exciting sparrow discovery at Pomainville WMA

On October 17, 2009 three of Vermont’s top birders Ted Murin, Craig Provost and Allan Strong reported exciting discoveries at the Pomainville Wildlife Management Area in Pittsford Le Conte's Sparrow– a Nelson’s Sparrow (formerly called the Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow, infrequently seen in Vermont), and, even rarer, a LeConte’s Sparrow. Both birds are in migration this time of year.

Rutland County Audubon is happy to include Pomainville WMA as one of its “Birding Hotspots” We have monitored the area for the past seven months, appreciating the area more with each visit. Thanks to the generosity of landowner Edward Pomainville, Jr., and the combined efforts of Ducks Unlimited, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Vermont Fish and Wildlife, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Pomainville WMA preserves a wonderful tract of wetland and upland habitats along the Otter Creek.  While none of the birds found reach the level of excitement as a LeConte’s or Nelson’s sparrow, RCAS and others have recorded 99 species there. This includes Virginia Rail, Marsh Wren and nesting Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and Yellow-throated Vireos.

The recent sparrow report highlights two important things. First is the value of conserved land. It provides places for many species (butterflies, mammals, plants, amphibians and reptiles as well as birds) that have specific habitat needs. And at the same time we have the opportunity to visit these wonderful public places and connect with nature.

Second, unless we get out and look, we may miss birds that either travel through during migration or stay here to nest. Who knows what birds may be here and when simply because we haven’t bothered to check? To quote Aldo Leopold “the first rule of an intelligent tinkerer is to keep all the pieces.” So if want to preserve what is important to us, and we don’t look, we won’t know what those pieces are. In this case the pieces are birds.

One more reason to bird locally! Thanks to Ted, Craig, and Allan for finding and reporting these sparrows!

a new found place to bird (continued from September 4)

We were sorry to leave Gros Morne National Park, but it was time to head to the eastern side of the island. The next four days were spent at Terra Nova National Park, where boreal forest Boreal Chickadeemeets the Atlantic Ocean. The park has numerous trails where various warblers including Palm, Northern Waterthrush and Wilson’s warblers can be seen. Boreal Chickadees are easy to spot. We had a close encounter with a Northern Goshawk and also saw a Merlin.

The nearby Bonavista Peninsula made a great day trip. Our first stop there was Elliston, which has a nesting colony of 300+ Atlantic Puffins. Atlantic PuffinsVery close up and personal – some were only a few feet away. It was hard to tear ourselves away. Common Murre, Thick-billed Murre, Black-legged Kittiwake, new birds for us, were also present. And we enjoyed the Black Guillemots, with their bright red feet and red mouth-linings, as much as the puffins. Black Guillemot

The nearby town of Bonavista offered another opportunity to observe puffins and other seabirds. It also has a striking red and white lighthouse. The pride Newfoundlanders take in their towns and villages was evident when we ran across the mayor and a group of young people picking up debris along the shore (just as we do here on Bonavista LighthouseGreen-up Day).

Back on the west coast we spent two nights at Blow Me Down Provincial Park (it’s not windy; that was the exclamation of a sea captain when he saw the area). Local trails led us to isolated coves and along the way we saw American Tree Sparrow and White-winged Crossbills, winter visitors for us, as well as Fox Sparrow seen in Vermont only during migration.

L’Anse aux Meadows, on Newfoundland’s Northern Peninsula, is the site of a Viking settlement 1,000 years ago and a fascinating and beautiful spot in itself. After a tour of the national historic site (and World Heritage Site), we took a stroll and saw more Common Eider with young, a pair of White-winged Scoters and a Common Redpoll. Our accommodations on the Northern Peninsula were at Pistolet Bay Provincial Park, where moose were frequent visitors to our campsite. Tours of nearby Burnt Cape Ecological Reserve are available for aficionados of arctic plants.

Our last two nights on the island were spent at J. T. Cheeseman Provincial Park in the south near where the ferry departs. It has a great variety of birds. Red-throated Loon, Black-bellied Plover (still in breeding plumage), Semipalmated Plover, Least Sandpiper and juvenile Sanderling were present as well as nine species of warblers. Piping Plovers breed here. Piping Plover chickAt nearby Codroy Valley Provincial Park we were fortunate to see Piping Plover chicks – big oohs and aahs.

Newfoundland is an easy and comfortable place to travel. Campgrounds, particularly the provincial parks, and a plethora of bed and breakfasts are the best way to get to know the people and the geography. We learned about many a side trip or hiking trail in conversations with local Newfoundlanders, park staff, and fellow travelers.

