MadBirders

Mad River Glen Naturalist Program offers Mad Birders a 2 for 1 discount for this event.  Join Brian Aust, MRG Resident Birder, for a snowshoe birding adventure at Mad River Glen on Sunday, March 23.  Meet in the Basebox at Ski School desk at 10:30 AM or 1:30 PM.  This will be a 2 hour trek up the Snowshoe Hare Trail in search of resident birds and lingering winter visitors.  Bring your binoculars and favorite field guide, water.  Cost is $25 per person and $5 pp for snowshoe rental (or bring your own).  Mad Birders are eligible for a 2 for 1 discount - you must bring a friend to qualify.   Register by calling Sean Lawson 802-496-3551,  x117 (leave a message) or email him sean@madriverglen.com.

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!!

Join Mad Birders for a special Sunday morning walk on February 17.  Meet at Mad River Path, Meadow Road parking lot, at 8 AM for a 2 hour walk as part of Great Backyard Bird Count.  Wear sturdy footwear and appropriate layers.  Led by Jeannie Elias.

Join other birders of all abilities for the eleventh Great Backyard Bird Count.  It’s easy and fun, learn more about it at http://www.audubon.org/gbbc/index.shtml.  Let’s  have a record number of Mad Birders participating this year.

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 reporting seeing them in their neighborhoods or along roadsides.  One has even been hanging out in the middle of Burlington since early January, spotted by James Foreman and others at First Night celebration.

On Friday, January 25, the Vermont Center for Ecostudies devoted much of its weekly Birdbrains report in the Burlington Free Press to the Barred Owl.  According to their report, the food source (small rodents such as mice and voles) of these birds in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence regions has crashed, forcing the birds further south to find prey.  Many of these birds are probably young, stressed to find food, so hunting during the day. 

 Barred Owls will be begin nesting in February, so we will soon be hearing their “Who cooks for you?  Who cooks for you all?” calls.  Enjoy every sighting of these wonderful birds (and be happy they are decreasing our rodent population).

Sandra snapped this shot of Snow Buntings feasting on white millet at a platform feeder in her yard in Waitsfield.

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. This morning, when the freezing rain and high winds made going outside miserable, lots of birds came in to the yard. A large flock of Common Redpolls with at least one Hoary Redpoll among them, several Pine Grosbeaks, Cedar Waxwings, and Bohemian Waxwings swirled in and out with the gusty winds. They joined the usual characters (chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers, and jays) that frequent the feeders in winter.

This ermine, quite an agile creature, decided to celebrate the New Year by sampling the delicacies at the feeders on Two Dog Mountain in Fayston.

On Friday December 14, 2007 over two dozen Mad Birders braved the winter weather to participate in the Audubon Christmas Bird Count. The Waitsfield team got a great look at a Pileated Woodpecker and Pat Folsom snapped this shot.

The Fayston Team dubbed themselves The Peckerheads (because their first birds of the day were Woodpeckers). Pictured below are Allison, Bill and Mae.