Had a fabulous morning at Dead Creek, Sun Aug.11.   At 6 am I counted 23
great egrets, 56 great blue herons, 1 cattle egret, several black crowned
night herons (23 at dusk the night before), wood ducks, mallards, blue and
green winged teal, 1 black duck, and an immature peregrine falcon.   This
all in the pool just s. of the damn with the sun behind my back in the
glorious light of morning.  Also delighted to meet several of you others
VTBIRDers - the Pratts, Paula G and husband, the Turners and Alan Strong
with a conversation with Ted Murin the day before.  Still say we ought to
have some kind of 'groupie get together' -  Dead Creek at dawn in Aug!!

Here's my list:
56 + great blue heron
23 great egrets
1 cattle egret
23 black crowned night heron
Canada geese
wood ducks
black duck
mallard
blue winged teal
green winged teal
osprey ( nesting N. of Rt 17 seen from goose viewing area)
immature bald eagle
4 harrier - family. Seen in field area W. side of Dead Creek  from the
dam.  Did they nest in area?
redtails
kestral
1 immature peregrine
killdeer
greater and lesser yellowlegs
spotted sandpiper
semipalmated sandpiper
least sandpiper  (know other species seen by Alan)
ring billed gull
morning dove
Eastern screech owl (a VT life 'heard bird' for me!)  Very loud and nearby
at parking area across Briylea dam
great horned owl - 2 immature  (Canoed S. from Stone Bridge access - {end
of West Rd}  birds were on right side in the first tiny 'bay' to the West
just after launching)
kingfisher
pewee
great crested flycatcher
kingbird
vireo (my 'ear' not sure if blue headed or red eyed)
crow
tree, rough wing, barn, bank swallows   (think someone else saw a cliff )
bc chickadee
white breasted nuthatch
robin
starlings
cedar waxwing
yellow warbler
northern waterthrush (popped up during the 6am watch, gave a pip to get my
attention, waved and popped back down!)
song, swamp and savannah sparrows
red winged blackbirds
grackle
cowbirds
b oriole
goldfinches very busy being parents

Ruth

PS:   Still no definite monarchs -  I saw three possible fly bys but not
sure they weren't viceroys.



Stewarts
E. Dorset, VT
USA