Thursday, January 23, 2025, 8:00 AM - West Rutland Marsh Monitoring Walk. Join us for our monthly monitoring of West Rutland Marsh. Meet at the boardwalk on Marble Street. Go the whole 4-mile route or go halfway.
January 21, 2025 (Tuesday) - RCAS Monthly Board Meeting. Board meetings are open to the public. West Rutland Town Hall conference room, 6:30 PM.
January 18, 2025 (Saturday) - Winter Regulars & Rarities. We go in search of winter birds (residents and visitors from the far north) along the back roads and lake shores of Rutland and Addison Counties. Dress for the weather - remember, it is usually much colder and windier along Lake Champlain. Meet at 8 AM at Otter Valley Union High School, US Rte 7 in Brandon. We will try to carpool in as few cars as possible from there. Bring a lunch and hot drinks. Some cars may hang around for owls after sunset.
Saturday, December 28, 2024. Rutland County Audubon’s annual Winter Bird Count will take place this year on December 28. Birds spotted within a 7 1/2 mile radius of Mead’s Falls in Center Rutland will be counted by teams of field birders and feeder-watchers in this count circle. Results will be tallied and posted on e-Bird. Interested persons can contact birding@rutlandcountyaudubon.org for information or to sign up.
The Winter (or Christmas) Bird Count is a census of birds in the western hemisphere, performed annually in the early northern-hemisphere winter by volunteer birdwatchers and administered by the National Audubon Society. The purpose is to provide population data for use in science, especially conservation biology, though many people participate for recreation. The CBC is the longest-running citizen science survey in the world.
Prior to the turn of the 20th Century, hunters engaged in a holiday tradition known as the Christmas “side hunt”. They would choose sides and go afield with their guns—whoever brought in the biggest pile of feathered (and furred) quarry won. Conservation was in its beginning stages in that era, and many observers and scientists were becoming concerned about declining bird populations.
Beginning on Christmas Day 1900, ornithologist Frank M. Chapman, an early officer in the then-nascent Audubon Society, proposed a new holiday tradition—a Christmas Bird Census that would count birds during the holidays rather than hunt them.
December 17, 2024 (Tuesday) - RCAS Monthly Board Meeting. Board meetings are open to the public. West Rutland Town Hall conference room, 6:30 PM.
Saturday, December 14, 2024, 8:00 AM - West Rutland Marsh Monitoring Walk. Join us for our monthly monitoring of West Rutland Marsh. Meet at the boardwalk on Marble Street. Go the whole 4-mile route or go halfway.
November 20, 2024 (Wednesday) - “Dam It!”. Talk on beavers by Joey Sendzik. Grace Congregational Church (Rutland) Conference Room, 6:30 PM.
November 19, 2024 (Tuesday) - RCAS Monthly Board Meeting. Board meetings are open to the public. West Rutland Town Hall conference room, 6:30 PM.
Thursday, November 7, 2024, 8:00 AM - West Rutland Marsh Monitoring Walk. Join us for our monthly monitoring of West Rutland Marsh. Meet at the boardwalk on Marble Street. Go the whole 4-mile route or go halfway.
October 23, 2024 (Wednesday) - Martens of Vermont. Talk by Brehan Furfey. Grace Congregational Church (Rutland) Conference Room, 6:30 PM.
Saturday, October 12, 2024, 8:00 AM - West Rutland Marsh Monitoring Walk. Join us for our monthly monitoring of West Rutland Marsh. Meet at the boardwalk on Marble Street. Go the whole 4-mile route or go halfway.
Tuesday, October 8 – Bird walk, Castleton University Trails. Meet at the D&H trail crossing on South St, Castleton. Visitor parking is behind the Stafford Academic Center in the Stafford lot (#39 on the campus map https://castleton.s3.amazonaws.com/files/resources/map-accessible-parking-3.pdf). Easy terrain, 2.6 miles.
October 5 & 6, Saturday & Sunday – Trip to Mississquoi. We are very excited to announce that we will be birding at Mississquoi National Wildlife Refuge in Swanton, VT on October 5 and 6, 2024. MNWR has five trails and two boat ramps on the lake ( Champlain) and the river (Mississquoi.) Our hope is to see ducks, as well as other migrants and year round birds.
