November 2019 Photo-observation of the Month
Congratulations to Joshua Lincoln for winning the November 2019 Vermont Atlas of Life iNaturalist photo-observation of the month. The image of a ‘eastern or red’ Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca iliaca) in Waterbury, Vermont garnered the most votes.
A Lifetime of Beetles
A lifetime of work on the ground beetles of Vermont and New Hampshire, Carabidae of Vermont and New Hampshire by Ross T. Bell, Professor Emeritus of the University of Vermont with species maps produced by the Vermont Atlas of Life at VCE, is now available as a PDF.
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!
Celebrating Birder Broker’s Successful First Year
Birder Broker helps landowners develop a deeper understanding of their property and gives birders the chance to explore a new patch of land. It’s a win-win! As 2019 draws to a close, it’s time to reflect on the program’s successful pilot year and look ahead to the future.
Chocolate: It’s for the Birds
Help us spread the word about an exciting initiative to conserve Bicknell’s Thrush wintering habitat. And eat more cacao. It’s good for you and the birds!
New VCE Study Reveals Surprising Upland Sandpiper Migration Patterns
VCE’s recent paper describes surprising new information about migratory patterns of Upland Sandpipers.
Outdoor Radio: Hunting for Tiny But Ferocious Tiger Beetles
In this episode of Outdoor Radio, we join Mark Ferguson of the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department along the Winooski River searching for tiger beetles and their larva holes.
Field Guide to November 2019
As leaves continue to fall and the first flakes begin to fly, the oncoming cold weather seems to bring nature to a standstill. On the contrary, there remains a lot to be discovered in Vermont during this transitional period. Learn more in our Field Guide to November.
Asian Tiger Mosquito Found in Vermont
State Agriculture and Health officials announced that the Asian Tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) has been identified for the first time in Vermont. This normally tropical/subtropical species is a known disease vector for Zika, chikungunya and dengue viruses, infecting humans in countries where these diseases are present. The mosquitoes found in Vermont do not currently carry these viruses.
iNaturalists Discover More New Moths for Vermont
Over 1,475 biologists and naturalists have contributed more than 51,000 moth photo-observations to the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist. Together, we’ve discovered over 100 new species for Vermont, and iNaturalists have done it again. two species new to Vermont were discovered and one species that was only known from a historical record was rediscovered.
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.
Fly Species New for Vermont Discovered by iNaturalist
You don’t have to go far to help the Vermont Atlas of Life discover species new to Vermont. You just have to be observant. A random fly entering a car window turns out to be the first record for the species in Vermont.
