Finding New Vermont Birding Hotspots Near You
Discover the best places for birding nearby or around the world using the Vermont eBird hotspot explorer. You can explore Vermont eBird hotspots in a map-based tool designed to provide quick access to all the information you need. Thanks to suggestions from Vermont eBirders, we have recently added numerous Vermont eBird hotspots for the main ridge and high peaks of the Green Mountains from Mt. Mansfield to Middlebury Gap.
Vermont Common Loons: The Limits of Success?
One of Vermont’s greatest wildlife conservation triumphs is the return of the Common Loon. From a mere seven pairs three decades ago, Vermont’s loon population has steadily climbed to 84 pairs in 2014. But in recent years, something unusual has been happening among Vermont loons.
Champions Crowned for 4th Annual Vermont County eBird Quest
From the predawn hoot of a Great Horned Owl on January 1st to a Hoary Redpoll at a feeder during the waning days of 2014, hundreds of Vermont birders scoured fields and fens, mountains and meadows, lakes and lawns to discover as many species as possible during a single calendar year. The 4th annual Vermont County eBird Quest pitted county versus county, birder against birder — all engaged in a friendly rivalry for top birding honors.
The 2015 Christmas Bird Count Roundup
As we all know, Christmas Bird Counts aren’t necessarily about finding rare birds. But all those birders out during the count period are bound to discover new and unusual birds. So here’s a summary, in no particular order, of what was hot during the 115th Vermont Christmas Bird Count season.
A Field Guide to January
Although the days are slowly growing longer, life in the Northeast now finds itself in the coldest depths of winter. January is about survival. Wildlife that doesn’t migrate adapts instead in order to make it to spring.
Jason Hill Joins VCE as Post-Doctoral Research Biologist
With the new year, VCE welcomes post-doc Jason Hill, who has relocated from State College, PA to launch our 3-year, nationwide project studying the migration ecology of Upland Sandpipers and Grasshopper Sparrows.
Vermont Fish & Wildlife Publishes Landowner’s Habitat Management Guide
The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is announcing the release of the long-awaited book entitled A Landowner’s Guide – Wildlife Habitat Management for Lands in Vermont. The book is a comprehensive guide to wildlife habitat management on private lands. It is filled with colorful photos and helpful tips.
November Photo-observation of the Month Winner
Congratulations to Joshua Lincoln for winning the November iNaturalist Vermont photo-observation of the month.
Happy New Year (and Give It Up for a Gray Jay?)
From all of us at VCE, have a great 2015 with wildlife. We’re looking forward to another productive year uniting people and science for conservation.
Ice-bound Loons
With the early cold weather, some loons simply fail to leave in time and get stuck in ice on small ponds. Usually these loons are chicks of the year (juveniles) that have to figure out migration on their own. The parents likely left in October or early November.
Owl Eats Owl
I was on my way to an event at the school gym here in Strafford, Vermont the other evening when I was called over by a bunch of kids who said they found an owl that they thought was sick or hurt because it was perched on a picnic table and didn’t fly away when it was approached. What I found surprised me!
The Persistent Tragedy of Sierra de Bahoruco: The Case of Las Mercedes
For years we have been deeply worried about accelerated deforestation of Jaragua and Sierra de Bahoruco National Parks, core zones of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Jaragua-Bahoruco-Enriquillo in the Dominican Republic.
Keep Endangered Flora Alive and Well
In Vermont we’re fortunate that critical habitat for rare species still exists. In fact, just recently, two of Vermont’s most endangered plants were rediscovered.
Outdoor Radio: Kinglets in the Cold
Weighing less than a nickel and not much larger than your thumb, golden-crowned kinglets are the smallest birds to winter in the New England woods. How does a bird this small stay alive during the long and cold winter night?
VCE’s Five Tips for Happy Holiday Conservation
‘Tis the season, when everywhere you turn, you’re inundated with holiday catalogs, electric reindeer, and online ads repeatedly showcasing those…
Miracles on Wings
They say that miracles only happen once, but for VCE biologists a miracle with wings has now hit their nets three times.
VCE Turns to Puerto Rico for Field Work
VCE next year embarks on a new investigation into potential wintering habitat for Bicknell’s Thrush in Puerto Rico.
A Field Guide to December 2014
Even on these cold, short days, most of us might not be too far from warblers and butterflies. In this VCE Field Guide to December, we report on how animals adapt for winter, and how a few might even leave behind some nice impressions.
Wing Prints
With all the early snow in the U.S. this winter, birds have been making impressions – literally. We’re seeing various wing prints in the snow. It makes us wonder about the reliability of identifying these prints.
The Pulse of Ten Thousand Wings
VCE Research Associated Bryan Pfeiffer is on the road with Sandhill Cranes, Snow Geese, and Ross’s Geese at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in central New Mexico. Bryan calls the refuge “profound.”
iNaturalist Vermont October Photo-observation Winner
The September winners, Susan and Dean Greenberg, chose a slate of amazing October photo-observations from iNaturalist Vermont, a project of…
VCE Presents the 2014 Julie Nicholson Citizen Scientist Award
This year VCE honors Marv and Sue Elliott with the Julie Nicholson Citizen Science Award. This brings the award full…
Record Year for New Bird Species in Vermont
With birdwatchers combing Vermont for new birds for more than a century now, finding a new species in the state might…
Ecologists Meet to Advance Vernal Pool Conservation
In late-Oct., the Vermont Center for Ecostudies hosted a one-day regional workshop in Smyrna, Delaware to introduce the Vernal Pool…
Autumn’s First Snowy Owl
The Arctic came visiting early this fall. Reed Webster found this Snowy Owl in Westminster, Vermont, on October 25 – our first report of the season.
Outdoor Radio: Tracking the Northern Saw-whet Owl
One of the most common owls in forests across northern North America during the breeding season, Northern Saw-whet Owls are…
A Field Guide to “Stick Season”
The warblers have left us for the warmth. Butterflies are but a fond memory. Amphibians are holed up for winter. But do not fret this dismal season. Here’s a field guide to “Stick Season.”
Rusty Blackbirds: Looking Forward, Looking Back
Tracking Rusty Blackbirds Northbound and SouthboundTracking Rusty Blackbirds Northbound and Southbound
Loon Chicks in November
By early November, the majority of adult Common Loons in Vermont have departed for the New England coast, where they…
Vermont eBird County Quest Heats Up
With less than two months to go, the 4th annual Vermont County eBird Quest is heating up. Western rivals Addison and…