We will depart at 7 AM sharp from Shaw's Fair Haven parking lot ( southern end) and return to Fair Haven by approximately 9 PM on the evening of the 5th for those who do not wish to stay overnight. Bring lunch, snacks, water, binoculars and a scope ( if you have one.) We will stop on the way home for dinner at a restaurant. Carpooling will be available, but you may drive up and back separately if you wish.
For those who wish to bird a second day on the 6th with us, you may find accommodations in St. Albans.( Some of us have booked rooms at the Hampton Inn, but they are going fast. Please check the St. Albans area to find your rooms. ) We will bird all morning on the 6th, break for lunch at a local eatery in Swanton, and begin the return to Fair Haven in mid- afternoon on the 6th. Again, carpooling may be available or you can drive separately.
This promises to be a great birding trip! Terrain is varied, so be sure to wear sturdy shoes or boots and dress for, perhaps, chillier weather and possible rain.
SPACE IS LIMITED.
To attend, YOU MUST REGISTER!
CONTACT:
birding@rutlandcountyaudubon.org to register and to let us know how many are in your party and whether you will be attending one day or two.
You may also contact "birding" with questions.
We hope you will join us on our first group trip to this spectacular refuge!
Tuesday, October 1 – Bird walk, Endless Brook. Meet at the Endless Brook trailhead (Endless Brook Rd, on left, 0.9 miles in from VT Rte 30). 3 miles, 3 hours, Easy to Moderate terrain (250 ft elevation gain).
Tuesday, September 24 – Bird walk, Delaney Woods, Wells. Meet at the Delaney Woods parking area (enter E. Delaney Cross Road off North Street in Wells, across from the Lakeside Park, and look for the official parking area on the right.) 3.4 miles, 3 hours, Easy to Moderate terrain (250 ft elevation gain).
Tuesday, September 17 – Bird walk, Fairgrounds East. Meet at the Fairgrounds Trail parking area (131 Town Farm Road, Poultney) at 7:30 am. The hike will be about 3.5 miles on Easy to Moderate terrain.
Thursday September 12, 2024, 8:00 AM - West Rutland Marsh Monitoring Walk. Join us for our monthly monitoring of West Rutland Marsh. Meet at the boardwalk on Marble Street. Go the whole 4-mile route or go halfway. (Note time change to 8 AM.)
Tuesday, September 10 – Bird walk, Fairgrounds West. Meet at the Fairgrounds Trail parking area (131 Town Farm Road, Poultney) at 7:30 am. The hike will be about 3 miles on Easy terrain.
Saturday August 10, 2024, 7:00 AM - West Rutland Marsh Monitoring Walk. Join us for our monthly monitoring of West Rutland Marsh. Meet at the boardwalk on Marble Street. Go the whole 4-mile route or go halfway.
Wednesday July 17, 2024 - Annual Meeting: Rutland County Audubon has scheduled its Annual Meeting for July 17 at 6 PM. There will be a potluck, followed by the meeting. Please bring your own plates and silverware. Members may share photos afterwards. All welcome! This will take place at the Proctor Library.
Saturday July 13, 2024, 7:00 AM - West Rutland Marsh Monitoring Walk. Join us for our monthly monitoring of West Rutland Marsh. Meet at the boardwalk on Marble Street. Go the whole 4-mile route or go halfway.
Tuesday June 18, 2024 6:50 AM The Narrows WMA. There is limited parking and locating this area can be challenging. We will gather at 6:50 AM in the eastern most corner of the Shaw’s parking lot near Washington St Ext in Fair Haven. We will be leaving from there to the WMA sharply at 7:00 am. This is a little more rugged area than the typical RCAS walk. Expect overgrown roads but should see some interesting birds such as the winged warblers.
June 18, 2024 (Tuesday) - RCAS Monthly Board Meeting. Board meetings are open to the public. West Rutland Town Hall conference room, 6:30 PM.
