

Cedar Waxwing  10

House Finch  1

American Goldfinch  3

American Tree Sparrow  7

Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)  9

White-throated Sparrow  4

Northern Cardinal  4

Winter Regulars & Rarities

Horned LarkAfter a week's delay due to extreme cold and winter, RCAS’s annual Winter Regulars and Rarities field trip was off and running. We still had frigid weather, but sunshine and no wind made being outdoors almost bearable.

Our first stop, after traveling through Brandon and Sudbury where we spotted a handful of horned larks and a couple rough-legged hawks, we made a stop in Orwell, where 24 bald eagles were feasting on the remains of turkey processing. Another visitor from the north the northern red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis abieticola) was spotted in the same area as well as numerous common ravens.

Lake Champlain being mostly frozen over, our primary destination for the day was Nortontown Road in Addison where a Harris’s sparrow had been seen for several days. After waiting in the cold, we were treated to a brief, but clear look – a life bird for some. A small flock of snow buntings entertained us while we waited for the sparrow to appear.

Several trip participants departed for the day, but later on two savannah sparrows were spotted at the Dead Creek WMA and an American Pipit not far from Nortontown Road.

An eBird Trip Report can be found here where you can see all our stops and what species we saw.

2021 Christmas Bird Count Results

For the second year in a row, bad weather and the pandemic played a part in the 2021 Rutland Christmas Bird Count held on January 2, 2022. Despite adversity, there were quite a few highlights. Two new species were added to our running species total, 105 in all now for the history of the Rutland count. This was National Audubon’s 122^nd count and Rutland’s 48^th.

The morning began with freezing rain so some teams had a late start and two teams did not go out at all. The temperature dropped throughout the morning causing the rain to turn to snow. Fortunately, road conditions improved as the day went on.

Forty participants, 21 in the field and 19 at feeders, tallied 52 species, not including Count Week species (species seen three days before or three days after, but not on the day of the count).

MerlinTwo teams covering the Otter Creek area in Clarendon by foot were especially productive. After a slow start, the birding became very exciting. A Wilson’s snipe, a CBC repeat in that area, horned larks, two snow geese and, a Rutland CBC first, a green-winged teal were among the highlights there.

A golden eagle, another Rutland CBC first and an uncommon species in Vermont especially in winter was spotted in Hubbardton!

Two of three possible falcon species, Peregrine Falcon, atop of its usual perch on the steeple of the Grace Congregational Church in Rutland, and a Merlin, also in Rutland, were spotted.

Other raptors included 13 red-tailed hawks, one barred owl and four Cooper’s hawks.

Other out-of-season species included great blue heron, northern flicker, belted kingfisher, song sparrow, common grackle and red-winged blackbird.

Feeder watchers throughout the circle area were especially helpful in adding to the numbers this year. The count’s only, and not recorded every year, yellow-bellied sapsucker was found at a feeder. Another feeder watcher reported evening grosbeaks, less common throughout Vermont this winter so far than last.

Three species not seen during the actual count, but during Count Week were hooded merganser, bald eagle and winter wren.

The day ended with a Zoom get-together to share some of the highlights and get a preliminary idea of the results.

Thanks to RCAS president Kathleen Guinness for putting together the Rutland CBC once again and all the participants for participating in community science!

For those interested in digging deeper into CBC data, whether Rutland’s or elsewhere, click here for a link to the information (the current count will not be available until later in the year). Rutland’s CBC code is VTRU.

Click here for a link to National Audubon’s CBC Summaries through from 1901 through last year.

West Rutland Marsh - December 2021

Five birders ventured out for RCAS’s monthly walk around West Rutland Marsh on December 11. Although the predicted wind never materialized, the trip was punctuated by heavy downpours. Fortunately, the temperature didn’t drop below 40.

Twelve species were tallied, a low number compared to last year’s 19 species and our December average of 19.

Black-capped chickadees provided the highest numbers count. American tree sparrows, along with the chickadees have found the newly-filled feeders at the boardwalk on Marble Street.

Although not terribly birdy, veering off onto our new Whipple Hollow Trail gave us a little shelter from the rain under the trees.

The walk was not without a couple highlights however. A pair of hooded mergansers flew up from the unfrozen water on Marble Street and our return to the boardwalk was celebrated with a male northern harrier flying low across the marsh.

Our next walk is scheduled for Thursday, January 27, 8 a.m. 

The list:

Hooded Merganser  2

Mourning Dove  5

Northern Harrier  1

Red-tailed Hawk  1

Downy Woodpecker  2

Blue Jay  5

American Crow  3

Black-capped Chickadee  17

American Goldfinch  3

American Tree Sparrow  4

Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)  1

White-throated Sparrow  2

Welcome to the Whipple Hollow Trail

From age 2 to 82, people love the new boardwalk and trail off the Whipple Road in West Rutland. Most, however, wonder at its origin, since the kiosk in the parking lot currently lacks information and publicity for its construction came out last June, when the project was just beginning.

