Searching for Snowy Owls
Like ghosts from the Arctic, Snowy Owls have descended from the far north this winter. Join VCE biologists Sara Zahendra and Kent McFarland on Outdoor Radio as they try to find a white bird in the white snowy world of Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area and talk about the natural history of Snowy Owls along the way.
Team VCE-BIOECO Perseveres on Cuba’s Pico Turquino
VCE’s late January field expedition into the rugged Sierra Maestra mountains of eastern Cuba featured abnormally high rainfall, majestic cloud forests, grueling pre-dawn hikes, lively interactions with our Cuban partners, and… 7 Bicknell’s Thrushes. As always with this enigmatic songbird, more questions were raised than answered, but VCE’s work to clarify the species’ overwinter status on Cuba is making solid progress.
Outdoor Radio: Winter Gulls
We joined Bryan Pfeiffer, a VCE research associate and avid birder, at Grow Compost in Waterbury to witness a winter gull spectacle. Hundreds of gulls (and other birds) hang out amid this huge expanse of compost enjoying an endless feast, including a few rare arctic visitors like Glaucous Gulls. Listen to Outdoor Radio.
January 2018 iNaturalist Vermont Photo-Observation of the Month
Congratulations to Sue Wetmore for winning the January 2018 iNaturalist Vermont photo-observation of the month contest. Her image of a Horned Lark in the snow was the most popular photo-observation. Horned Larks form large…
Field Guide to February 2018
This month, wildlife and the rest of us here in New England will cross a threshold – arbitrary yet not insignificant: 10 hours of daylight. Even though we’ve got lots more winter, we’ve also got change. So here’s a Field Guide to February to help get your hopes up, no matter what that groundhog predicts.
Two birds, One App: VCE’s eBird Workshop Gets Positive Response
On a beautiful Sunday in January, twenty-two bird nerds from all over Vermont and New Hampshire forwent the sunshine to learn the ins and outs of eBird, a web and…
Seeking Puerto Rican Birds in the Wake of Hurricane Maria
After scouring the island of Puerto Rico for Bicknell’s Thrush (BITH) with our partners from Sociedad Ornitológica Puertorriqueña (SOPI) during the winters of 2015-16 and turning up only 11 birds, VCE figured our work there was largely done. Then Hurricanes Irma and Maria struck this past September.
VCE Kicks Off Year of the Bird with eBird Workshop
Join us on Sunday, January 28th for a special hands-on workshop for learning to use eBird–the website and the app (Android or IOS). The workshop is from 1pm – 3:30pm and is open to the first 30 registered participants. No prior experience needed! Learn more…
The Migratory Bird Treaty Act and bird conservation
Recent changes to the interpretation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act threaten to undo decades of success in cooperative bird conservation.
The 2017 Vermont eBird County Quest Awards
From an Eastern Screech Owl in Wilder on January 1st to a Snowy Owl in Bridport on December 31st, Vermont birders scoured fields and fens, mountains and meadows, lakes and lawns to discover as many bird species as possible during the 7th annual Vermont eBird County Quest.
CBC Roundup: The 118th Christmas Bird Count by the Numbers
The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) season has come to an end and as we warm our frozen extremities and dream of spring birding, it’s time to revel in what has…
VCE Joins more than 80 organizations worldwide to protect birds and their habitats for Year of the Bird in 2018
In 2018, we mark the centennial of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the most powerful and important bird-protection law ever passed. In honor of this milestone, we’re joining forces with…