Thursday June 13, 2024 7:00 AM - West Rutland Marsh Monitoring Walk. Join us for our monthly monitoring of West Rutland Marsh. Meet at the boardwalk on Marble Street. Go the whole 4-mile route or go halfway.
Tuesday June 11, 2024 7:00 AM Mission Farm Killington. We will meet at 7:00 am at 316 Mission Farm Rd. This is just off of US 4 across from Killington Gondola Station. This is a new area for us to explore and should be good for warblers and maybe Yellow-bellied flycatcher. For those wishing to rideshare we will meet at Mendon Town office, 2282 US 4 at 6:30am.
Wednesday June 5, 2024 8:00 AM. Join AARP Vermont and Rutland County Audubon for a spring bird walk at Miller Hill Farm, an old dairy farm on the Otter Creek in Sudbury.
The walk will be about 2 miles depending on weather and observations. Please bring your own binoculars. Parking will be at the Miller Hill Farm 2127 VT 73 E, Sudbury, VT 05733. Please carpool if you can.
You must register for this event, at: https://events.aarp.org/birdouting3 Please note that you must be signed into your AARP.org account or create an account to register for events. AARP membership is not required.
Saturday June 1. Bird Walk at Smokey House. ** Note time change ** Morning walk starts at 8:00 and runs to about 10:30 am. Will cover around the pond and then along edges of fields and forests, about 2 miles, moderate, some up and down, well-defined trail. All skill levels are welcome. No dogs. Bring binoculars if you have a pair. Meeting in the parking lot in front of the Smokey House Conference Center. 426 Danby Mountain Rd, Danby.
Leader - Lee Allen
Co-sponsored by Smokey House Center and Rutland County Audubon Society
Tuesday, May 28 – Delaney Woods bird walk. Enter Delaney Cross Road off North Street in Wells, across from the Lakeside Park, and look for the parking area on the right. Meet at 7:30 am. Easy to Moderate terrain, 3.4 miles.
Sunday May 26, 2024 7:00 AM Kent Pond and Contest Trail. We will meet at 7:00 am at Kent Pond fishing access on VT 100 north. This is just 1/2 mile north of US 4. We will check Kent pond for loons and then go walk about 2.5 miles on the Contest Trail. This is great area for warblers and indigo bunting. For those wishing to rideshare we will meet at Mendon Town office, 2282 US 4 at 6:30 AM.
May 21, 2024 (Tuesday) - RCAS Monthly Board Meeting. Board meetings are open to the public. West Rutland Town Hall conference room, 6:30 PM.
Tuesday, May 21 - Bird walk, Castleton University Trails. Meet at the D&H trail crossing on South St, Castleton, at 7:30 am. Visitor parking is behind the Stafford Academic Center in the Stafford lot (#39 on the campus map https://castleton.s3.amazonaws.com/files/resources/map-accessible-parking-3.pdf . The map gets downloaded as a pdf, and has South at the top.) Easy terrain, 2.6 miles.
Sunday May 19 and Saturday June 1. Bird Walks at Smokey House. "Early bird" walk from 6:30 am to 8:30 and then another "morning" walk from 8:45 to 11 am. Will cover around the pond and then along edges of fields and forests, < 2 miles, moderate, some up and down, well-defined trail to no treadway. All skill levels are welcome. No dogs. Bring binoculars if you have a pair. Meeting in the parking lot in front of the Smokey House Conference Center. 426 Danby Mountain Rd, Danby
Leader - Lee Allen
Co-sponsored by Smokey House Center and Rutland County Audubon Society
Saturday May 18, 2024 Century Count. Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day when RCAS tries to find and identify 100 species in a single day. For more info email birding@rutlandcountyAudubon.org
Thursday May 16, 2024 7:00 AM - West Rutland Marsh Monitoring Walk. Join us for our monthly monitoring of West Rutland Marsh. Meet at the boardwalk on Marble Street. Go the whole 4-mile route or go halfway.
Tuesday, May 14 – Endless Brook. Meet at the Endless Brook trailhead (Endless Brook Rd, on left, 0.9 mi in from VT Rte 30) at 7:30am. Easy to Moderate terrain (250 ft elevation gain), 3 miles, 3 hours.
