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Late Snow Brings Birds to Roadsides

An early April storm dumped up to a foot of the white stuff on our Valley this week.  Today I found many birds feeding in a frenzy at the feeders in the yard and several species along roadsides where the plow had scraped all the snow away. On a Sherman Road walk, I found two [...]

White-winged Crossbills

I just returned from a short walk, hoping to find the red-bellied woodpecker again. I failed on that mission, but did see three white-winged crossbills (2 males, 1 female) on the west side of East Warren Rd between my sister’s house (3615) and mine (3681). They were in the poplar and birch treetops, nibbling buds. [...]

Red-bellied Woodpecker Spotted off East Warren Road

While taking a walk through the woods, looking for Brown Creepers and Golden-crowned Kinglets, Dawna Foreman and I were surprised to see a Red-bellied Woodpecker fly and land on a nearby tree.  I was so excited that I jumped up and down whooping it up.  Of course the bird flew off, but not too far.  [...]

Snow Buntings in the Valley

The Mad River Valley is a vacation spot for Snow Buntings, a bird species that breeds further north than any other land breeding bird.  Flocks of these birds have been spotted in fields and along roadways this winter – just south of the intersection of Routes 100 and 100B, near Tremblay Rd and Route 100, [...]

Northern Shrike Visits Pat Folsom’s Yard

This shrike has been seen at Pat’s yard several times this winter. They breed in regions to the north and are seen during the winter here. Shrikes capture and kill small songbirds and will visit feeders seeking prey. Shrikes will occasionally store their uneaten food by skewering the prey onto a long thorn on a [...]

Warm Christmas Bird Count

On Friday, December 15, nine teams of Mad Birders spread out through the Mad River Valley, Northfield and Roxbury in search of birds. Many were surprised to find that the birds were not at feeders as they were last year, but dispersed in fields and forests, enjoying all the food available in the mild weather. [...]

American Bittern sightings in Mad River Valley

Last summer I saw my first Valley American Bittern while driving down East Warren Road toward Waitsfield Village.  I remember stopping the car, backing up, and watching for several minutes.  I laughed because the bird was standing in the middle of a field with it’s long neck pointing skyward, thinking it was hiding in reeds.  [...]

Hummers Everywhere

Most of Vermont has had more than its share of rain in the last month.  The Ruby-throated Hummingbirds arrived in early to mid-May throughout most of the Valley and state.  Last week several people were making observations of unusual numbers of hummers at their feeders.  For example, I have three feeders on the front porch [...]

Babies at Blueberry Lake

Canada Geese and Eight Gosslings [photopress:geese_folsom_5_22_06.JPG,full,pp_image]

Mad Birders Mini-Birdathon at Mad River Path

We had fun on our Saturday Mini-Birdathon despite the weather. After over a week of rain, the Mad River was over it’s banks on the Mad River Path on the south side of Meadow Road. Five of us had good looks at several species, fleeting looks at others (oh, those flighty warblers!), we had two [...]