In 2019, Rutland County Audubon Society and the Town of West Rutland collaborated on and received a grant from the Recreational Trails Program, a state-administered fund, to construct Phase 2 of a three-part trail, envisioned by Rutland County Audubon members to enable them to monitor marsh birds without traveling on the busy Whipple Road. Phase 1 had been built with a Wetland Funds grant the previous year in an adjacent meadow and lowland just south of the newest phase.

COVID -19 intervened and construction on Phase 2 did not begin until June of 2021, at which time Rutland County Audubon and West Rutland hired the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps to construct the two-part boardwalk through a cedar and hemlock swamp. National Audubon provided a collaborative grant for equipment with which to build the trail. After over five weeks of labor in intense humidity the VYCC completed this project. The Town of West Rutland put in a parking lot and Stafford Technical School's construction class built a sturdy kiosk which will soon provide information about the new trail. Rutland County Audubon continues to add improvements to either end of the trail including trail markers and a rope railing for the boardwalk.

For any who haven't walked this trail, you can find the parking area on the east side of Whipple Hollow Road in West Rutland, about half-way between Water Street and Pleasant Street. You can also watch for Phase 3 of this project in 2023.

RCAS's First Female Bird Walk trip report

Marsh Wren, sex unknownFollowing Bird Diva Bridget Butler's October 1 talk on Female Birds & The Founding Mothers of Ornithology, RCAS held a Female Bird Walk, open to everyone, at the West Rutland Marsh on Sunday, October 17. Five people participated.

We began by talking about the visual, audible, and behavioral clues to identifying female birds of many species as well as the need for more research into female bird behavior (especially on their wintering grounds).

Out of 20 species observed including a very cooperative Marsh Wren, we were able to positively identify females in only two - a Northern Cardinal and a small flock of Red-winged Blackbirds. Fall is not the best time to do this, as immature males of many species resemble adult females as do some adult males. This event was a warm-up for a Spring Female Bird Walk next year, when it will be much easier to differentiate the sexes. Have a great winter of birding!

West Rutland Marsh - October 2021

Once again, the weather was summer-like for the walk around West Rutland Marsh. Rather than crisp fall weather, there was high humidity and a wind that grew steadily stronger as the morning went on. Eight participants tallied 30 species, two fewer than our October average. Last year’s species count was 34.

The number of marsh ‘regulars’ is dwindling for the year. One swamp sparrow (the call notes of two others were heard elsewhere on the way) sang near the boardwalk as did a marsh wren that sang its rattling song several times. The only waterfowl seen was one Canada goose that came in for a landing. A gray catbird was also near the boardwalk on Marble Street.

Raptors for the day included on accipiter species and one red-tailed hawk.

Canada GeeseOne ruby-crowned kinglet and four yellow-rumped warblers, two species being reported around the state right now, were seen.

Both black-capped chickadees and American robins were seen in good numbers. Blue jays and American crows were also in good numbers, but only one common raven was heard.

A ruffed grouse was on the boardwalk at the new Whipple Hollow Trail.

Seventy-two red-winged blackbirds and a dozen common grackles were observed.  

Our next marsh walk is scheduled for Thursday, November 4, at 8 a.m.

The list:

Canada Goose  15

Ruffed Grouse  1

Great Blue Heron  1

Accipiter sp.  1

Red-tailed Hawk  1

Belted Kingfisher  1

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker  1

Downy Woodpecker  4

Hairy Woodpecker  1

Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)  2

Eastern Phoebe  1

Blue Jay  12

American Crow  17

Common Raven  1

Black-capped Chickadee  24

Tufted Titmouse  1

Ruby-crowned Kinglet  1

White-breasted Nuthatch  1

Marsh Wren  1

European Starling  1

Gray Catbird  1

American Robin  19

American Goldfinch  6

White-throated Sparrow  2

Song Sparrow  4

Swamp Sparrow  3

Red-winged Blackbird  72

Common Grackle  12

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)  4

Northern Cardinal  3

West Rutland Marsh - September 2021

Was it summer or was it fall? Today’s walk around West Rutland Marsh was a toss-up between warm temperatures and red maples turning red. It was great to have a full complement of birders on today’s walk – 14 in all. Thanks to the new folks that joined us as well as those who traveled a bit to join us!

We tallied 33 species, five fewer than our September average and two few than last year this time. The south wind, which picked up as the walk progressed, which may have kept numbers low.

Raptors are on the move. Two red-tailed hawks, one sharp-shinned hawk and one osprey. Six turkey vultures were seen.

Sparrow-wise, a few swamp sparrows were still singing while the white-throated sparrows have arrived. Several song sparrows and a chipping sparrow were also counted.

Our next walk is scheduled for Saturday, October 16, 8 a.m. 

