RCAS Annual Seed Sale - two dates!

Purple FinchesOnce again, it’s time to stock up on bird feed to support our feathered friends and RCAS!

Things are a bit different this year (what isn’t?). The sales will take place on two different dates with one in Rutland and one in Brandon.

October 31, Saturday, Garland’s on Park Street in Rutland, from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. We won’t be there, but the helpful staff at Garland’s will be. If you haven’t joined RCAS or your membership has lapsed, you’ll be able to pick up a form and help us even more. Masks required.

November 7, Saturday, Brandon Blue Seal Feeds on Route 7 south of Brandon, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cash or check only for this location. RCAS members will be there for a little bird chat! Masks required.

Thanks for supporting RCAS!

Fall Birding Weekend Results

Dickcissel93 species! Rutland County Audubon did very well for its first ever Socially Distanced Fall Birding Weekend! Considering that several species have moved on for the year and our winter visitors have not yet arrived, this is an impressive number. Eleven participants submitted 32 checklists for spots around the county.

Some highlights: First, a Dickcissel was found at the Fair Haven Municipal Airport! Dickcissels are usually found in the central part of the U.S. Click here to see how many times they have been recorded in Vermont. Interestingly, dickcissels have been reported elsewhere in Vermont this month (Addison County on September 9 and Woodstock on September16).

Raptors were well-represented and included osprey, bald eagle, merlin, peregrine falcon and barred owl among others.

Several warbler species are still around including blackpoll warbler, ovenbird and Canada warbler.

Palm WarblerA Philadelphia vireo was reported at West Rutland Marsh and warbling vireos are still present at Bomoseen State Park. A ruby-throated hummingbird was still present near Lake Bomoseen.

Four species passing through Vermont now, ruby-crowned kinglet, Lincoln’s sparrow, white-crowned sparrow and palm warbler, were all recorded.

By comparison 126 species were counted during our spring event this past May, the time of year when migrants are pouring into our area.

Thank you to the participants! Happy birding!

The list: 

Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Wild Turkey
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Killdeer
American Woodcock
Spotted Sandpiper
Solitary Sandpiper
Great Yellowlegs
Ring-billed Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Green Heron
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Northern Harrier
Cooper's Hawk
Bald Eagle
Red-shouldered Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Barred Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Eastern Phoebe
Blue-headed Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
House Wren
Winter Wren
Marsh Wren
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Eastern Bluebird
Swainson's Thrush
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
House Finch
Purple Finch
American Goldfinch
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Ovenbird
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Magnolia Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Palm Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Canada Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Dickcissel

 

 

Socially Distanced Fall Birding Weekend - September 26-27

Ruby-crowned KingletNeed some inspiration to get out and do some fall birding?? Mark your calendar for the Rutland County Audubon Socially Distanced Fall Birding Weekend, September 26-27! As we did with our Socially Distanced Century Count in May, we're going to try and tally as many species as we can in Rutland County, only this time it will be during a two-day period - double the fun!

Palm WarblerCount either day, count both days. Count for two hours, count for 24 hours or 48 hours. Count at home, count at a park or count on a trail in Rutland County. YOU choose the time and places(s). Submit your sightings to eBird and share the list with RCAS74. Please submit individual checklists for each location you visit and day. Don’t have an eBird account? Click here to set one up. Questions? Contact us at birding@rutlandcountyaudubon.org

West Rutland Marsh - September 2020

Heavy morning fog over West Rutland Marsh quickly evaporated, turning the September walk into a hot, sunny one. Four board members tallied 39 species. This is one more than our September average of 38, but two less than one year ago. Our high count was 51 species in 2008.

Highlights were two Philadelphia vireos and an olive-sided fycatcher, two species that are being seen somewhat regularly this fall in Rutland County.

Olive-sided FlycatcherRaptor numbers were higher than they have been for the past couple of walks. One Cooper’s hawk, an immature, one northern harrier, two red-tailed hawks, one American kestrel and two immature bald eagles were among the day’s numbers.

With birds becoming quieter, it was hard to detect many in the marsh itself. The calls of a marsh wren and a swamp sparrow were heard. Three belted kingfishers were observed including two interacting rather vociferously – perhaps an adult and an immature. Several warbling vireos are still singing in the trees along the marsh.

Purple finch numbers were high as they have been over the state this season. Two red-breasted nuthatches, another species reported regularly recently, were heard along Whipple Hollow Road. Also, along Whipple Hollow we flushed four ruffed grouse when we stopped for a minute to enjoy some shade.

