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!
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.
Field Update: New nests, flooded nests, and healthy competition
It’s July, and loon nesting season is in full swing! Here’s an update from the lakes and ponds from VCE’s loon biologist, Eric Hanson.
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!
Study Reveals Striking Decline of Vermont’s Bumble Bees
A new study examining 100 years of bumble bee records reveals that almost half of Vermont’s species, which are vital pollinators, have either vanished or are in serious decline.
Vernal Pools Through the Year
Picture a vernal pool in your mind’s eye and you’re instantly swept away to springtime. But here at VCE, our vernal pool research spans all seasons. Alex Wells, our VPMon Coordinator, provides this latest update on off-season vernal pool monitoring activities.
2018 Peregrine Falcon Nesting Season Complete
The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department recently announced that Peregrine Falcon nesting season has ended, so hikers and rock climbers can return to Vermont cliffs starting August 1, 2018.
Merlins: Murder, Mayhem and Magnificence Now Flying Near You
Like a cross between a cruise missile and a T-Rex, they are flying and killing machines. At this moment, most of you are probably not too far from a Merlin. Here’s how to find one.
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.
Autumn’s First Snowy Owl
The Arctic came visiting early this fall. Reed Webster found this Snowy Owl in Westminster, Vermont, on October 25 – our first report of the season.