If you’re traveling with non-birders, there is plenty to do. Everywhere the scenery is beautiful and many villages and towns have their own hiking trails to take advantage of it. A whale watch trip is never far off and, if you’re early enough in the season, there is always the potential to see an iceberg. We were a little late and saw the remaining ice cube of a ‘berg as it floated into oblivion.

I’ll end here and resist the temptation to say we only saw the tip of the iceberg, but there was a lot we didn’t have time to see in Newfoundland. There could be another trip in our future. Lots of good information on traveling to Newfoundland can be found at the Newfoundland tourism website.

 

trip report - September hawk watch

Each year Rutland County Audubon takes a trip to Mt. Philo State Park in Charlotte to watch for migrating Broad-winged Hawks. Some years we hit it right. On September 12 we didn’t. Hawks are pretty particular about the weather when they migrate moving en masse following the passage of a cold front and winds from the north. The big flight occurred a few days later with 2,855 counted at Mt. Philo on September 16.

Nevertheless it was a worthwhile trip because of one bird in particular - an immature Golden Eagle Golden Eagle (immature) that soared over our heads and circled giving all a fine view. It was a life bird or a first Vermont bird for many of us. Sometimes birding is like that. You don’t always see what you set out to see, but if you stick with it you are sure to see something good.

So how many Broad-winged Hawks were seen during our trip? Two, to be exact. Other migrating raptors included five Osprey, one Bald Eagle, four Sharp-shinned Hawks, and two American Kestrels.

Other stops and highlights for the day included four Common Loons at Charlotte Town Beach, two Blue-winged Teal and seven Hooded Mergansers at the Charlotte ferry landing, and two Green-winged Teal and two Marsh Wrens at Dead Creek Wildlife Management.

 

a new found place to bird

Marv and I usually choose our vacation destinations with birding in mind so Newfoundland seemed like just the place for this summer’s adventure. A place whose provincial bird is the Atlantic Puffin had to be good. Besides the provincial flower is the carnivorous pitcher plant, it has geographical features called Atlantic Puffintickles and bights, food items such as bakeapples and cod cheeks, place names like Ha Ha Bay, Cow Head, and Happy Adventure, and a quirky time zone. It was intriguing. Newfoundland doesn’t rival Texas or southeast Arizona in number of species, but it does have a number of seabirds not found in southern locations. It also provides the opportunity to see those birds and other species in their breeding habitats.  Even without birds, we would have enjoyed Newfoundland immensely. And the birds were wonderful.

Newfoundland can be reached by air or ferry, but by arriving by water you get the sense of arriving at a “New Founde Lande,” an island known as “The Rock.” It also gives you the opportunity for a little pelagic birding. We were fortunate to run into a group from the Brookline Bird Club in Massachusetts and spent a good portion of the trip on the bow taking advantage of their seabird expertise. New birds for us on the 100-miles crossing of the Cabot Strait from North Sidney, Nova Scotia to Port aux Basques, Newfoundland included Common and Manx shearwaters, Northern Fulmar, and Leach’s Storm-petrel. At 8 inches the storm-petrel seems a surprisingly small bird for such a large expanse of water. Northern Gannets were also present in good numbers and their plunge diving is fun to watch. Any feelings of seasickness were quickly dissipated!

We spent the first seven days on the west coast of Newfoundland at Gros Morne National Park. TSpruce Grousehe park consists of rocky coastline, stunted spruce forest called tuckamore, bogs, and high elevation arctic-alpine habitat. Something for everyone and every bird!  There we saw Gray Jay, Boreal Chickadee, Spruce Grouse and Black-backed Woodpecker. Other northern species included Olive-sided and Yellow-bellied flycatchers, Swainson’s Thrush, Blackpoll Warbler and Lincoln’s Sparrow. Shorebirds included Ruddy Turnstone and Semipalmated Plover. We saw Arctic Terns for the first time and saw female Common Eiders snoozing on rocks with their young.

Gray JayBird behavior is always fun to watch. While waiting on a dock for a boat tour, we were greeted by Gray Jays. The Canadian Gray Jays are as comical and sometimes bad mannered as their U.S. counterparts, systematically making the begging rounds as new passengers arrived, with occasional stops to peer into trash barrels.