Warbler species were limited to common yellowthroats and one magnolia warbler. One scarlet tanager was seen.

Ruffed Grouse  4
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  3
Mourning Dove  6
Northern Harrier  1
Cooper's Hawk  1
Bald Eagle  2
Red-tailed Hawk  2
Belted Kingfisher  3
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker  1
Downy Woodpecker  6
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)  2
American Kestrel  1
Olive-sided Flycatcher  1    
Least Flycatcher  2
Philadelphia Vireo  2    
Warbling Vireo  4
Red-eyed Vireo  4
Blue Jay  21
American Crow  7
Common Raven  1
Black-capped Chickadee  19
Red-breasted Nuthatch  2
White-breasted Nuthatch  6
House Wren  1
Marsh Wren  1
European Starling  6
Gray Catbird  22    
Veery  1
Cedar Waxwing  38
Purple Finch  18    
American Goldfinch  29
Song Sparrow  8
Swamp Sparrow  1
Red-winged Blackbird  7
Common Yellowthroat  8
Magnolia Warbler  1
Scarlet Tanager  1
Northern Cardinal  3
Rose-breasted Grosbeak  9

 

 

 

 

Fall 2020 RCAS/Slate Valley Trails Bird Walks

Join Slate Valley Trails and the Rutland County Audubon Society for weekly bird walks in the Poultney area, on the trails of the SVT system, Tuesdays at 7:30 am. All levels of birding experience are welcome. Bring water and a snack, binoculars, cameras, or field guides, if you have them. They are at a slow pace with lots of opportunities for observing & photographing: 3 to 4 miles, 3 to 4 hours.

The walks will be limited to 8 people. Contact Joel Tilley to reserve a spot: jptilley50@gmail.com (preferred method), or 802-598-2583, evenings 7 to 8pm. We will be abiding by the most recent State of Vermont guidelines for social distancing. Please wear masks/face covering (when spread out on the trail we may be able to remove masks). Please review the Slate Valley Trails COVID-19 guidelines before you RSVP! Click here.

The tentative schedule is below check the RCAS Calendar of Events or SVT Calendar of Events for any changes.

Tuesday, September 8 – Fairgrounds West
Meet at the Fairgrounds Trail parking area (125 Town Farm Road, Poultney, 2.5 miles east of the East Poultney Green on VT Rte 140) at 7:30 am. The hike will be about 3 miles on Easy terrain.

Tuesday, September 15 – Fairgrounds East
Meet at the Fairgrounds Trail parking area (125 Town Farm Road, Poultney, 2.5 miles east of the East Poultney Green on VT Rte 140) at 7:30 am. The hike will be about 3 miles on Easy to Moderate terrain.

Tuesday, September 22– Poultney River & Rail Trail
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 and Rail Trail (3.8 miles, Easy terrain). Expect to be out for about 4 hours.

Tuesday, September 29– Endless Brook
Meet at the Endless Brook trailhead at 7:30 a.m. (Endless Brook Rd, on left, 0.9 mi in from VT Rte 30)
3 miles, 3 hours, Easy to Moderate terrain (250 ft elevation gain).

Tuesday, October 6 - 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 at 7:30 a.m. (#39 on the campus map). Easy terrain.

Tuesday, October 13– Delaney Woods (Wells)
Meet at the Delaney Woods parking area at 7:30 a.m. (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 miles, 3 hours, Easy to Moderate terrain (250 ft elevation gain).

West Rutland Marsh - August 2020


Six socially-distanced RCAS board members conducted the monthly walk around West Rutland Marsh this morning, marking the start of our 20th year of monitoring. Forty-three species were tallied. This compares to 48 species one year ago and our August average of 45 species. Our first walk in 2001 tallied 45 species and featured a least bittern and a brown thrasher.

As summer progresses and with bird song diminishing, we needed to be extra alert for the presence of birds. Young of the year are growing rapidly with some still chasing parents for food. A group of yellow-bellied sapsuckers, probably a family, was seen along Whipple Hollow Road. Ten sapsuckers were seen in total for the morning. 

Virginia RailA highlight of the morning was two Virginia rails along the boardwalk, one appearing to be an immature. A couple of swamp sparrows were also seen along that spot, but no marsh wrens were heard or seen during the walk.

