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Look who just flew in from the south…
Pat Folsom got this great shot of a Baltimore Oriole, (back to its original name after being known for a short while as the Northern Oriole,) this morning just after sunrise at one of the feeders at her Waitsfield home. The Baltimore Oriole winters in Southern Mexico, Northern South America and the Greater Antilles. [...]
Red-winged Blackbirds Signal Spring
Despite the snow and wind, the male Red-winged Blackbirds have arrived in the Valley and across the state. Bridget says blackbirds are the true harbingers of spring. Rejoice!!
Pine Grosbeaks and Snow Buntings still being spotted in the Mad River Valley, but numbers are down and their days south of their breeding territory are due to come to an end soon.
Barred Owl Sightings Numerous This Winter
There have been many Barred Owls reported in the Valley and around the state this winter. One of the Valley Christmas Bird Count teams spotted three on December 14. The Barred is the most common species of owl in the Valley, but the number being seen during daylight hours is very unusual. Many residents are [...]
Snow Buntings visit Waitsfield
Sandra snapped this shot of Snow Buntings feasting on white millet at a platform feeder in her yard in Waitsfield.
Birding the January Thaw
Bohemian Waxwing
Pine Grosbeaks and Common Redpolls
High temperatures, rain, freezing rain, high winds - not welcome weather in the middle of January in Vermont. However, sometimes interesting birds show up during turbulence. This winter has many irruptives (birds that normally winter in Canada, but show up when food supply is short) visiting our area. [...]
Hoary Redpoll Sighting 12/23/07
This winter many Common Redpolls are visiting Vermont — typically they arrive in large numbers every other year when their food supply in the northern boreal forrest crashes. We think Pat found one Hoary Redpoll within a flock of 70 Common Redpolls. The red spot on the head looks smaller than on the Common, also [...]
Sandhill Crane Family in Bristol
For the past two or three years, birders have reported a pair of Sandhill Cranes near Bristol Pond (Winona Lake), about 4 miles north of Bristol Village. This year the couple successfully raised one offspring known as a colt. These Sandhill Cranes have been feeding in fields around Bristol all fall and are still around [...]
October is Sparrow Month
As the temperatures drop, leaves turn, and daylight hours diminish, most of the warblers have headed south, but birding is still good. The geese, raptors, and sparrows are moving through.
The Song, Chipping, Swamp and White-throated Sparrows are still around; White-crowned, Lincoln’s, and Dark-eyed Juncoes are showing up in good numbers, and Fox and American Tree Sparrows will [...]
Rare Black-tailed Godwit Spotted on Mad Birder Trip
On Sunday, April 29, Mad Birders spent the day birding the Champlain Valley and the flooded fields of Addison County. While scanning the extensive expanse of water near Cedar Swamp Bridge in Salisbury Station, trip co-leader, Carl Bates, called our attention to some birds he’d spotted across the meadow. One of them was very different [...]
