Winter may not have arrived yet this year, but many of our avian winter visitors have. Rough-legged Hawks were seen hovering over a field in Brandon and the Pomainville Wildlife Management Area in Pittsford. Northern Shrike, known as the butcher bird, was at West Rutland Marsh while Bohemian Waxwing and Common Redpoll have been observed in Danby and Rutland, respectively. The latter two species have not been seen in great numbers as they have in past years. Next time you see a flock of Cedar Waxwings, look for the rusty undertail of Bohemians.
American RobinRobins seem to be the bird of the month. Even non-birders (is there really such a thing?) are commenting on their presence. Large flocks have been observed feeding on sumac and other fruits and, at higher elevations, mountain ash. Click here to see where all they’ve been reported this month.
Thanks to open water at Lake Bomoseen until mid-month, species not usually seen in January included Ring-necked Duck, both scaup species, White-winged Scoter, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Common Loon, and American Coot. Now that the lake is frozen, we’re not likely to see these birds again until mid-March.
Snipe? Yes, a Wilson’s Snipe was seen in the Clarendon ‘flats’ area. This species, not normally associated with winter, has been reported on several past Christmas Bird Counts and was seen again in January. Great Blue Heron (also in the Clarendon 'flats'), American Kestrel (in West Haven), and Belted Kingfisher (in Rutland Town and West Rutland) have also been reported.
Overall, we’re off to a great start! Although the number of checklists submitted to eBird is down compared to last year (121 versus 164 in 2011), Rutland County has tallied 64 species in January for the year compared to 59 this time last year.
For a full list of the species seen this past January, click here.
A handful of species on last year’s list, but not reported to eBird yet include Merlin, Snow Bunting, Horned Lark, Rusty Blackbird, and Evening Grosbeak. Keep your eyes open and don’t forget to eBird!