Several red-eyed vireos, with a few warbling vireos thrown in, were seen along the route, especially along Marble Street. Among the vireos there was at least one Philadelphia vireo. Gray catbird and American goldfinch numbers were also high.

A daring ruby-throated hummingbird chased a belted kingfisher for quite a distance at a high altitude. And at a feeder along Whipple Hollow Road, three, maybe four hummingbirds were chasing each other.

The only raptor of the day was an American kestrel sitting on a snag out in the marsh off Pleasant street.

Warblers included black-and-white warbler, yellow warbler, American redstart, chestnut-sided warbler and common yellowthroat.

The list:

Mallard  3
Common Merganser  3
Mourning Dove  12
Ruby-throated Hummingbird  5
Virginia Rail  2
American Bittern  2
Belted Kingfisher  2
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker  10   
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1
Downy Woodpecker  6
American Kestrel  1
Eastern Wood-Pewee  2
Alder Flycatcher  1
Eastern Phoebe  4
Eastern Kingbird  3
Philadelphia Vireo  1    
Warbling Vireo  4
Red-eyed Vireo  13
Blue Jay  12
American Crow  2
Common Raven  2
Black-capped Chickadee  10
Tree Swallow  1
Red-breasted Nuthatch  3
White-breasted Nuthatch  7
House Wren  2
Carolina Wren  1
Gray Catbird  18    
Veery  2
American Robin  10
Cedar Waxwing  11
House Sparrow  4
Purple Finch  2
American Goldfinch  54    
Song Sparrow  2
Swamp Sparrow  5
Red-winged Blackbird  2
Black-and-white Warbler  3
Common Yellowthroat  6
American Redstart  1
Yellow Warbler  2
Chestnut-sided Warbler  3
Northern Cardinal  4

 

 

 

 

West Rutland Marsh: March-June 2020

Least BitternWhile much of what RCAS does has been upended, along with almost everything else in the world, we’re happy to say that our monitoring of West Rutland Marsh has not been interrupted. While we can’t open our walks to the public yet, a handful of socially distanced board members have carried on the monitoring and will continue to do so until we can all bird together again.

With some early migrants back, the species count for March 21 was 27. Red-winged blackbirds, common grackles, song sparrows and two turkey vultures were spotted. Purple finches seemed to be more abundant in the past few months than in some years. Three were counted on the walk. Green-winged teal and ring-billed gulls were observed, two species that we don’t see at the marsh that often. A falcon-shaped bird with high-pitched vocalizations was determined to be a merlin and a highlight of the walk. A complete checklist of the walk can be found here.

As expected, the April 18 walk recorded a higher number of species, 33, and the expected migrants. An American bittern was heard ‘thunder-pumping’ and an osprey was seen. Red-winged blackbird and song sparrow numbers were higher. Swamp sparrows were back and singing. Our state bird, the hermit thrush, was observed. A complete checklist of the walk can be found here.

On May 16 the species count jumped to 51. Two marsh specialties, American bittern and Virginia rail, were observed as well as marsh wrens.  Other wren species were house wren and Carolina wren. Four thrushes were counted – veery, hermit thrush, wood thrush and American robin. And warblers! Ovenbird, northern waterthrush, black-and-white warbler, common yellowthroat, Blackburnian warbler, yellow warbler, chestnut-sided warbler and yellow-rumped warbler were all noted. Needless to say, the bird song increased substantially over the prior month! A complete checklist of the walk can be found here.

Eastern KingbirdWith all the nesting activity at the marsh in June, we managed to tally 62 species on the June 20 walk. That compares with last year’s count of 52 and an average June species count of 60. Our high was 69 species in 2009.

While we missed the Virginia Rail on the June walk, we more than made up for it with a great look at a Least Bittern, a species that has not been reported at this location this year until the day prior. Three American bitterns were seen including one practically flying over our heads on Pleasant Street. A green heron and a great blue heron were also seen.

The nesting activity really made the day. We watched a yellow-bellied sapsucker bringing food to a nest cavity and a downy woodpecker feeding junior while a cedar waxwing was robbing an unused eastern kingbird nest for material. Other species were busy carrying food for young. An active Baltimore oriole nest now stands empty.

In addition to the usual common yellowthroat, yellow warbler and American redstart along Marble Street, several other warbler species were added along Whipple Hollow Road. This was the first time this year we have heard Canada warbler along the route. Ovenbirds and a northern waterthrush are still singing. A winter wren is still singing along this section. Other wren species included marsh, house and one Carolina.

