I visited the Four Brothers Islands in Lake Champlain on Friday, 15

July 2005, spending about 90 minutes birding the area from a boat (landing

on the islands is not permitted).  The islands and surrounding waters were

very active, as one would expect from a vibrant, natural colonial waterbird

community.  In addition to the abundant DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS and

RING-BILLED GULLS, I noted the following colonial waterbirds:



GREAT BLUE HERON--20+ individuals, mostly juveniles standing on or near

their nests

BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON--6+ individuals; three juveniles on island "B"

and at least three adults on islands "A," "B," and "D"

GREAT EGRET--two birds seen on top of trees in the middle of "B"

CASPIAN TERN--three sightings of one individual, seen flying between the

islands

Herring Gull

Great Black-backed Gull



I also looked very intently, but without success, for both Cattle Egret and

Glossy Ibis, two other species that have nested on the Four Brothers in

recent years.  My lack of success in seeing Cattle Egret did not surprise

me, as I knew of their habit in previous years of foraging at Shelburne

Farms during the daytime.  Thanks to Noah Perlut's post, we now know that

once again this year, the Cattle Egrets are commuting back and forth

between the islands and Shelburne Farms.  So, it appears that Cattle Egret

makes for a total of nine species of colonial waterbird nesting on the Four

Brothers this summer--a rather impressive number and diversity of

species!  As for Glossy Ibis, it is certainly possible that they could be

nesting on the Four Brothers again this year and that I simply missed

them.  With their dark plumage and relatively small size, they could very

easily be overlooked in the lush vegetation on islands "A" and "B."



Also observed in the area were:

Mallard--multiple individuals, including one female with a very small

yellow chick

Mergus sp.--there was a group of five or more young mergansers along the

edge of "C," but due to the distance and waves, I couldn't be certain of

the identification to species.  I am used to seeing Common Mergansers

elsewhere along Lake Champlain (Willsboro Bay and Boquet River mouth), but

the Four Brothers are a traditional breeding spot (and one of the very few

breeding spots in New York State) for Red-breasted Merganser

Spotted Sandpipers--2+ individuals seen around "A" and "B"

Tree Swallow

Barn Swallow

Song Sparrow

Red-winged Blackbird--both this species and Song Sparrow were heard singing

from the islands



Good birding,

Matt Medler

Willsboro, NY and Charlotte, VT