Continuing through May 11, 2024 - National Audubon Photography Contest Exhibit. The Rutland County Audubon Society is hosting an exhibit of the winning photographs from the 2022 National Audubon Photography Contest. The large format images are being displayed at the Castleton Bank Gallery at 104 Merchants Row in Rutland, March 22 through May 11. Gallery hours are Thursday, Friday, & Saturday, 12-6 PM. The stunning winners were selected from among 10,000 photographs and videos submitted by almost 2,500 photographers.
Tuesday, May 7 – Fairgrounds East. Meet at the Fairgrounds Trail parking area (131 Town Farm Road, Poultney) at 7:30 am. The hike will be about 3 miles on Easy to Moderate terrain.
Sunday May 5, 2024 7:30 AM D&H Rail Trail West Pawlet. Joint bird walk with Southern Adirondack Audubon. Meet at D&H parking area where 39 Eggs St meets VT 153 in West Pawlet Village. Those wishing to meet on west end of Main St in Poultney at 7:00am to rideshare and assist with navigation please do.
May 4, 2024 (Saturday) - GREEN UP DAY at the West Rutland Marsh, 9-12 AM. Show up at the Marsh kiosk on Marble St for Green Up Day.
Friday May 3, 2024 7:30 AM Dean Farm. Turn right off of Union St onto Ella Dean Rd about 1.5 miles south of US 7 in Brandon Village. Turn right where the sign is for The Swallows Nest. Please park near the first barn. This walk will be a total of around 3.5 miles through fields and forest with good views of ponds and wetlands. Hope to see a range of sparrows, early warblers and waterfowl among other birds.
Tuesday, April 30 – Poultney River Loop. Meet at the D&H Trail crossing on Main Street, Poultney, at 7:30 am. For this outing we will walk the SVT Poultney River Loop (3.3 miles, Easy terrain). Expect to be out for about 3-1/2 hours.
April 24, 2024 (Wednesday) - Wildflowers. Images and talk by Roy Pilcher. Grace Congregational Church (Rutland) Conference Room, 6:30 PM.
Friday April 26, 2024 7:30 AM Pittsford Trails Split Rock Trail. Meet at parking lot on on Adams Rd just short of a mile north of intersection with Oxbow Rd in Pittsford. This trail goes through several habitats including a pond so we should get several early migrants.
Tuesday, April 23 – Fairgrounds West. Meet at the Fairgrounds Trail parking area (131 Town Farm Road, Poultney) at 7:30 am. The hike will be about 3 miles on Easy terrain.
Tuesdays, at 7:30 AM, beginning April 23. Join Slate Valley Trails and the Rutland County Audubon Society for weekly slow-paced (3 to 4 miles, 3 to 4 hours) bird & wildflower hikes in the Poultney area, Tuesdays at 7:30 am. All are welcome. No worry if you can't identify many birds. There will be friendly birders in the group who will happily share their knowledge with you. Bring water and a snack (and insect repellent if you use it), binoculars, cameras, field guides, if you have them. There is usually an opportunity to cut it short if you need to leave early. They are at a slow pace with lots of opportunities for observing & photographing.
Contact Joel Tilley for more information: jptilley50@gmail.com (preferred method), or 802-598-2583, evenings 7 to 8pm.
Tuesday April 16, 2024 7:30 AM. D&H Rail Trail north to Farnham Rd. Meet at the D&H Trail crossing on Main Street in Poultney. Walk a total of around 3.5 miles north on the rail trail. This section of the trail will provide dry walking and go through several different habitats. We should see several sparrow species, black birds and other assorted birds.
Thursday April 11, 2024 8:00 AM - West Rutland Marsh Monitoring Walk. Join us for our monthly monitoring of West Rutland Marsh. Meet at the boardwalk on Marble Street. Go the whole 4-mile route or go halfway.
Tuesday April 9, 2024 7:30 AM. Bomoseen State Park. Meet at parking area near beach. If gate is locked we will meet at the gate. Walk a total of around 3 miles on park roads and trails. We will check the lake for waterfowl and bald eagles. Hope to find some early spring arrivals and other interesting birds such as Winter Wren.