Over sixty of our fellow Vermont birders descended upon Pat and Scott Sainsbury’s CrossHaven Farm on Sunday, May 25th to meet up with over 80 species of birds for the 3rd annual BIG MORNING. It was a really wonderful gathering with many people who have not made it to this event in past years, and many who are now two and three year veterans of the trails on the old farm. CrossHaven Farm has 300 acres of mixed age / mixed species forest, plus 100 acres of hay fields and pastures, and 1-1/2 miles of river front on the Mad River.
Over 60 birders gathered for the 3rd Annual Big Morning!
The early risers met at 5:00 AM and were greeted with valley fog and many birds calling through the mist. By the beginning of the second walk at 7:30 AM, the sun was shining. Good looks of many warblers this year, including Tennessee and Canada Warblers, along with many Blackburnians. Ian Clark found a number of beauties in just one flowering apple tree.
Female Common Yellowthroat
Male Common Yellowthroat
MadBirders co-sponsor this event with the Sainburys and provide much of the volunteer work and cooking that make it all come off so well. Our walk leaders this year were Chip Darmstadt and Larry Clarfeld of the North Branch Nature Center and Mad Birders extrodinaire Pat Folsom and Ali Wagner.
A special thank you to those who donated the incredible door prizes — Ian Clark who brought two beautiful prints (Wood Duck and Snowy Owl), Maeve Kim who donated a copy of her recently published novel and Liz Lackey who offered up a huge comprehensive volume of Audubon’s Birds of America.
Song Sparrow, singing!
Our sincere appreciation to everyone who donated to the “birders’ social conscience” fund. This year, we once again raised over $1000 ($1100 actually!) All of the money will be divided between Vermont Center for Ecostudies for their avian research and North Branch Nature Center for their youth birding programs. And many thanks to Ian Clark for providing these photos from this year’s Big Morning.
Cedar Waxwing
Baltimore Oriole