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.
July 2019 Photo-observation of the Month
Congratulations to Alex Wells and Nathaniel Sharp for winning the July 2019 Vermont Atlas of Life iNaturalist photo-observation of the month. In this dead-heat between the ECO AmeriCorps members serving at the Vermont Center…
VTBees Update From the Field
Throughout the spring and summer, Vermont Center for Ecostudies biologists and citizen scientists alike have been scouring fields, roadsides, gardens, and all places flowers are found to survey bees for the Vermont Wild Bee Survey (VTBees).
Bit O’ Balsam Beer Benefits Bicknell’s Thrush
Join us at Lawson’s Finest Liquids Taproom in Waitsfield on August 5 to launch LFL’s 2019 batch of Bit O’ Balsam American IPA. This specialty beer features Balsam Fir tips harvested at high elevations in the Green Mountains, with proceeds benefitting VCE’s Bicknell’s Thrush conservation efforts.
Mansfield Update: the Joys (and Pains) of Banding
VCE’s seventh banding session on Mansfield yielded our biggest total of the season (but still <50 birds), two very old Bicknell's Thrushes, and a female Sharp-shinned Hawk whose talons brought a grimace to Spencer Hardy's face.
VCE’s Jason Hill Receives High Honor as AOS Elective Member
VCE’s own Jason Hill recently received a high honor from the American Ornithological Society with his election as an Elective Member. Jason’s contributions to ornithology, both in his 5 years at VCE and beforehand, are nothing short of remarkable.
Mansfield Update: The Kids Are Coming
Week 6 of VCE’s 2019 banding season on Mansfield brought a second consecutive bump in mist net captures, and the first appearance of locally-hatched juveniles. Human youngsters also highlighted the week.
Celebrating Anne Aversa’s Life and Legacy
Anne Aversa, a longtime VCE friend and Strafford resident, passed away in the autumn of 2018. Included in her legacy of accomplishments are many citizen science contributions and a rich body of artwork. A new kiosk in Anne’s memory now graces the Strafford Town Forest entrance.
Mansfield Birds Rebound Modestly in Week 5
Mist net captures on Mt. Mansfield rebounded modestly during week 5 of VCE’s 2019 banding season. While encouraging, overall numbers are still abnormally low. A scarcity of yearling birds suggests that recruitment has been low, possibly resulting from a poor 2018 breeding season.
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.
