Field Report: How the Birds Are Doing on Mount Mansfield This Summer
Our Slate-Colored Junco capture numbers are half of what they were last year, although all of our other target species are visiting our nets at roughly the same or higher rates as 2024.
State of the Mountain Birds Northeast 2024
The State of the Mountain Birds, Northeast 2024 report has landed with a thud on our proverbial desks.
My Summer in Species: Illustrated
This summer, I worked with VCE as an interdisciplinary intern. By being able to dip my toes into a little bit of everything, I got to learn first-hand that there are so many ways to be a scientist, and so many wonderful subjects to study.
24th BirdsCaribbean International Conference: Conversations and Celebrations
Last month, two VCE scientists and our Executive Director Emeritus spent over a week in the Dominican Republic for the 24th BirdsCaribbean International conference. While there, they packed their schedules, sharing ideas with colleagues, listening to fascinating discussions, leading workshops, and—in Chris Rimmer’s case—giving a keynote and receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Mount Mansfield 2024 Midseason Report
With six trips up to Mount Mansfield’s peak and five trips to Mount Washington under our belts, VCE’s banding team is well into our summer 2024 montane bird banding and monitoring efforts! Battling rain, wind, chill, and scorching heat has been the baseline for this summer, but although perfect weather has been elusive, the birds we seek have not.
The Next Generation of Mt. Mansfield Ridgeline Research at VCE
With all the buzz on bees and other pollinators lately, you may be wondering if VCE is still studying birds. Are we ever! Amongst the plethora of continuing and new research, our Bicknell’s Thrush research program is going strong and has expanded to explore additional questions and build on past discoveries.
VCE Internship Supports the Future of Ecology
As an organization that strives to “unite people and science for conservation,” we recognize that to become stronger and more resilient, we must create a culture that embraces diversity and fosters inclusivity. With that goal in mind, VCE launched our Future Ecologists internship in 2022.
VCE Wraps 32 Years on Mansfield with a Flourish
It’s impossible to keep VCE biologists away from Mt. Mansfield’s ridgeline, even after 32 years. Following a summer of record wet weather, VCE’s annual fall pilgrimage to the mountain yielded 183 mist net captures, including a fat-encased female Blackpoll Warbler about to undertake her 5th nonstop transoceanic fall migration to northern South America.
Mansfield’s Ridgeline Lures VCE Back for Season #32
One could argue that after 31 years of studying Mt. Mansfield’s ridgeline breeding birds, the time has come to seek new horizons. Well, sorry, that’s just not the VCE way. We launched season #32 on May 31, taking advantage of unseasonably summerlike weather to capture a total of 58 birds.
Further Adventures in the D.R.: On the Trailless Trail of the Bicknell’s Thrush
Part two of our DR trip brought us north to Reserva Privada Zorzal. This one-of-its-kind preserve hosts an entirely different assemblage of species and provided our crew with opportunities to attach a few more GPS tags.
Field Report: Playing “Tag” with Bicknell’s Thrush in the Dominican Republic
A VCE team recently traveled to the Dominican Republic to tag overwintering Bicknell’s Thrushes in the Sierra de Bahoruco National Park, with colleagues from Grupo Jaragua. Executive Director Susan Hindinger recounts the experience, which was her first trip to the Dominican Republic and Director-emeritus Chris Rimmer’s 50th+/-.
A Soggy Wrap to VCE’s 2022 Mansfield Season
VCE’s final Mt. Mansfield banding session of 2022 may have been a wash-out, but we captured a fat-encased Blackpoll Warbler ready for its astounding transoceanic southward flight, and we reflected on a highly successful season overall, with 17 GPS tags recovered from Bicknell’s Thrush.
