*Vermont
*Statewide
*8/6/04
*VTVT0403.06

This is the Vermont bird report for Friday, August 6, 2004 covering the
period July 31 – August 6, 2004.

            An adult PIED-BILLED GREBE and her seven chicks have been seen
regularly this week at the Brilyea Access at Dead Creek.  One lucky birder
even watched her feeding her young.

            Southward movement has begun -- GREAT EGRETS have been spotted
in several locations around the state recently.  On the 24th of July there
were seven at Herrick’s Cove, and seventeen were seen south of the causeway
at Dead Creek on the 4th of August.  A lone GREAT EGRET was spotted
throughout the week in the wet area along Route 7 near Arlington, where
GREAT BLUE HERONS nested this year. Eighteen CATTLE EGRETS, one of which was
an immature bird, were present at Shelburne Farms on July 31st

            Four HOODED MERGANSERS were observed on Grand Isle on August
1st.

            On July 24th a juvenile BALD EAGLE was spotted at Herrick’s
Cove, and six immature BALD EAGLES were seen at Dead Creek along with one
adult who was dive bombed repeatedly by an OSPREY. As recently as the 4th of
August, two immature BALD EAGLES were sighted here. Six OSPREYS were sighted
at Dead Creek on August 4th, and one was also observed flying low over
Middlebury on the 5th of August.  OSPREYS were reported nesting on two
platforms this week, one in Kingsland Bay and one at the mouth of Otter
Creek.

            Shorebird migration has started to become evident, with eight
KILLDEER and two juvenile LEAST SANDPIPERS spotted at Pompy Flats on July
31st.  A CASPIAN TERN was seen off Grand Isle on August 4th, and two more
CASPIAN TERNS, one seen from the Shelburne Bay access to Lake Champlain and
one working the shoreline just off McCuen Slang in West Addison, on July
31st.  Although not in Vermont, sightings of four RED KNOTS and one LITTLE
GULL at Noblewood Park, in Willsboro, New York on August 1st and 3rd might
serve to alert birders hoping to see some fall migrants along this side of
Lake Champlain.

            A CAROLINA WREN was sighted in Woodstock on the 2nd and 3rd of
August, and the two CAROLINA WRENS in Norwich were still there as of August
3rd.

            An immature MOURNING WARBLER was seen at Ward’s Hill on August
3rd, and a LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH was present in Norwich on this date.

            On August 6th a VESPER SPARROW was seen on a dirt road just off
West Road at Dead Creek.
            .
Thanks to the following contributors whose observations were cited above:
Don Clark, George Clark, Jordan Engel, David Hoag, Linda LaPan, Kent
McFarland, Matthew Medler, Ron Payne, Barbara Powers, Frederick and Chris
Pratt, Stefan Sturup, Sue Wetmore.

We encourage you to contribute all your sightings to Vermont eBird, an
on-line database for tracking birds across Vermont and North America.  Visit
Vermont eBird-http://www.ebird.org/vins/   for more Information.  If you’re
already a Vermont eBirder- thank you for your contributions to the database.

The Vermont Institute of Natural Science offers natural history trips,
lectures and programs.  To receive  a copy of our program calendar, stop at
one of our centers, call the office during business hours at 802-457-2779 or
visit the VINS’ web site at http://www.vinsweb.org.

This Vermont birding report is a service of the Vermont Institute of Natural
Science.  VINS is a non-profit, membership organization located in Woodstock
with regional centers in Montpelier and Manchester.  Founded in 1972, VINS’
mission is to protect our natural heritage through education and research.
Your membership supports these goals and this reporting service.  Updates
are typically made on Fridays.  Please report your sightings of rare or
unusual birds to VINS, or email reports to [log in to unmask]

This message is also available by phone recording:  call 802-457-1053 and
press 3.  This will put you into a menu where you will be directed to press
5 to hear the RBA.  If you have any interesting birds to report, you can
leave a message by pressing 6, or you can send your sightings to the RBA via
e-mail at:  [log in to unmask]  Or enter your sightings on Vermont eBird at
http://www.ebird.org/VINS/.


Mary Holland
Chris Rimmer
Kent McFarland
Roz Renfrew
Vermont RBA Compilers
Vermont Institute of Natural Science
Conservation Biology Department
27023 Church Hill Road
Woodstock, VT  05091
802-457-2779