American White Pelican departing Kent PondFive months down – eight to go! Rutland County ends May with 198 species, an impressive 20 more than we had a year ago at this time. Some of the tough ones have been recorded. A Northern Bobwhite in Wells and a Black-crowned Night-Heron in Brandon put in rare appearances for the county. The hoped for, but not always counted, on Least Bittern was heard at West Rutland Marsh. Black Terns were seen swooping over Kent Pond on two occasions. A Common Nighthawk in Pittsford and an Olive-sided Flycatcher squeaked in at the end of the month at Lefferts Pond, and the Cerulean Warbler is back at the Route 4 rest area. Warblers, overall, have been well represented and include Bay-breasted, Wilson’s and Tennessee. And to end the month with a bang, an American White Pelican showed up at Kent Pond on the 31st.
American White Pelican on Kent PondNow that the migrants are all in, and one oddball on its way who to knows where, the next few months will be tough as we try to pick up some species that we missed. Some hoped for species in the next couple months include Sedge Wren, Bicknell’s Thrush and Orchard Oriole. Or how about Tri-colored Heron, Yellow-breasted Chat, or Summer Tanager? Hey, it could happen! So grab your binoculars and get birding!
Rutland County remains in fourth place with Addison County well in the lead.
Click here to see the results so far (You can read about what to do about reporting rare species, such as the American White Pelican, by clicking here).
Some other statistics of note:
Number of eBird checklists submitted for Rutland County for the year: 1,198
Number of species recorded in Vermont for 2011 as of May: 255