Wow, Bryan! Those hapless semipalm plovers must certainly be a new early
record for VT if not for New England. I did a quick search of BIRDEAST
RBA's, and the most recent reports anywhere in the northeast are of a single
bird from Stone Harbor, NJ in late January, and of a couple of birds at Cape
May in mid-January. A quick perusal of eBIRD shows a single bird in NJ in
mid March. Nothing on MASSBIRD recently. Lots of reports of PIPING PLOVER. -
Wayne
__________________________________
Wayne Scott
Compiler, VT Rare Bird Alert

416 Hanover Center Road
Etna, NH 03750
(603) 643-0179
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> Despite the rotten weather, I noticed some nice birds today (April 5) at
> two stops during an afternoon trip from Plainfield to Grand Isle.
>
> A flooded cornfield at the corner of US Route 2 and Country Club Road in
> Plainfield included four (!) species of shorebird:
>   Canada Goose
>   Wood Duck (2)
>   Mallards
>   Black Ducks
>   Killdeer (2)
>   Semipalmated Plover (5 -- not doing well at all)
>   Common Snipe (1)
>   American Woodcock (1)
>
> A flock of 52 Killdeer flew over the village of East Montpelier nearby.
>
> At Sandbar State Park:
>   Great Blue Heron (2)
>   Common Goldeneye (~15)
>   Bufflehead (2)
>   Northern Pintail (1)
>   Common Merganser (6)
>   Bald Eagle (1)
>   Tree Swallow (2)
>   American Tree Sparrows (singing!)
>
> The singing Tree Sparrows really helped me through the day.
>
> Bryan Pfeiffer
>
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Vermont Bird Tours
> 113 Bartlett Road
> Plainfield, VT 05667
>
> Web:    www.VermontBirdTours.com
> E-Mail: [log in to unmask]
> Phone: (802) 454-4640
>
> Enjoy Life.  Watch Birds!
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~