Only two wood thrushes were heard, but the number of veeries was quite high – 23 in all. The June checklist can be found here.

August will mark the beginning of our 20th year of monitoring, making it one of the longest running, citizen science monitoring projects in Vermont. And while we can’t say when yet, we can say we can’t wait to bird with all of you again!

Book Review: What It's Like to Be a Bird by David Sibley

David Sibley just released his latest work entitled What It's Like To Be A Bird. This volume contains short essays on the various aspects of what makes up birds’ lives. In his own words, "it is a selective and incomplete review of bird science."

The large format allows for life-sized portraits of the selected species. The introduction is filled with a myriad of interesting details of a bird's life. Following this are the stunning portraits with the essays illustrating some aspect of that bird.

This is a book to savor and learn about these creatures that bring so much to our lives.

RCAS Annual Report 2019-2020

Cape May WarblerRiding on the coattails of our very successful and fun Century Count XXV, at which sixteen participants garnered 126 species, I am encouraged to share with all of you who are members and friends, some of the other highlights of the RCAS year, going back to the start of our fiscal year on July 1 of 2019.

First, we entered our 19th year of consecutive monthly monitoring the West Rutland Marsh. We did so every month with public participation until the pandemic hit and made it necessary for only a few socially-distanced board members to continue the tradition. This August will mark the start of our 20th year.

West Rutland MarshJoel Tilley led five bird walks for the public last fall, as well, many of which were on Slate Valley Trails and were really well attended.

In September, we sponsored a wonderful wildlife art show in Poultney. The local ukulele group provided rollicking entertainment during our opening reception and many very excellent artists showcased their work over three weekends.

Speaking of great events and good times, RCAS also participated in the Rutland Halloween Parade and took a prize for runner up for the Most Imaginative with our Murder of Crows, an extinction is forever theme. (This presaged the awful news of the demise of one third of bird populations which hit the news on November 15th.)

By November, we became advocates for the Proctor Town Forest in Chittenden, helping to keep the property as public lands, a decision which was not reached until the Proctor Town Meeting in March.

Our Christmas Bird Count was another rewarding and fun occasion. We added an additional separate section for birding and the day's count was a whopping 49

species, just excellent for the time of year and the temperature (brrr…). The number of participants was also outstanding. All in all, it was a giant gift for RCAS!

Throughout all of this we also worked steadily to protect our easement of eight years at Mt. Top Farm in Chittenden (that story has yet to reach its conclusion).

new West Rutland Marsh TrailOur March, April and May programs had to be postponed to next year, but the January and February ones were well attended, especially the one by Vermont Fish and Wildlife expert, Joel Flewelling, who regaled a multigenerational crowd with all sorts of information on wildlife tracking.

In March we received glad tidings! The grant application which the group had submitted to the Recreational Trails Program was funded! This will allow us to build section 2 of a trail along the eastern side of the West Rutland Marsh.

Work for that should begin this summer, pandemic willing.

And that, good friends and bird lovers, brings us back to the beginning! Thanks for your continued support and participation. We hope to see you at the virtual Annual Meeting on June 24 and in person when it is safe once again. Click here to read more about the annual meeting. 

Century Count XXV - Socially Distanced - Results

The 2020 Century Count was notable in several ways. First, it marked our 25th annual count, a milestone in itself.

Second, we tallied a new record – 126 species!!!  Rutland County was covered in many directions – from Tinmouth Channel to Kent Pond in Killington to the Poultney area to the Buckner Preserve in West Haven to the bird productive roads of Brandon and many points in between, comprising a wide variety of habitats. This widespread effort no doubt led the high species total as were able to visit spots that time does not allow us when we travel in a group. In all 67 checklists were submitted to eBird.

Both Virginia Rail and Sora were reported, nine raptors including a Barred Owl, all four expected wren species, seven flycatchers, 22 warbler species and many more (full list below).

Lastly, and perhaps not as satisfactory to many of us, it was our first socially distanced count. Birding by one or in small groups of two and three, we fanned out over the county to our favorite hotspots. While we may have gained more species, we missed the camaraderie of birding with friends, sharing a picnic lunch, trading bird stories and more. However, I think we were all aware of  how fortunate we are to have so many beautiful places in Rutland County to safely escape the daily barrage of Covid-19 news and focus on the birds.

