A Serendipitous Orchard Oriole Extravaganza
A casual dusk bird walk during a layover in Panama City provided Chris Rimmer with an unforgettable birding experience, as he intercepted an unprecedented concentration of Orchard Orioles heading to a communal nighttime roost.
2019 Norwich Bird Quest Racks up 177 Species
Birders rose to the challenge in 2019, as the inaugural Norwich Bird Quest eclipsed its goal of 175 species found within town borders in a single year. Over 1,300 eBird checklists by 17 birders generated an impressive total of 177 species, with numerous surprises. The 2020 Quest is now underway, with even more ambitious goals!
Of Birds and Buckets: Nocturnal Flight Call Recordings Shine A Light on Migration Timing
Most of our knowledge regarding the migration timing of songbirds comes from birding observations made during the day, even though much of the actual migration occurs at night. Is this a problem? As it turns out, it might be.
Gifts for the Conservation-minded Person Who Has Everything
“Honestly, I really don’t need anything.”
We all have them. People in our lives who are impossible to shop for, because they have everything they need. The holidays are stressful enough without the added burden of having to think outside the box (and quickly) to make sure you have something for everyone. We at VCE would like to help you out this season by providing some creative, conservation-themed solutions to your gift-giving dilemmas!
Team Pipit’s Extraordinary Birding Feat: 150 species in all 14 Vermont Counties
Fred (Pat) Pratt of Team Pipit completed an extraordinary birding feat on November 25, notching his 150th species of 2019 in Bennington County, with a pair of Northern Shovelers. This discovery earned Pat the 14th Star Award, as the first birder ever to record 150 species in all 14 Vermont counties during a single calendar year. Congratulations to Team Pipit for a truly inspiring accomplishment!
Field Guide to September 2019
Here is your field guide to some amazing migrations happening right now, and a few other natural history tidbits to look for this fall.
From New England to Colombia, Migratory Species Rely on Grassland Ambassadors – Part II
VCE biologist Rosalind Renfrew spent three weeks in Colombia with conservation partners Asociación Calidris for migratory grassland bird research and outreach. Read part two of a three-part series about this incredible shared learning experience.
From New England to Colombia, Migratory Species Rely on Grassland Ambassadors
VCE biologist Rosalind Renfrew spent three weeks in Colombia with conservation partners Asociación Calidris for migratory grassland bird research and outreach. Read part one of a three-part series about this incredible shared learning experience.
2019: Norwich Year of the Bird
Norwich 2019 Year of the Bird is underway. This is an informal (but serious) challenge to birders to explore the avian diversity of Norwich, get outdoors, share the thrill of discovery, and learn. The collective goal is to document 175 species within the town’s borders during 2019. A special web page will allow everyone to keep track and share their sightings through Vermont eBird. Grab your binoculars and join the quest!
Field Update: Loon Wins and Losses
Every year, some of our returning loons get themselves into “hot water,” so to speak. Eric Hanson, VCE’s loon biologist, gives us his mid-season good news/bad news update here.
