..... gorgeous Lapland Longspurs are singing from a treetop in a bright 
morning's sun!

So it was this morning on Basin Harbor Road, just south of Route 125 in 
Bridport.  Ron Payne, Josh Lincoln, and I counted, watched and 
photographed 34 Lapland Longspurs in a mixed flock of Horned Larks 
(mostly) and Snow Buntings (occasionally) along the roadside.  At one 
point a number of Snow Buntings and Lapland Longspurs (both males and 
females) flew into the branches of a small roadside tree in the 
otherwise wide open fields!  The species list is below.

These field species were abundant as we drove among large roadside fields.

We also visited the Champlain Bridge and Tri-Town water treatment 
facility.  Saw similar species and numbers that have been reported 
recently.  The checklists can be found at:

http://ebird.org/ebird/vt/view/checklist?subID=S13474060
http://ebird.org/ebird/vt/view/checklist?subID=S13474126

Ian
-------------------
Basin Harbor Road, Bridport, Addison, US-VT
Mar 21, 2013 10:15 AM - 11:12 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.9 mile(s)
7 species

Red-tailed Hawk  1
Rough-legged Hawk  3
Ring-billed Gull  1
American Crow  4
Horned Lark  115     Counted by 10s
Lapland Longspur  34     Counted by individuals.  At one point several 
were in the top of a tree along with some Snow Buntings.
Snow Bunting  430     Counted by 10s and/or 50s

View this checklist online at 
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13473758