About 10 days ago, a friend and I went to Somerset targeting certain species for VBBA.

In a beaver pond off of Forest Rd 71, we found a YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER singing his heart out (to the extent that a flycatcher can do so). Also watched a RUSTY BLACKBIRD feeding. Both species were confirmed as breeders in the previous two years, but always good to see these northern species down here in the south.

At a nearby former beaver pond, now almost a meadow, we heard once and saw briefly a LINCOLN'S SPARROW, but both sound and sight were too brief to record the species.

I returned to the meadowy bog today. On the first playing of a LISP song, a pair of birds were agitated. Over the next twenty minutes, I good views of the LINCOLN'S SPARROW - it sang once (sounding just like the recording!) - called often, and carried food.

Will finding these species breeding here in the south, connect us with those northern areas where the species are more common - thus making us truly a part of the State of Vermont?