The highlight of the week was a trip to the top of Gros Morne Mountain. A friend of ours will be receiving the “Understatement of the Year Award.” When asked about the hike, he replied, “It wasn’t too bad.” At 806 meters (that’s 2,644 feet for the climbing Gros Mornemetrically-challenged), the grueling hike of 16 kilometers, which sounds more impressive than ten miles, resulted in magnificent views and a life bird. The Rock Ptarmigan, usually found much further north on the rocky arctic tundra, is the birders’ target at Gros Morne. We had excellent views of three females and seven soon-to-be teenagers. Good thing because after that hike we weren't about to descend without seeing one! A digital disaster has prevented us showing you a photo so here is one of Roy Pilcher’s so you get the idea.Rock Ptarmigan (male)

Stay tuned for more including the puffins....

 

Audubon at the fair

Rutland County Audubon will have an exhibit at the Vermont State Fair in Rutland this year. The Web of Life  is part of the display at the Forestry Building. The exhibit includes some interesting connections among segments of our environment such as birds, forests and humans and includes photos of some of our local favorite birds. Our friends from the forestry building invited us to be there because of the link between birds and forests.

We hope you stop by! The fair runs from September 4 through the 13^th. Wednesday, September 9, is free admission to the fair.

 

eight years of marsh monitoring completed

On Thursday, July 16, 2009, a group of Rutland County Audubon members and friends completed eight years of monthly marsh monitoring of the birds associated with the West Rutland marsh. The first of these walks around the 3.7 mile perimeter of the marsh took place on August 16, 2001, with 15 observers during which 45 species were tallied. The number of species tallied is now 137 while observer participation has reached 1127. The lowest number of species ever recorded on a monthly walk was 28 on April 16, 2005, and the highest number was 70 on May 18, 2006.

Bird monitoring at the marsh has several objectives. One objective is to raise the awareness and appreciation of the general public to this Important Bird Area as an exceptional natural resource. A corollary to the awareness and appreciation is the hope that the future of the marsh and its sustainability will be ensured. A second objective for monthly bird monitoring is that it offers an educational opportunity for birders of all ages and experience to sharpen their identification skills, both visual and auditory, in a collegial and welcoming environment. Finally, with all sightings entered on eBird, the cumulative record will provide researchers an opportunity to advance bird conservation here in Vermont and beyond.

Marsh walks are scheduled monthly generally on a Thursday or a Saturday. Participants meet at the West Rutland Price Chopper parking area at 7:00 a.m. except during winter months when the gathering time is 8:00 a.m. All walks are free and open to the public. Come join us!

a rare gift!

Common Loon Parents and newly hatched chick at Spring Lake in Cuttingsville.

It all started with a phone call late Thursday evening. For close on two months Connie had watched over a pair of nesting Common Loon and by her best estimate hatching was imminent, probably the next day. But Connie was off the next day for a three day conference, would it be possible for me to be there the following day to record the highly anticipated event.

By 8.45 the next morning, Friday, I was ready, camera poised, adult on the nest, mate patrolling nearby and the sun clear and well placed. Fifteen short minutes later, the female loon, slid from her nest followed immediately by a single fluffy black chick. The chick “hit the water running” scampering over the surface at full throttle, ending up with a couple of head dips two or three meters later! For the next thirty minutes the two adults introduced the single chick to its immediate surroundings. The male, again I assume, took it upon himself to catch the first shiny morsels for the chick, but the actual transfer was not observed. The two adults, usually swimming together with the chick between them, if they decided temporarily to separate, the chick appeared to be in two minds as to whom to follow, but invariably, if the observer’s determination was correct, it would choose “Mom”.

After a thirty minute leisurely “swim about”, with the chick at times hitching a ride, the female loon clambered back on to the nest site, this time in the opposite direction to that first observed. Common Loon usually produce two eggs, hence the female must have decided that there was a second chick to be brought into the world.

For the next two hours the male’s behavior was somewhat confusing. With a very small minnow clasped in his beak, he was seen to circle many times around the nesting platform with the intent of feeding either the chick or his mate both on the nest. But the mate was apparently facing in the wrong direction and he could not fulfill his intent. What appeared to be in desperation, still clasping the shiny morsel and on three separate occasions the male clambered not only on to the nest but he appeared to be on top of his mate. While the trio was on the nest a few low vocalizations were heard. The retreat back into the water was “clumsy” to put it delicately!

Shadows began to close the curtain of opportunity to any further picture taking and so the events that followed were once again returned to the intimate privacy of the principal participants.

To be present at the birth of one’s own child, is humbling. To be present at the “coming out” of a not so common Common Loon chick, is a rare gift!

a successful year for RCAS

Rutland County Audubon celebrated another successful year at its annual meeting and potluck supper at the Proctor Library on June 26, 2009. Twenty-six people enjoyed a lively social hour filled with birding banter and the many delicious dishes contributed by all.

