Oil Spill Update

All of us have been following the progress of BP and the government in containing the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The National Audubon Society is in the front lines of the clean up effort, rescuing birds, training volunteers, and assessing the damage to the Gulf Coast's wetlands. There have been a few successes and many heartbreaking failures, but the effort has been constant. The NAS has created an informative blog, so that all of us can follow their work in the Gulf. The address is:

http://magblog.audubon.org/oil-spill

You do not have to be an Audubon member to access this blog.

Birding Hotspots in Northwestern Vermont

Looking for a place to go birding in Northwestern Vermont? Check out our new website feature "Birding Hotspots". There you will find links to "A Birder's Dozen"- 12 essays describing places to go birding in our area complete with links to eBird and maps that tell you how to get there. Simply click Birding Hotspots from the list on the left hand side of this page to begin your search. For a comprehensive list of places to bird in Northwestern Vermont, take a look at the Resources page in this section.

Enjoy birding in Vermont this summer.

What's New at the GMAS-Spring 2010

Spring has sprung and so has the GMAS. We held a variety of events this spring, ranging from programs featuring Mark LaBarr's projects in Mexico and Dominica and Dave Capen's studies of cormorants on Lake Champlain to field trips at Burlington's Intervale, Berlin Pond, Geprags Park, and Mount Philo. We saw some great birds at each of these locations. including Rusty Blackbird (Intervale), Northern Waterthrush (Berlin Pond), Golden-winged Warbler (Geprags Park), and Blackburnian Warbler (Mount Philo). These are just a few examples of the excellent birds to be found in Vermont during migration and the breeding season. Thanks to Bob Johnson for sharing his photos of a Golden-winged Warbler and a singing Brown Thrasher both seen at Geprags Park.

The GMAS devotes the month of June to conservation projects spearheaded by Board member, Bill Mercia. These projects include participation in Vermont's Peregrine Falcon monitoring program, bird monitoring in the Hinesburg Town Forest in support of Audubon Vermont's Forest Bird Initiative, and continued monitoring at the Green Mountain Audubon Center and the Catamount Outdoor Family Center. This season we will also be participating in the Champlain Valley Bird Initiative headed by Mark LaBarr from Audubon Vermont. If volunteers are interested in participating in any of these projects, let us know.

We are planning our field trips and programs for late summer and fall. If you have recommendations for future GMAS events, we welcome your comments and suggestions.

Have a great summer. We hope to see you at one or more of our events later this year.