VCE Director of Science Named Elective Member of American Ornithological Society
John Lloyd, VCE’s Director of Science, was named as an Elective Member of the American Ornithological Society during the Society’s 135th annual meeting in August. Elective Members are selected by their peers for their significant contributions to ornithology or service to the society.
Habitat Selection with a Twist: A Story of Two Opportunistic Loons
VCE summer intern Kirsti Carr recounts her unexpected discovery of a long-abandoned swimming raft that a Common Loon pair used for nesting on Chandler Pond in 2017. She and her Vermont Loon Recovery Project team rehabilitated the raft – easily Vermont’s largest – in late July and hope that the loo pair will approve of its new, improved home for continued successful nesting in 2018.
Take Your iNaturalist Photos to the Next Level
Smartphone cameras are a critical citizen science tool for documenting phenology and species presence, and the primary multimedia format submitted to iNaturalist Vermont. But smartphone cameras are notoriously poor at taking close up photos, and most of us don’t walk around with a digital SLR camera complete with a macro lens. What’s an iNaturalist to do?
July 2017 iNaturalist Vermont Photo-Observation of the Month
Congratulations to Bryan Pfeiffer ln for winning the July 2017 iNaturalist Vermont photo-observation of the month contest. His image of a Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) was the most popular photo-observation as measured by clicked ‘favs’.
A Tiger Found in Vermont
Congratulations, Vermont. You’ve got a new dragonfly — Tiger Spiketail (Cordulegaster erronea). Dale Ferland, an angler who likes to poke around rivers, snapped that photo above on Monday from the Black River in Springfield and it was posted and confirmed on iNaturalist Vermont.
SOS! Search Our Shorelines for Shells
Do you like to wander the shorelines of rivers, streams and lakes? Maybe you are a beachcomber and enjoy collecting shells. We need your help with the Vermont Freshwater Mussel Survey. It is easy and fun. Anyone can help!
Whip-poor-will Fever
I remember naively thinking it would be easy to detect a Whip-poor-will singing, with its distinctive sound. It turns out it’s not easy at all! Despite the formidable odds, I joined my colleague Sarah Carline to cross the state in search of the elusive Whip-poor-will. Read about our great adventure.
VCE begins migratory-bird conservation project in the Dominican Republic
The Vermont Center for Ecostudies announced today that it has received funding from a Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act grant to complete a strategic conservation plan for Sierra de Bahoruco National Park, one of the largest and most biodiverse areas in the West Indies and a critical wintering site for Bicknell’s Thrush.
Outdoor Radio: Bat Counts
Biologists Kent McFarland and Sara Zahendra join Alyssa Bennett from the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, as well as two volunteer bat counters at Bomoseen State Park to count bats as they leave the maternity colony to forage for insects at dusk.
Humans and Songbirds Meet Up on Mt. Mansfield
VCE’s 11-12 July field trip to Mt. Mansfield featured favorable weather and plentiful mist net captures. Banding highlights included the season’s first Winter Wren (it’s astounding how tiny these birds are, given the volume of their song!) and Magnolia Warbler, and free-flying juveniles of 3 species. The human element of this trip was especially rewarding, with a 10 year-old and his grandfather, our two summer interns, and several other enthusiastic visitors.
A Mountain Birdwatch Adventure in the White Mountains
Kirsti Carr, VCE’s UVM Intern, and Nate Launer, VCE’s Alexander Dickey Conservation Intern, recently surveyed two Mountain Birdwatch routes in the White Mountains. Read about their adventures.
Freshwater Mussel Survey Needs Your Help
Freshwater mussels are recognized as the most endangered group of aquatic organisms in Vermont. Join the Vermont Freshwater Mussel Survey and help us survey waterways for these unique animals. Learn all you need to know at our workshop on July 15th at North Branch Nature Center. Read more…