Roy Pilcher presented his program The Nesting Strategies of Birds. Using photos of birds and their nests, Alder Flycatcherwhich he took over 40 years, Roy explained how different species use materials (or sometimes lack of) and locations to maximize their chances of successful reproduction. The program was presented on RCAS’s new laptop and PowerPoint projector obtained with a grant from Audubon Vermont.

The Board of Directors feels that the past year has been a productive one and hopes its constituents feel likewise. Adhering to our motto Birding with a Purpose, we try to make our programs and field trips a valuable experience by educating others, advocating for birds and the environment, and contributing to citizen science efforts. This past year we brought Audubon Adventures to several classrooms and homeschools, applied for funding to conserve land at West Rutland Marsh, and continued our monitoring efforts in several locations. We hope you will join us in the coming year to make the 2009-2010 even better.

You can download a copy of the 2008-09 Annual Report here.

Kent Pond

Semipalmated Sandpiper Kent Pond

Kent Pond is a man made impoundment at an elevation of 1560 feet aligned with the ridge of the Green Mountains. Kent Pond is situated at the apex of the right angle formed by Route 4 East and Route 100. It may be accessed from either highway.

The pond itself, although relatively small and a popular fishing site from both the impoundment and by boat, has provided several surprises for bird enthusiasts. Among those surprises are Brant, Pacific Loon, Pied-billed Grebe, Red Phalarope and Semi-palmated Sandpiper, all seen and documented during the month of May. To these may be added Lesser Yellowlegs in April and Dunlin in June.

Another common thread running through most of these sightings is that they occurred during or following an extended period of overcast and/or rainy weather. If these shorebirds were in fact migrating and following the ridge of the Green Mountains, Kent Pond would serve as a temporary sanctuary from the inhospitable elements.

At the time of writing this entry in the Birding Journal, (late June), Kent Pond is host to a pair of nesting Common Loon.

Roy Pilcher first recipient of citizen science award

On June 13, 2009 the Vermont Center for Ecostudies (VCE) awarded Roy Pilcher the Julie Nicholson Citizen Science Award. The award, named for Julie Nicholson, who passed away earlier this year, honors an individual who exemplifies Julie’s commitment to the cause of citizen science and conservation. We can’t imagine anyone more deserving than Roy to be the first recipient of this award.

Along with his service to the environment through his work with Rutland County Audubon, Roy has spent countless hours working on VCE projects such as the Vermont Breeding Bird Atlas and the Vermont Butterfly Survey. His many contributions are too numerous to name them all here.

Several years ago Roy was awarded the Audubon Vermont Steve Young Award and noted “while I had to sever my African roots in order to start life anew in America, it was my love of birds and by extension Vermont's community of birders that more than filled the initial void. That same sentiment I repeat today on being the first recipient of the Julie Nicholson Award. It is a real honor to have my name associated with Julie's."

Nor surprisingly Roy was not present in person to receive the award because he was busy participating in citizen science. He was out monitoring the birds of West Rutland Marsh.

Congratulations, Roy!

rescuing rails - real and otherwise

Vandalism has always been a problem at West Rutland Marsh, long before Rutland County Audubon became involved. This story has a happy ending. On the afternoon of June 10 Marv and I went out to the marsh to make a minor repair near the boardwalk. A beautiful Virginia Rail photo graces the front of the information kiosk. 

photo by Marv ElliottWhen we arrived, we discovered that it had been hit with green paintball paint, still wet, and completely covering the rail photo. The logbook mailbox and an interpretive trail sign had also been hit with paint.

Marv contacted the sheriff's department (are they tired of hearing from us yet?) and was told that the sheriff did not come on duty until six, but the dispatcher would contact the State Police.

As we waited for the trooper to arrive, Marv wandered across the street to check out a flicker nest we had seen earlier. He was greeted by two adult Virginia Rails raising a fuss around an old cellar hole.  It was over four feet deep and filled with bags of garbage. Down in the hole were several rail chicks unable to get out and peeping frantically. We managed Photo by Marv Elliottto capture two of them, who went waddling off in the brush to join their parents. The trooper arrived, we gave him our report, and went back to rescue two more chicks. Then we heard two MORE chicks in the cellar hole. We rushed off to buy some paper towels, a bucket and a scrub brush before the paint on the sign dried, went back and cleaned the sign, and then were able to rescue the remaining two chicks.

By the way, we also heard a Least Bittern out in the marsh, saw a House Wren bringing food to a nest box and a Gray Catbird with its mouth stuffed with bugs for its young.