A Field Guide to July 2018
The avian breeding season is winding down. Even a few southbound shorebirds will trickle through the region this month on their “fall” migration. But as the dawn bird chorus now fades from northern woodlands, fields and wetlands erupt in the sparkle and drama of summer insects. Here’s a short guide to some of July’s lesser known natural history.
Field Update: Mountain Birdwatch
Jason Hill sheds light on the status of Mountain Birdwatch 2018.
Prepare to be impressed.
A Plethora of PUFIs on Mansfield
VCE’s fifth weekly banding session of 2018 on Mt. Mansfield featured a plethora of Purple Finches, a bounty of Bicknell’s Thrushes, and a chance to mentor our three eager bird banding apprentices.
New Study Reveals e-Butterfly Volunteers Provide Unique and Important Data
New peer-reviewed research shows that opportunistic citizen science programs like e-Butterfly, in conjunction with professional datasets, provide unique information on species distributions and phenology which are important for understanding global change.
Give ‘Em Space: Observe Nesting Loons from a Distance
The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is asking boaters and anglers to enjoy loons from a safe distance this summer.
Take Part in the 2018 International Monarch Monitoring Blitz!
From July 28 to August 5, butterfly watchers across North America are invited to take part in the International Monarch Monitoring Blitz to help provide a valuable snapshot of Monarch population status across their late summer range.
Field Update: Mansfield Yields Avian Surprises
Philadelphia Vireo, Least Flycatcher, juvenile White-winged Crossbill — VCE’s third 2018 field session on Mt. Mansfield produced several notable surprises among our 61 mist net captures. The addition of our Board of Directors provided energy, enthusiasm, and learning for all.
VCE Co-sponsors Upcoming Montpelier BioBlitz
Break out the binoculars and bandstands for BioBlitz 2018: a citywide nature festival and quest to catalog every form of life within Montpelier’s boundaries.
VCE Vlog: Field Update from the Great North Woods
VCE Director of Science John Lloyd recently emerged from the Great North Woods long enough to seek out a WiFi signal to share this brief update from the field. All of us here at VCE were relieved to see that the mosquitoes had not yet carried him away.
Grassland Ambassadors: Laughing Brook Farm
The Bobolink’s bubbly song has filled the summer fields of Julia and Greg Smist’s 100-acre farm in Westminster, VT for at least 30 years. A decade or so after buying the farm, Julia noticed fewer Bobolinks in the fields. Her observations echo a grim region-wide statistic: Bobolinks have declined by 75% in the region over the past 50 years.
Hayfield Heroes: Landowners Key to Grassland Bird Conservation
Landowners often unknowingly control the fate of migratory grassland birds, and the possibilities for providing nesting habitat vary from one piece of land, and one landowner, to the next.
Lead Fishing Tackle Detrimental to NH Loon Population
A recent study of mortality in New Hampshire loons over 24 years reveals that ingestion of lead fishing gear (primarily jigs and sinkers) is the leading cause of death among adults. This troubling discovery helped spur a regulatory ban on sale and use of lead tackle, and lead-caused loon mortality rates have since declined statewide.