Thank you to the sixteen participants, some using eBird for the first time (and hopefully not the last)! Here’s to next year, hopefully together again as a group! 

 

The list:

Canada Goose

Wood Duck

Mallard

American Black Duck

Hooded Merganser

Common Merganser

Ruffed Grouse

Wild Turkey

Rock Pigeon

Mourning Dove

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Black-billed Cuckoo

Eastern Whip-poor-will

Chimney Swift

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Virginia Rail

Sora

Killdeer

American Woodcock

Wilson's Snipe

Spotted Sandpiper

Herring Gull

Common Loon

American Bittern

Great Blue heron

Green Heron

Turkey Vulture

Osprey

Northern Harrier

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Bald Eagle

Broad-winged Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Barred Owl

Belted Kingfisher

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Red-belled Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Pileated Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

 

American Kesrel

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

Bank Swallow

Barn Swallow

Cliff Swallow

Red-breasted Nuthatch

White-breasted Nuthatch

Brown Creeper

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

House Wren

Winter Wren

Marsh Wren

Carolina Wren

European Starling

Gray Catbird

Brown Thrasher

Eastern Bluebird

Veery

Hermit Thrush

Wood Thrush

American Robin

Cedar Waxwing

House Sparrow

House Finch

Purple Finch

American Goldfinch

 

Chipping Sparrow

Field Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

White-throated Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Swamp Sparrow

Eastern Towhee

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 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

RCAS Virtual Annual Meeting - June 24

WHAT TO DO? WHAT TO DO?

In the past, RCAS has held its Annual Meeting at the end of June or in early July in Proctor in the evening and have made it a festive event, with a potluck, some awards for service, and entertainment, usually member slides. This being 2020, however, we are responding to the pandemic and will, instead, hold a brief, bare bones type of meeting by internet, utilizing either Zoom or another virtual meeting program.

This virtual meeting will occur on June 24 at 6:30 PM and will last under 40 minutes, at which time we will approve last year's minutes, approve the Financial Report, hear a brief report of RCAS' activities, and accept the new slate of officers. A more festive event will be held when the situation becomes more conducive to gatherings.

At this point, we do not have a Secretary to put forth, so we are asking all members and friends to nominate someone for this post which requires attending (in person or by other means) a monthly meeting to take minutes and preparing those minutes to be sent to every Board member. It can be a great way to connect with RCAS member's and learn more about birds.

With this all being said, RCAS invites you to attend our first ever, virtual Annual Meeting on June 24, at 6:30. To do so, please contact birding@rutlandaudubon.org and we will send you the necessary information to connect to the meeting that evening. And if you don't have a computer, you can connect by phone. We look forward to having you there!

Century Count XXV - Socially Distanced

Blackburnian WarblerGreetings, birding friends!

We finally have some spring weather! I hope you've all seen a warbler or heard one's sweet song! We also finally have some good news! Each year we hold our Century Count – our annual attempt to tally 100 species or more in Rutland County. This year marks our 25th year.

While we can’t be together this year, Century Count XXV will go on albeit with a few innovations. Here's the scoop:

On Saturday, May 23, we all will have the opportunity to bird in our own chosen territory(ies) for as long as we like, alone or with one or two socially-distanced buddies. There are four simple steps:

  1. Share your eBird checklist, using the ‘share’ function with rcas74 (note lower case letters).
  2. Submit your reports to eBird. If you don't have an account, it's easy!
  3. Share your eBird checklist, using the ‘share’ function with rcas74 (note lower case letters).
  4. Bird safe! Check out the latest recommendations for outdoor activity here. To this we add, if birding with buddies that are not part of your household, please drive separately to your location and don’t share binoculars or scopes.

So, if you want to bird from dawn to dusk, go for it. If you want to go out for only an hour or two, that’s fine too. Check out your favorite birding hotspot or, if you’re more comfortable at home, report the birds in your yard. Every bird counts!

If you are interested in participating, but not sure where to go, here are some spots we have covered in the past:

  • West Rutland Marsh
  • Castleton University Trails
  • D & H Rail Trails
  • Bomoseen State Park
  • Fair Haven Airport
  • Kent Pond
  • Chittenden Reservoir/Lefferts Pond
  • Hollow Road, Brandon
  • Pittsfort Trails
  • Buckner Memorial Preserve, West Haven 

The county is your oyster! Bird where you wish! Just be sure to report to eBird and share your checklist with Rutland County Audubon.

If you have questions, please contact us at birding@rutlandcountyaudubon.org.

