
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!

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.

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.

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!

Poison in the Pools: Mercury in Vernal Pool Amphibians
VCE has a long history of investigating mercury concentrations in wildlife—particularly in montane ecosystems and Caribbean birds. Now, our groundbreaking investigation of mercury levels in vernal pool foodwebs has been published in the journal Ecotoxicology. Read on to find out more!

Move over Monarchs: VCE and Colleagues Reveal Astonishing Dragonfly Migration
A recent study examines the chemistry locked in dragonfly wings to uncover the surprising annual migration of the Common Green Darner.