It is not yet 5 a.m. and I am unable to sleep!  Time to be up, have a cup of
tea and 'spread the word' in the hope that some birder(s) may have the good
fortune to confirm our 'find' of a Townsend's solitaire observed yesterday
morning, Saturday, during Rutland County's Christmas Bird Count.
The solitaire was observed in the immediate company of two Eastern bluebirds,
and fortunately for our group of five, one of the observers while out West
this past fall had encountered the species.  This observer notes his first
observation of a Townsend's solitaire goes back to Water Canyon, NM, in 1996,
obviously, nothing in Vermont!

The bird was observed off Pleasant Street, West Rutland.  Pleasant Street
runs north/south.  Enter Pleasant Street from Route 4A West/East.  If approaching
from the east it is just before the rail crossing, Artistic Memorials will be
on the corner, take a right turn.  If approaching from the west it will be
just after the railway crossing, make a left turn at Artistic Memorials.
Continue along pleasant Street past the Catholic church, keep going, the black top
will change to gravel.  The road continues downhill until it crosses a small
stream.  On your right, (east), there is a row of old maples and the ground
rises fairly steeply, on your left, (west), the ground falls away to and open
pasture.  If you have gone as far as a sharp turn to the left, west, you have gone
too far.  The bird was sighted in the company of the bluebirds approximately
30 m from the road on the east side and some 50-100 m beyond the stream.
(This is an area in which we have encountered bluebirds in the past since there is
usually and abundance of wild fruit.)

It would be wonderful to have a second confirmation!


Roy Pilcher
Proctor, Vermont.

Speaking the Same Language