Birding highlight of t
Enosburgh Town Forest (ETF), Franklin, US-VT


Birding highlight of the day:

Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus)  6     There were probably eight different individuals, but during my hour's walk, I saw only six at the same time. I can't be sure that the first and last lone individuals were different birds from the six that I saw at the same  time.

Anyway, when I hear BWHA, I ALWAYS look before adding to my list because we have one or more Blue Jays here that do perfect BWHA vocalizations. At any rate, I heard BWHA, so I looked, and WAY high in the sky, I saw one individual (perhaps two, but I couldn't see field marks on the second bird so am not counting it). Then, only about 150-200 feet above the ground, I counted five other BWHA. Four of those proceeded to ride a thermal in a small kettle heading up until they, too, were hundreds of feet up - just tiny specks that then rode the air south. (Mt. Philo - here they come!)

The fifth of those five birds did not join the kettle with the other four. At a low altitude, it glided off over Enosburgh Town Forest to the west.

Also among other birds today:

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) - 1 immature male (2 immature females on 8/25)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)  3 today (8 yesterday!)
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)  1

And yesterday, an Osprey and a BWHA were soaring upwards over ETF. Osprey was a first for ETF, but proximity of Trout and Missisquoi Rivers meant it was completely possible, and bird's field marks were unmistakable.

Charlotte
Enosburgh