Contributed by Pat Phillips
Header image: Little River State Park by Pat Phillips
Little River State Park
Saturday, May 6th
After almost a week of cool, rainy weather, the clouds moved off and we were provided a spectacular morning for birding at the Little River State Park. A group of 19 birders met at the top of the Waterbury Dam and traveled along the park road into the campground. While the weather and winds experienced earlier in the week limited the number of returning warblers observed, the group was still able to spot several Yellow-rumped Warblers as well as a few Black-and-white Warblers and Pine Warblers. In total, 30 different species were observed, with the highlight of the morning being a Red-necked Grebe first spotted by Clem Nilan. The group also had excellent looks at Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Hermit Thrushes, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and Chipping Sparrows. The trip report can be seen at https://ebird.org/checklist/S136314566.
Northeast Kingdom Expedition
Sunday, May 14th
GMAS and the Greensboro Free Library coordinated their first “Warbler Ramble” through mixed pine and maple habitat along the south shore of Caspian Lake. Fresh migrants plus year-round resident species of birds were observed or recognized by voice by 25 strangely-cladded birders of various sizes and ages with a strange selection of binoculars hanging around their necks. The day was clear but cold, with temperatures just above freezing. Most of the birders, both early summer migrants and permanent nesters, ranging in age from 10 to 80, fed on coffee and doughnuts prior to starting the expedition. The high point for the birds was having an audience as they performed their spring mating and nesting rituals. The high point for the birders was seeing 29 species.
Rock River Wildlife Management Area
Sunday, May 21st
Photo by Pat Phillips
Cool wet weather and cloudy conditions challenged a small group of GMAS members as they plied the silty waters of the Rock River, part of a state wildlife management area. Moving upstream through an open swampy area into a “tunnel” of arching silver maples, sounds of numerous Warbling Vireos, Yellow Warblers, Least Flycatchers, and Northern Waterthrush echoed in the floodplain forest. Flashes of orange revealed the locations of raucous Baltimore Orioles, and the wingbeats of white and blue accompanied the “rat-tat-tat” of Belted Kingfishers. This unique type of on-the-water birdwatching was both challenging and fun and yielded a bird list of 47 species: https://ebird.org/checklist/S138783333
Westford Town Forest
Saturday, May 27th
On a beautiful Memorial Day weekend, a group of 12 birders participated in the first walk GMAS has ever done at Westford Town Forest. This site incorporates a system of trails through diverse woodland, grassland, and riverine habitat, providing the opportunity to observe a variety of birds. The leaves on the trees obscured good looks at many of the birds and necessitated the employment of the group’s auditory skills. Open areas along the river and fields offered better opportunities for sighting birds. Group members concurred that this was an excellent spot for birding, meriting a return at some point in the future. Overall, 50 species were observed, detailed by following this link: https://ebird.org/checklist/S139483792
Photo by Pat Phillips
Catamount Community Forest
Saturday, June 3rd
Audubon Vermont, the Catamount Community Forest Management Committee, and the Green Mountain Audubon Society collaborated in an effort that combined a bird banding demonstration and bird walk in Williston on a surprisingly cool and cloudy morning. The event began with Audubon Vermont biologist Mark LaBarr retrieving birds from mist nets that he had set up just after sunrise. Over 30 community members observed Mark as he caught, weighed, measured, and banded a variety of bird species. Mark explained how the data collected is used to track bird movements and to support efforts to preserve avian species and their habitats.
Photo by Pat Phillips
Sixteen participants then proceeded on a walk along the Catamount trails, observing and listening to a diversity of grassland, woodland, and other bird species. Birders reported a total of 58 bird species, thanks in large part to the help of birder extraordinaire Jacob Crawford. Here’s the link to the ebird report: https://ebird.org/checklist/S140344540