Counting Birds: When Zeros Equal One or More
We’ve all been there. A friend visits from out of town, and you take them birding at a reliable spot for your locally uncommon bird—say, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. After hours of listening and walking around the woods, your search turns up empty. “I don’t get it,” you apologetically exclaim to your friend, “they are usually here—I just saw one yesterday.”
May 2016 iNaturalist Vermont Photo-observation of the Month
Congratulations to Joshua Lincoln for winning the May 2016 iNaturalist Vermont photo-observation of the month contest. The image of a Festive Tiger Beetle (Cicindela scutellaris) was the most popular photo-observation as measured by clicked ‘favs’.
Outdoor Radio: The Future Of Vermont’s Lake Sturgeon
In this edition of Outdoor Radio, VCE biologists Kent McFarland and Sara Zahendra join Chet MacKenzie from the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department to learn how biologists are trying help Lake Sturgeon thrive once again.
Color-banded birds at Union Village Dam
Our newest citizen-science initiative has officially started! This summer, VCE is asking citizen scientists to observe (and report upon) color-banded populations of Song Sparrows and Gray Catbirds at two locations in Central Vermont. This week at Thetford’s Union Village Dam Recreation Area, we marked and released several Song Sparrows, and we are eagerly awaiting the first re-sightings of these birds.
Vermont Cliff Tops and Overlooks Closed to Protect Nesting Peregrine Falcons
Hiking Vermont’s hillsides is a great way to enjoy a spring day, but you should check to see if the area you’re planning to hike or climb is open. Several cliff areas are currently closed to protect nesting Peregrine Falcons.
Keep an Eye Out for Turtles
It’s springtime and Vermont’s turtles on are on the move. The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is asking for the public’s help in keeping them safe and report your sightings.
A New Opportunity for Citizen Scientists: Resighting Color-banded Birds
Want to be a field ornithologist? Here’s your chance. We invite all citizen scientists, regardless of their ability or birding experience, to participate in this collaborative endeavor.
April 2016 iNaturalist Vermont Photo-observation of the Month
Congratulations to Erika Mitchell for winning the April 2016 iNaturalist Vermont photo-observation of the month contest.
A Field Guide to May 2016
The month of May is a show-off. Woodland wildflowers jump out of the ground and demand attention. Trees flower and leaves burst from long-dormant buds. Birds arrive on southern night winds and liven the dawn with a chorus of song. May shouts of life and rejuvenation.
Pacific Loon Spotted on Lake Dunmore
Pacific Loon sighted on Lake Dunmore this week by Mike Korkuc, our 2015 awardee of the Julie Nicholson Citizen Science Award.
Lifting the Curtain on Grassland Bird Migration
Grassland bird migration is a mystery that VCE is helping to unlock, thanks to the use of cutting edge technology. This summer VCE biologists, Roz Renfrew and Jason Hill, are…
Outdoor Radio: Amphibian Crossing Guards Help with Migration
Its an annual rite of spring for both amphibians and enthusiastic volunteers. Amphibians leave their underground winter home on rainy spring nights and migrate to nearby wetlands to reproduce. But along the way, they sometimes have to cross roads and if they’re lucky, crossing guards are there waiting to help.