The list: 

Mallard  4

Mourning Dove  8

Turkey Vulture  6

Osprey  1

Sharp-shinned Hawk  1

Red-tailed Hawk  2

Red-bellied Woodpecker  1

Downy Woodpecker  5

Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)  4

Eastern Phoebe  7

Warbling Vireo  1

Red-eyed Vireo  3

Blue Jay  8

American Crow  2

Common Raven  5

Black-capped Chickadee  13

Tufted Titmouse  2

Ruby-crowned Kinglet  1

Red-breasted Nuthatch  1

House Wren  1    Heard only.

Carolina Wren  3

European Starling  1

Gray Catbird  11

American Robin  3

Cedar Waxwing  20

American Goldfinch  27

Chipping Sparrow  1

White-throated Sparrow  6

Song Sparrow  8

Swamp Sparrow  4

Red-winged Blackbird  28

Common Grackle  1

Northern Cardinal  4

Three Carolina wrens were singing as well as a warbling vireo.

Ruby-crowned kinglets are now passing through.

Part of the group split off to explore the new Whipple Hollow Trail and saw some additional species including a Cooper’s hawk and a yellow-rumped warbler.

Nature Revealed Art Show - September 17-October 29

Join RCAS for Nature Revealed, our newest art show, at the Chaffee Art Center in Rutland. It starts September 17 and runs through October 29. The show will feature nature-themed art by 30 artists and will include paintings, mixed medium, and photographs about what nature can show us.

The show kicks off on Friday, September 17, with an opening reception from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. It’s free. We hope you can join us!

On Friday, October 1, we will have a very special event at the Chaffee. Bird Diva Bridget Butler will present “Female Birds & The Founding Mothers of Ornithology at 6 p.m. Bridget always gives a lively, fun and informative presentation. You won’t be disappointed! This event is also free to all.

The Chaffee Art Center is located at 16 S. Main Street (Route 7) in Rutland. The Chaffee is open Wednesday through Friday, noon to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Masks required regardless of status.

West Rutland Marsh - August 2021

Year #21 of RCAS’s monthly monitoring of West Rutland Marsh kicked off in the rain. Undeterred by a mist that started the walk (but changed to a steadier rain as the morning went on), three participants tallied 32 species. This is quite a bit lower than our August average of 44, with a high of 58 (wow!) species occurring in 2015.

Despite it being a good day for ducks, only one duck was counted – a wood duck. There was, however, a good-sized flock of Canada geese in the open water off the boardwalk.

Flycatchers were by far the most numerous with several eastern kingbirds tallied and a notable olive-sided flycatcher.

Gray catbirds and cedar waxwings were numerous, while thrushes were limited to American robin and two veeries.

No red-winged blackbirds were seen or heard, but eight grackles were feeding on a lawn.

With bird song now diminished, not to mention the rain, only two warbler species were counted: one black-and-white warbler and a few of the expected common yellowthroats.

Our next walk is scheduled for Thursday, September 23, at 8 a.m.

The list: 

Canada Goose  37

Wood Duck  1

Mourning Dove  12

Ruby-throated Hummingbird  1

Belted Kingfisher  1

Downy Woodpecker  2

Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)  1

Olive-sided Flycatcher  1    

Willow Flycatcher  1

Alder/Willow Flycatcher (Traill's Flycatcher)  1

Eastern Phoebe  4

Eastern Kingbird  6

Red-eyed Vireo  12

Blue Jay  3

American Crow  4

Common Raven  1

Black-capped Chickadee  12

Tree Swallow  1

Barn Swallow  27

White-breasted Nuthatch  2

Carolina Wren  1

Gray Catbird  14

Veery  2

American Robin  6

Cedar Waxwing  28

American Goldfinch  16

Song Sparrow  6

Swamp Sparrow  5

Common Grackle  8

Black-and-white Warbler  1

Common Yellowthroat  4

Northern Cardinal  3

Rose-breasted Grosbeak  1

RCAS at the State Fair

If you're visiting the Vermont State Fair, August 17 through August 21, be sure to stop by the Forestry building to see our exhibit!

West Rutland Marsh - July 2021

July was the first open to the public marsh walk since covid protocols were instituted.

The day began comfortably cool but warmed as the tour progressed. Our group of 13 birders were happy to see each other after such a long hiatus.

Virginia rails were heard, both young and adults, near the boardwalk when I first arrived. Of course, they were silent when our group assembled.

Others birds were actively singing their songs or carrying food to waiting beaks.

An immature and unkempt American redstart sat on a branch hoping for breakfast while a nearby common yellowthroat had beaks full for their young.

A northern waterthrush was heard singing as well as the diminutive marsh wren.

Raptors noted included a pair of American kestrels, a Cooper’s hawk, one red tail hawk, a northern harrier, and one UFH, and one unidentified hawk.

While nothing out of the ordinary was seen, the group tallied a respectable 53 species.