VCE Birdathon Terns up a Last-minute Surprise
Boreal birds, balsam fir spires and peat bogs proved an irresistible lure to the Green Mountain Goatsuckers, drawing us back to Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom for our 2018 Birdathon. From the Barton River wetlands to the larch and fir forests of Victory, we covered a lot of ground. Our species count topped out at 103, and the day’s most surprising bird was our very last tally.
Bad Weather Yields Phoebe Bonanza
Bad weather may create memorable birding for humans, but unusual concentrations of grounded migrants typically reflect stressful situations for the birds themselves. Three VCE staff recently experienced an unprecedented and unforgettable gathering of Eastern Phoebes at Lake Runnemede in Windsor.
Sandhill Cranes Make Surprise Visit to Windsor County
The unexpected Earth Day sighting of 3 Sandhill Cranes at the Windsor Prison farm may reflect the species’ recent increase in New England, and the possibility that this stately species will be more regularly found in the Upper Valley and beyond.
Salt Pans and Elfin Forests: a Birding Tour de Force on Puerto Rico
A 2 1/2 day birding trip in western Puerto Rico, under the auspices of the Sociedad Ornitológica Puertorriqueña (SOPI), yielded 80 species and 13 of the island’s 20 endemics. A memorable experience was enjoyed by all 20 participants!
The Vermont – Santa Barbara Birding Challenge
Vermont and Santa Barbara County are squaring off in a friendly competition to find the highest number of species in 2015. With only two months to go, the race is close, with 264 species in VT, 261 in California. Vermonters birders are invited to make a pledge for eBird in this winner-take-all contest. The real goal is to get everyone out birding and reporting to Vermont eBird!
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.
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…
‘Green wave’ explains migratory bird routes
1.7 million crowd-sourced bird checklists from eBird used to construct a detailed picture of species occurrence for each week of…
Vermont Loon Update 17 July 2014
Loonwatch day: The annual statewide loonwatch survey takes place this Saturday, July 19. Most of the high priority lakes are assigned…
