Cuba Next on VCE’s Horizon
Cuba is on VCE’s horizon, as Chris Rimmer and John Lloyd venture this week to the island’s eastern tip, in search of overwintering Bicknell’s Thrush. Backpacking to cloud forests of Sierra Maestra, where Fidel Castro famously hid out in the 1950s, and then venturing east to the serpentine forests of Humboldt National Park, they expect to find some thrushes, and a good number of Cuba’s 26 endemic birds.
Outdoor Radio: Peering Into A Porcupine Den
VCE biologists Kent McFarland, Sara Zahendra and Steve Faccio ventured into the woods on a blustery day to see a porcupine den that was big enough for a human to fit in – but not someplace you’d want to venture!
A Field Guide to March
March is a month of battles between warm and cold, between winter’s refusal to leave and spring’s insistence on coming. So, heralding the sun’s arrival, here’s a Field Guide to March.
February 2017 iNaturalist Vermont Photo-Observation of the Month
Congratulations to JoAnne Russo for winning the February 2017 iNaturalist Vermont photo-observation of the month contest. Her image of a Red Fox starring the camera down on a winter day was the most popular photo-observation as measured by clicked ‘favs’.
New Publication Available: Guidelines for Managing Bicknell’s Thrush Habitat in the United States
A new resource for planning the management and conservation of Bicknell’s Thrush habitat in the United States is now available at the International Bicknell’s Thrush Conservation Group web site.
Outdoor Radio: The Elusive Lynx
Kent McFarland and Sara Zahendra traveled by snowmobile into the wilderness of the Northeast Kingdom with biologists from the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department in hopes of spotting a Canada lynx or lynx tracks.
Stand Up for Science!
All of us, scientists and non-scientists alike, who believe in rationality, who believe that science can and should contribute to good decision-making and public policy, need to stand up and make our voices heard.
A Field Guide to February 2017
This month, wildlife and the rest of us here in New England will cross a threshold – arbitrary yet not insignificant: 10 hours of daylight. You can sense it when you head out in the morning: woodpeckers are starting to drum. Even though we’ve got lots more winter, we’ve also have change. So here’s a Field Guide to February to help get your hopes up, no matter what that groundhog predicted.
January 2017 iNaturalist Vermont Photo-observation of the Month
Congratulations to Charlotte Bill for winning the January 2017 iNaturalist Vermont photo-observation of the month contest. Bald Eagle populations have been slowly rising for decades in the Northeast and winter provides a great opportunity to see these majestic birds.
The Galapagos Gang: An Unusual Bobolink Stopover
What on earth are Bobolinks doing in the Galapagos Islands each autumn? In a somewhat risky mission to find out more, VCE and other biologists ventured to the island of San Cristóbal in an attempt to intercept migrating Bobolinks to find out more. Learn more about what they found on these isolated islands.
Farewell and Thanks to a Tireless Caribbean Conservationist
After 5+ years as VCE’s Caribbean Bird Conservation Coordinator, Juan Carlos Martinez-Sanchez is moving on to new adventures. All of us at VCE wish him well and offer him our profound thanks for a job extraordinarily well done. The personal energy and commitment that Juan Carlos poured into every aspect of his work were nothing short of remarkable.
Outdoor Radio: Crows Come Home to Roost
With the sun dropping below the hills the chase was on. We followed them as best we could, zig-zagging through traffic and city streets, as they streamed from the pre-roost towards their final destination. With the light fading fast, we found them. Thousands of crows, with more arriving by the second, gathered in the trees.
