Fir Mast and Winter Weather Drives Survival in a Montane Forest Bird Species
Recently published VCE paper describes unexpected findings in the quest to understand how environmental processes shape the population dynamics of Bicknell’s Thrush throughout their annual cycle.
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!
New VCE Study Reveals Surprising Upland Sandpiper Migration Patterns
VCE’s recent paper describes surprising new information about migratory patterns of Upland Sandpipers.
Mercury in the Mountains: VCE Research Yields More Questions than Answers
VCE’s recently published paper from our long-term research on mercury accumulation in montane forest birds describes unexpected results.
VCE’s Wrap-up Mansfield Visit Fuels Optimism
VCE’s wrap-up Mansfield banding session rekindled spirits and refueled optimism amidst recent sobering news about avian population declines. After a summer of relative scarcity on our ridgeline study site, we captured 82 birds. We now wish safe passage for the many migrants we all share and cherish.
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.
Loon Season Update: Late Nests and a Successful Rescue
VCE’s Eric Hanson provides this late-summer update from the water, including a couple of short rescued loon release video clips!
The Colby Loon
Rose West, VCE’s 2019 Alexander Dickey Conservation Intern, provides a personal account of monitoring a distressed loon for the Vermont Loon Conservation Project.
VCE’s Mansfield Season Winding Down
Shorter days, a near absence of bird song, molting adults, and the appearance of post-breeding wanderers last week signaled seasonal changes underway on Mt. Mansfield, and the winding down of VCE’s 2019 banding season there.
Field Guide to August 2019
We’ve still got plenty of summer here in Vermont and points north. In this edition of VCE’s monthly field guide to nature, we’ll celebrate a few audacious summer insects – but we’ll also alert you to animals on the move.
