Hi All, Thanks to the many gracious observers who keyed me in to some great birding areas, I spent much of my day today roaming around Bennington and Rutland Counties in southwestern Vermont. I tallied just under 80 species on the day, not too bad (or at least I didn't think so). I had numerous FOY birds and many encounters with species I normally don't have the privilege of getting much time with. Some highlights below:  Greenberg Reserve (just south of Bennington, Bennington Co.)-------------------------------3 Ruffed Grouse (FOY)1 Virginia Rail2 Spotted Sandpipers1 Alder Flycatcher (FOY: A single early? bird incessantly giving the "free-beer" call when I first arrived)3 Least Flycatchers (FOY)1 Common Raven (only one I had all day)3 Veery (FOY)8 Wood Thrush (incredible, considering this was the only location I did NOT have Hermit Thrush today)7 species of warbler1 Lincoln's Sparrow (FOY)2 White-throated Sparrows (my first in a couple weeks)4 Scarlet Tanagers  George D Aiken Wilde Rd. (east of Woodford State Park, Bennington Co.)-----------------------------------4 Blue-headed Vireo (FOY)9+ Hermit Thrushes17+ Ovenbirds13+ Black-throated Blue Warblers (FOY) I merely drove the extent of the road, stopping every so often to listen. I was amazed at the number of Ovenbirds and Black-throated Blue Warblers and basked in the glory of a singing male BTBW every so often.   Little Pond Trail (just west of Woodford State Park, Bennington Co.)---------------------6 species of warbler, including 3 Blackburnian (FOY) and 1 Black-and-white (FOY)  Only a slight walk up the road, perhaps a half mile.   Diamond Run Nature Trail (Rutland Co.)------------------------------1 American Woodcock (flushed nearby when I decided to slip and fall on the wet ground)3 House Wrens (FOY)6 species of warbler  West Rutland Marsh (Rutland Co.)------------------------1 House Wren32+ (!) Marsh Wrens (incredible density here)5 species of warbler34+ Swamp Sparrows154+ Red-winged Blackbirds   I didn't spend a whole lot of time here as the sky kept spitting water at me.   Pleasant St. Powerline (Rutland Co.)---------------------------2 Cooper's Hawks1 Northern Goshawk2 American Kestrels One Cooper's Hawk was initially dive bombing a passing Northern Goshawk when I arrived and looked up. After that immediate threat passed, the Cooper's Hawk stooped just over the hillside to the south and proceeded to be mobbed by a pair of American Kestrels. Fun to see the chain of reaction, nonetheless. Wind had picked up by this point, and very very few birds were around.   Pomainville WMA (Rutland Co.)----------------------1 Bald Eagle (adult)70+ Tree Swallows8 Bobolinks  I also didn't spend much time here as I could see pouring rain approaching from the west (by the time I had made it out into the middle of the area, of course). I arrived back at my vehicle with seconds to spare and that was pretty much a wrap on my day.    Multiple takeaways from my experience in birding southwestern Vermont today, arguably the most prevalent was the beauty of the landscapes themselves, particularly along Route 7. Other memorable moments included jaw dropping views of Black-throated Blue Warblers, a Veery perched and scolding from 5 feet away, my slip and fall into the soppy ground on the Diamond Run trail (which subsequently flushed an American Woodcock), a Wilson's Snipe perched on a powerline, and an amazing total of no less than 87 Ovenbirds on the day!  I would absolutely love to make a return trip, but I may be hard pressed to do so. Thanks to everyone who replied to my request and a thank you to the birders of Vermont for allowing me to experience a piece of your state!  Danny AkersAnkeny, Iowa(temporarily residing in Saratoga Springs, NY)[log in to unmask]