*Vermont



*Statewide

7/1/05



*VT0403.06



 This is the Vermont Rare Bird Alert for Friday, July 1, 2005 covering the
period June 24 - 30, 2005.



            The week's most noteworthy avian visitor was the 2 year old
WHOOPING CRANE originally from the new Wisconsin breeding area, which, after
spending last winter in North Carolina, ended up in a corn field in Cornwall
this month.  The first sighting of this bird took place on June 9th at Dead
Creek WMA, and the last known sighting was on the morning of June 30th
around 10:30 in a field along the Lemon Fair River in Cornwall, where it
lifted off, circled quite high and flew west.  The wet areas in fields along
the river are drying up, which may have encouraged the bird to move on.



            An adult BALD EAGLE was seen flying over Hartland on June 28th.
Two COOPER'S HAWK nestlings are close to fledging from a nest on Grand Isle.
A MERLIN was observed on Grand Isle on June 22nd, and seen carrying prey in
South Burlington on the 23rd.  Three PEREGRINE FALCONS were spotted near Mt.
Horrid on June 24th.



            A YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER was sighted at Somerset Reservoir
last week.



            A MOURNING WARBLER was heard in Killington and in West
Bridgewater on June 25th.



            A LINCOLN'S SPARROW was seen near a beaver pond off Forest Road
71, near Somerset Reservoir, on the 30th of June.



            A RUSTY BLACKBIRD was observed last week at Somerset Reservoir.



              Thanks to the following contributors whose observations were
cited: Greg Askew, Susan Elliott, Bruce Flewelling, Jean Harrison, David
Hoag, Bill Leecon, Scott Morrical, Chris Petrak, David Sausville, Susan
Sussman, Sue Wetmore and Ian and Mary Worley.



 Birders, Save the Date!
Vermont-New Hampshire Birders Conference Saturday, October 15, 2005, 10 am -
5 pm (Optional field trips on Sunday, October 16) At Lake Morey Resort,
Fairlee, VT

Presented by:  The Vermont Institute of Natural Science (www.vinsweb.org)
and New Hampshire Audubon (www.nhaudubon.org)

Featuring:
- Topical bird conservation and research presentations
- Keynote speakers
- Workshops on bird-related activities
- Birding equipment vendor tables
- Optional field trips on Sunday

Look for full itinerary and registration information soon on what will be a
must for all New England birders!



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 Quechee, 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