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Spring Birding Begins!

Reports have come in from all around the Mad River Valley about new bird arrivals for the Spring.  Red Winged Blackbirds, Robins, Song Sparrows, Fox Sparrows, and White Throated Sparrows are regularly being spotted.  Winter Wrens have been heard singing and the first warbler, a Yellow Rumped Warbler, has been seen in Waitsfield. 
The Mad Birders [...]

Vermont Spring Bird Arrival Schedule

Bird migration is not an exact science of course, but years of observation have given birders the ability to get pretty close to assigning a precise ETA for each bird’s Spring arrival date in Vermont. For a week by week ’schedule’ of what birds you can expect to see download a pdf of the Vermont [...]

THE MAD BIRDERS PRESENT “A 2007 VERMONT BIG YEAR OF BIRDING”

Terry Wright spied this Spruce Grouse in the Northeast Kingdom on 4/21/07. It was bird #106 for his Big Year.
How many birds can a person see in Vermont in a single calendar year? Terry Wright, of Essex Center decided to answer this question and spent most of his free time last year traveling [...]

Learn Challenging Fall Warblers on Ward Hill

You know fall is very close when Fred Pratt starts his daily early morning bird walks on Ward Hill.   He has been doing this during August and September for over thirty years.  Fred is the Valley expert on warblers, especially those challenging fall warblers.   He invites all interested birders to join him for his daily walks and posts the results on Mad Bird [...]

Indigo Buntings Have Returned During the 3rd Week of May

Several Mad Birders have reported seeing Indigo Buntings around the area during the last week. The male Indigo Bunting is unmistakable given their incredible bright blue coloring. This picture was taken by Melissa Coviello in Waterbury.
Male Indigo Bunting

THE WARBLERS ARE COMING; THE WARBLERS ARE COMING!

By Linda Kedenburg*
The earliest migrants have arrived and set up territories: Red-winged Blackbirds are calling from the marshes, Robins are patrolling our lawns, Phoebes are darting out from perches to snag insects in mid-air. Those who have seen them excitedly share observations of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers drilling rows of holes in tree trunks and Woodcocks engaged [...]

Albino Goldfinch in Moretown

Patti Haynes has seen this Albino Goldfinch in Moretown over the last couple of weeks. Her husband caught this photo of it through their kitchen window during our mid-April snow storm! You’ll see it on the bottom left of the feeder.

Spring is on the Way - Check it out with the Birds

Although the snow continues to fall, bird sightings confirm that spring will come to the Valley.  During the past month, we have welcomed Red-winged Blackbirds, American Robins, American Woodcock, Snow and Canada Geese, Common Grackles, and Turkey Vultures.  Katie Woodruff heard a Winter Wren, saw Turkey Vultures and a Kingfisher.  Edie Connellee spotted an Osprey [...]

Mad Birders Conduct First Official Christmas Bird Count

The 2006 Christmas Bird Count in the Valley will take place on Friday, December 15.  Nine teams of birders will be scouring the area looking for as many birds as possible.  This is the first official year for our new circle and we are very excited to be joining groups from all over the North [...]