We will let you know results of the Century Count a few days afterward. Have fun! This could be our best count yet!

Kathleen Guinness, President, RCAS

Book Review: Saving Jemima by Julie Zickefoose

While browsing the Rutland Free Library’s new books shelf, I nearly passed up Julie Zickefoose’s latest book Saving Jemima with the cute fledgling blue jay on the cover. Several years ago, I very closely read and reviewed her The Bluebird Effect: Uncommon Bonds with Birds with its beautiful watercolors, illustrating the intricacies and trials of hand-raising birds from birth to release. Did I really need to read about this again, just with another species? How wrong I was.

Julie, indeed, now focuses on a single bird of one species, but this time she more subtly perceives how Jemima (the baby blue jay) adapts to its environment and relates to Julie, her two children and her husband.

A notable second difference of this book is that Julie quite emphatically states in the penultimate chapter, that as much as she saved Jemima, Jemima saved her. During that spring and summer, her husband was declining rapidly after a recent diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. And her daughter was wallowing in the throes of a break-up, after four years, with her partner. Amidst attending to the intensified needs of her family, Julie finds an inner strength in her deep powers of astute observation to extend her perception, care and concern to an infant bird, knowing that what she learns in the process she will be able to share with others involved in similar studies.

Thirdly, being nearly a decade since her last book, the format of this one reflects the immense change in the publishing and media world in that short amount of time. There still are, once again, many of her exquisite watercolor renderings. But there are even more photos. She has her iPhone at her side constantly and has taken 1000s of photos of Jemima. In an instant, for example, she quickly captures Jemima exhibiting a new intuitive cache attempt. Many others she posts on line.

Julie not only photographs Jemima, but all of the other blue jays that live on or migrate through her property. She does this so fanatically that by reviewing back through these numerous photos, she is able to discern minute markings uniquely identifying individual birds.

And one could almost say the internet helped to save Jemima. When she had a set-back with what Julie thought were signs and symptoms of a deadly fungal infection, Julie was able, via email, to contact her ornithological colleagues to search for and find the latest research on possible treatments.

What becomes of Jemima? There is no grand release party. And (spoiler alert!) thee is no fatal event. It’s not the ending I expected. But it is the most satisfying, and Julie is certain that Jemima is content.

Note from RCAS: This is the time of year we find baby birds. Click here if you find a baby bird and what you should do.

Coping with Covid-19

Black-throated Green WarblerSad, anxious, fearful, lonely – most of us are experiencing these feelings right now. As with so many organizations, and for the good of all of us, RCAS has cancelled its events at least through May.

And this is right at the time of year we want to be out birding and enjoying nature together most. One thing that has not been cancelled and is, in fact, well underway is migration! We can still experience it and hopefully dispel, at least for a while, some of the unsettled feelings we are having. We just need to do it a little differently this year.

Yes, you can still go outside if you are feeling well! Many state lands are still open as well as some local parks and trails. So are quiet backroads. Keeping with only yourself or household members and staying away at least 6’ from others is the important rule. So is staying within 10 miles of home. Don't share binoculars or scopes. There are some other guidelines outlined at this link to Vermont Forests, Parks and Recreation. Don’t forget the RCAS hotspots if you’re looking for something new.

Eastern TowheeEnjoying birds in your own backyard isn’t a bad idea either. There are new birds showing up every week. Take the time to watch their behavior and their interactions with each other. Pay attention to songs and calls.

This is a excellent time to try something new! If you haven’t used eBird, this is a great time to practice by counting the familiar birds of your yard. It’s available as a free app for your phone or on your computer. If you aren’t comfortable with bird identification, download the Merlin app as well. It’s free too!

Rose-breasted GrosbeakJoin the VTBird listserv and the Vermont Birding Facebook page to find out what others are seeing or to share your exciting finds. Having trouble IDing a bird? Post a photo to Vermont Birding on Facebook. There are many experienced and welcoming birders out there who are happy to share their knowledge and answer questions. And don’t forget that RCAS has its own Facebook page as well as some great photos at Flickr.

Both National Audubon and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology have online bird guides which include photos and sounds.

We can’t wait to see you all again out in the field! Stay healthy and enjoy birds!

 

NOTE: The Long Trail, Catamount Trail and Slate Valley Trails are closed along with VAST and VASA trails.

