Yesterday morning in the early twilight, as the sky awoke to deep blues 
graced with the rich reds of filmy, eastern clouds ... Ron Payne and I 
heard a rising rush of wings and low murmur of throngs of birds in 
chorus.  A swirling mass of well over 1000 swallows rose above the 
Brilyea cattails to form a rising curtain above our heads announcing the 
arrival of the day.  Diving and climbing, mixing back and forth, they 
continued as one loud flock for a few moments more, then began their 
dispersals for breakfast and bug control.

Ron and I explored the eastern arm of the west impondment, whose water 
level continues to lower gradually.  Much new shorebird habitat, notably 
mud flats and points, continues to emerge while vegetation grows in to 
cover the earlier exposed muds of shores and coves.

Both a Yellow-billed and a Black-billed Cuckoo were present.  No change 
in shorebird species from the last couple of weeks.  The species list is 
below.

Ian
====================


Brilyea Access, Addison, US-VT
Jul 20, 2012 4:23 AM - 8:26 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.1 mile(s)
Comments:     Ron Payne, Ian Worley
55 species

Canada Goose  10
Wood Duck  27
Mallard  28
Green-winged Teal  25
Great Blue Heron  21
Great Egret  3
Osprey  2
Bald Eagle  1
Killdeer  22
Spotted Sandpiper  7
Lesser Yellowlegs  2
Least Sandpiper  5
American Woodcock  1
Ring-billed Gull  4
Caspian Tern  1
Mourning Dove  2
Yellow-billed Cuckoo  1
Black-billed Cuckoo  1
Belted Kingfisher  1
Downy Woodpecker  2
Northern Flicker  2
Pileated Woodpecker  1
Eastern Wood-Pewee  3
Willow Flycatcher  3
Great Crested Flycatcher  1
Eastern Kingbird  6
Red-eyed Vireo  2
Blue Jay  1
American Crow  3
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  1
Tree Swallow  1000     Early twilight was very still, cool, and 
cloudless.  From the silence we suddenly heard a growing rush of birds 
over the marshes ... and at least 1000, if not many more, swallows were 
immediately overhead swirling and mixing back and forth from high in the 
sky to water's level.  Both observers are experienced at making careful 
counts and estimates.  Our estimate was "easily 1000" and probably 
significantly more.  Throughout the rest of our birding reported here we 
saw many Tree Swallows, but did not add their count to our total 
assuming they were part of this flock which arose from its nighttime roost.
Bank Swallow  12
Barn Swallow  6
Black-capped Chickadee  2
Tufted Titmouse  3
White-breasted Nuthatch  1
Marsh Wren  5
Wood Thrush  3
American Robin  13
Gray Catbird  6
Brown Thrasher  1
European Starling  42
Cedar Waxwing  4
Common Yellowthroat  8
Yellow Warbler  5
Savannah Sparrow  1
Song Sparrow  22
Swamp Sparrow  5
Scarlet Tanager  1
Northern Cardinal  3
Bobolink  1
Red-winged Blackbird  19
Common Grackle  22
Brown-headed Cowbird  2
American Goldfinch  7

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org/vt)