*Vermont
*Statewide
*9/17/04
*VTVT0403.06
This is the Vermont bird report for Friday, September 17, 2004 covering the
period September 10 - September 17, 2004.
One COMMON LOON was sighted from Grand Isle on September 15th.
Breaking news is that the Vermont Scientific Advisory Group has recommended
that the COMMON LOON be removed from Vermont's Endangered Species List.
Nesting pairs have increased from 7 in 1983 to over 40 today. This
recommendation has to be reviewed by the Vermont Endangered Species
Committee as well as the Agency of Natural Resources' Secretary before any
decision is final.
Several PIED-BILLED GREBE juveniles were begging from and being
fed fish by adults at the Brilyea Access at Dead Creek on the 15th of
September.
Although no reports of SNOW GEESE came in from Dead Creek this
week, 49 were seen flying south over Mt. Philo in Charlotte and 7 over
Newport on September 13th. They're on their way! 250 CANADA GEESE were
observed off Grand Isle on the 15th, and 12 in Newport. Three GREATER
SCAUPS were observed off Grand Isle on the 12th as well. Eight HOODED
MERGANSERS were sighted on Paul Stream Pond in Newport on September 11th.
Raptors have also begun their flight south. On September 11th,
1 immature OSPREY was seen on Paul Stream Pond in Newport, 2 adults at
Putney Mt., 3 in Essex and 8 at Mt. Philo in Charlotte. There have been
numerous sightings of BALD EAGLES in Vermont this week: Two immatures were
seen on the north side of Metcalfe Island at Mississquoi NWR on September
8th, one in Middlebury on the 10th of September, 6 at Mt. Philo and 2 adults
in Essex on the 11th. On September 12th, 1 mature BALD EAGLE was sighted in
Montpelier, 1 BALD EAGLE plus 17 para gliders and hang gliders shared
thermals north of Route 4 in West Rutland and 1 adult and 1 immature BALD
EAGLE were seen at the North Hartland dam. On September 13th 1 immature was
observed at Mississquoi NWR at Martindale Point. One NORTHERN HARRIER was
spotted at Putney Mt. on September 11th, and five from Mt. Philo on the
13th. On September 11th 30 SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS were seen at Putney Mt. and
1 in Thetford. Fifteen SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS flew over Mt. Philo on the 13th.
One COOPER'S HAWK was spotted from Charlotte Town Beach and 2 from Putney
Mt. on the 11th. Four were seen at Mt. Philo on the 13th of September. As
is usual for this time of year, BROAD-WINGED HAWKS outnumbered all other
raptors, with 190 in Essex and 457 at Putney Mt. on the 11th, and 739 at Mt.
Philo with individual kettles of 71, 58 and 44 birds and a kettle of 24 in
Newport on the 13th. Seven RED-TAILED HAWKS were counted at Mt. Philo on
September 13th. Three AMERICAN KESTRELS were seen at Putney Mt. on the
11th, 7 at Mt. Philo on the 13th, and one in Middlebury on the 10th. A
MERLIN was observed in Swanton on the 10th and 12th of September and one was
reported from Mt. Philo on the 11th. On September 12th a PEREGRINE FALCON
was seen north of Route 4 in West Rutland, as well as in Swanton.
Last week's fall out continued through the weekend, but nary a
shorebird was to be seen in the vicinity come Monday, September 13th. The
following birds were sighted in the wet fields of Swanton on the 11th and
12th of September: BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER,
SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, KILLDEER, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, LESSER YELLOWLEGS,
SOLITARY SANDPIPER, SANDERLING (very uncommon), SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER,
LEAST SANDPIPER, WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER, PECTORAL SANDPIPER, 2
BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS AND WILSON'S SNIPE. Pompy Flats had SEMIPALMATED
PLOVERS, KILLDEER, SOLITARY SANDPIPERS AND LEAST SANDPIPERS on September
10th. Later than usual, a rare sighting of two RED-NECKED PHALAROPES was
made on the 10th of September, along with 20 juvenile BLACK-LEGGED
KITTIWAKES, 3 BLACK TERNS , AND 10 mostly young Jaegers 2 of which were
LONG-TAILED JAEGERS and 8 of which were PARASITIC JAEGERS.
Two COMMON NIGHTHAWKS were seen migrating southward over Route 7
just north of Brandon on September 9th.
Twelve HORNED LARKS were seen in Swanton on September 12th.
As of September 11th, the Norwich CAROLINA WREN was still in
evidence, and on the 15th one was spotted in Springfield.
A BROWN THRASHER was observed on Grand Isle on the 11th of September.
AMERICAN PIPITS were observed in Swanton on the 11th and 12th of September.
Warblers on Ward Hill in Duxbury this week included MAGNOLIA,
YELLOW-RUMPED, BLACK-THROATED GREEN, BLACK-THROATED BLUE, BLACKBURNIAN,
BLACKPOLL, CHESTNUT-SIDED, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT and OVENBIRD.
A LINCOLN'S SPARROW was seen at Hartland Dam on the 15th of
September.
Thanks to the following contributors whose observations were
cited above: Carl Anderson, Susan Elliott, Joel Flewelling, David Hoag, Beth
Hughes, Maeve Kim, Dottie Lavallee, Ted Levin, Kent McFarland, Matt Medler,
Ron Payne, Frederick and Chris Pratt, Bill and Jeanne Prue, Rick Renaud,
Bill Shepard, 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 <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
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