Great Backyard Bird Count Results

Dark-eyed JuncoThis past weekend’s Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) was a big success, both worldwide and here in Rutland County.

To date, 207,546 checklists, representing 6,540 species and 33,482,850 individual birds have been submitted from around the world! Pretty amazing, isn’t it? The deadline for submission for the four-day period is March 1 so it's not too late to add your sightings. 

Here at home, 170 checklists and 47 species were reported. Seventeen of the county’s towns were represented and we had many first-time GBBCers. Two great horned owls, a barred owl, evening grosbeaks and snow buntings made the list as did our first turkey vulture of the season.

Congratulations to our first-time participants! Each of you is now a citizen scientist. That means you can submit any of your bird sightings anytime from anywhere to eBird here. Just use the user name and password you created for the GBBC.

And did you snap a picture of a chipmunk under your feeder? You can submit that to the Vermont Atlas of Life at iNaturalist. Click here for that.

You can explore all the data at the GBBC, by clicking here. 

West Rutland Marsh - February 2020

Minus 5 degrees! We were pretty sure no one would show up for the February West Rutland Marsh walk, but we were wrong. Nine, well-bundled people counted 16 species. Fortunately, it was clear and, with no wind, the sun actually felt warm on our backs.

The number of species was one less than a year ago and two less than our February average. Many of the irruptive species that we see in some years are not present this year.

A good number of the species counted were found near the feeders by the boardwalk including American tree sparrows, white-throated sparrows and a number of American goldfinches, a species being seen in high numbers throughout the state this winter.

No, it’s not spring, not even close, but we counted four American robins and two eastern bluebirds. When fruit is plentiful, those species will stay around. A black-capped chickadee was seen feeding on sumac. With that, highbush cranberry and apples among others, there is plenty available at the marsh. The two bluebirds were beautiful with the bright blue sky.

Black-capped Chickadee feeding on sumacNorthern cardinals were singing, although we couldn’t be sure if they were male or female as both sexes of that species sing. Tufted titmice were singing and white-breasted nuthatches were making their laughing sound.

The next walk is scheduled for Saturday, March 25. Meet at the boardwalk on Marble Street at 8 a.m.

 

Today's list:
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  2
Mourning Dove  1
Downy Woodpecker  4
Blue Jay  19
American Crow  6
Black-capped Chickadee  27
Tufted Titmouse  3
White-breasted Nuthatch  1
Eastern Bluebird  2
American Robin  4
House Sparrow  3
American Goldfinch  21
American Tree Sparrow  4
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)  1
White-throated Sparrow  2
Northern Cardinal  6

 

 

West Rutland Marsh - January 2020

Clear and cold – that is how the January marsh walk started. Eight participants, well bundled, set out on our first walk of the new year. There was no wind and it warmed, ever so slightly, as the morning progressed. Eighteen species were tallied, none a big surprise, but any bird in winter is a welcome sight or sound!

A Carolina wren, one of two for the day, greeted us at the start with its ‘teakettle teakettle’ song. Six cedar waxwings were sitting high in the trees nearby and the feeders were busy with chickadees and American tree sparrows.

Our lone raptor of the day almost wasn’t. We spotted what we thought was a red-tailed hawk sitting in a tree in the distance, but it was too far to make out any detail. Fortunately, a photo cropped and on a computer screen later proved it WAS a red-tailed hawk.

Twenty-eight blue jays were counted with large flock vocalizing flying around not too far from the hawk.

As we returned to our starting point at the boardwalk, eight white-throated sparrows flew up into the brush from the cellar hole.

Our next walk is scheduled for Saturday, February 15, at 8 a.m. The walk will be held in conjunction with the Great Backyard Bird Count which starts on Friday, February 14.

 

 

The day's list:
Mourning Dove  3
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Downy Woodpecker  5
Hairy Woodpecker  1
Blue Jay  28
American Crow  7
Common Raven  2
Black-capped Chickadee  27
Tufted Titmouse  2
Carolina Wren  2
European Starling  3
Cedar Waxwing  6
House Sparrow  3
American Goldfinch  14
American Tree Sparrow  3
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)  2
White-throated Sparrow  8
Northern Cardinal  4

 

 

Field Trip: Winter Regulars & Rarities

After a few milder days for our past annual Winter Regulars & Rarities field trips, this year’s trip was definitely NOT. The day started at about four degrees. Despite the chill, 12 participants showed up, bundled up beyond recognition.

Our first stop was a farm in Orwell where bald eagles are known to congregate. We were not disappointed with the nine adult and four immature eagles perched in trees and interacting with the ravens on occasion.

Waterfowl were in somewhat short supply except for two stops. The Tri-Town Water Plant had a plethora of ducks. Most prominent were large rafts of scaup, too distant to distinguish whether they were greater or lesser scaup, and a high number of common goldeneye. The highlight here was a male tufted duck, its tuft prominent in profile. Two more eagles were spotted across the lake on the New York side. A lone cormorant was seen flying south low along the water.

Arnold Bay, Lake ChamplainCharlotte Town Beach, one of our last stops, had a lesser number of waterfowl. We picked up our only Canada geese of the trip. A small group of bufflehead were fairly near shore. We were also able to spot a horned grebe, the only one of the day, before the promised snow moved in.

A good number of rough-legged hawks were spotted along our route as well as red-tailed hawks. Among the redtails, were several were the northern red-tailed hawk subspecies, which are only seen in Vermont in winter. You can read more about distinguishing this subspecies here.

We spotted flocks of snow buntings and horned larks here and there in the farm fields. At one spot, along Greenbush Road in Charlotte, there was a mixed flock which we could observe from the comfort of our cars. The snow buntings clung to swinging weed heads while the horned larks seemed to dig themselves into the snow.

A northern flicker, a pileated woodpecker and American robins were seen at various points along the route.

Thirty-three species were tallied.

Many thanks to C. J. Frankiewicz for leading a fun field trip.

 

The day's list:
Canada Goose
Mallard
American Black Duck
Tufted Duck
Greater Scaup
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Horned Grebe
Rock Piegon
Mourning Dove
Ring-billed Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed hawk
Rough-legged hawk
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Blue Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Horned Lark
European Starling
American Robin
American Goldfinch
Snow Bunting
American Tree Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Brown-headed Cowbird
Northern Cardinal

 

 

 

Christmas Bird Count Results

Patch Pond, RutlandAnother Rutland Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is in the books. Our count took place on December 28, a mild and practically snowless day, comfortable for the participants, but perhaps affecting our numbers.

The count was Rutland’s 46th and National Audubon’s 120th. The history of the CBC is an interesting one and worth a read if you aren’t familiar with it. Click here to learn more.

Thirty-seven field team participants and five feeder watchers contributed to tally 49 species this year, the same number as in 2018. A ‘count week’ bird, ruffed grouse, was observed thanks to the Pine Hill Park team who saw fresh tracks.

Both the ruffed grouse and wild turkey numbers were low, with zero and two respectively. Our high numbers on those species in prior years were 20 and 338. Perhaps the lack of snow along with abundant acorns and beechnuts kept these species hidden in the woods.

Red-tailed hawks numbered 24, a species recorded in all of our 46 years, but with quite a variation in numbers, the high being 43. No barred owls were reported this year. Both sharp-shinned (2) and Cooper’s hawks (4) were reported, along with one peregrine falcon atop its usual perch on the steeple of Grace Congregational Church and one bald eagle.

With plenty of open water, two belted kingfishers and three great blue herons were reported. A Wilson’s snipe was seen near Otter Creek, an expected report from the team that walks that route along the river. Waterfowl numbers overall, however, were low with 54 Canada geese (high of 1444 several years ago). American black duck and mallard numbers were low with 24 and 198 reported respectively.

A yellow-bellied sapsucker, becoming a more common occurrence in winter in Vermont, was reported (although no more than one has been recorded on any of our CBCs). Seven northern flickers were, a new record. Although red-bellied woodpeckers have been increasing in numbers in the state, only ten were seen this year as opposed to 17 last year.

Some species are quite cyclical. As expected, no redpolls, pine grosbeaks or Bohemian waxwings were seen. Red-breasted nuthatches were low (25), our high being 112. Golden-crowned kinglets at 20 were half our high. Only one purple finch was seen. Two red crossbills were seen in Mendon.

Two gray catbirds were seen, not an expected species, and are new to our CBC.

American tree sparrow numbers were low, with some teams reporting none, and the total coming to 32. Our highest number was 362. Song sparrows, high while not a record, came in a 16. One chipping sparrow was observed.

The CBC concluded with our traditional potluck supper at the Proctor Library (with many delicious dishes as usual) and a countdown of the day’s numbers.

Christmas Bird Count data is important! If you are interested in learning more about how the data is used and what it is telling us, click here.