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Young Robins in the nest

Tina Valentinetti got these great shots of a clutch of young robins in a nest built on the side of her Moretown home.  She noticed the nest being built in mid May.  Robins are born altricial, but according to the Birder’s Handbook (and Tina) they fledge within 14 days of birth.    This is the […]

Mt. Ellen Ascent pays off with Bicknell’s Thrush

Perfect weather and good birding karma gave a troupe of Mad Birders the prize they’d hoped for following an ascent of Mt. Ellen in Fayston on Saturday June 6th… a terrific look at the Bicknell’s Thrush.  Scott Saintsbury took these shots…a great view in every direction.  What a day!

Phoebe Babies in Waitsfield

Sandra Reilly and her husband John have had nesting Eastern Phoebes for years.  Here is a shot of this year’s new crew.

Common Snipe on New Section of Mad River Path

This Common Snipe called many times before it posed on a light fixture above the outdoor skating rink in Waitsfield, perhaps trying to ward off trespassers from trampling a nest of offspring nearby in a wetland meadow.  Eight Mad Birders got great looks at it on a weekly Spring Migration Walk on the new section of […]

Hummingbird Nesting at MadBush

James and dawna Foreman noticed this female hummingbird building a nest about thirty feet off the ground in a Sugar Maple tree near the MadBush Condos on Rolston Road in Waitsfield.   Note the careful construction and attention to detail as well as the attractive lichen exterior.  Pat Folsom got this shot.

Woodcocks Hatch and Go

…and then there were none.  On Wednesday 5/27 the female American Woodcock was still on the nest, but forty eight hours later, she and presumably all four Woodcock chicks were gone, leaving only the nest and some eggshells as evidence of their three week residence on Two Dog Mountain.  As predicted, the precocious youngsters, once hatched, were never spotted […]

American Woodcock Nesting – Can you find her?

We hope you can find the American Woodcock in this photo.   Camouflaged well, she is sitting on a nest, which is just leaf litter on the ground actually, of four eggs, the typical clutch for this species.  She was first spotted on May 17th, when she was seen flying low, landing and doing the “broken […]

Five new ravens!!

The five eggs have now turned into five raven babies.  Springtime for birds is all about mating, nesting and the next generation.  Be on the lookout for signs of nesting (usually birds carrying nesting material in their beaks) and then watch for birds nesting on the ground, in nests or in tree cavities and finally listen […]

Spring and offspring (for Ravens)

This Raven’s nest with eggs was recently photographed here in the Mad River Valley.  Five baby ravens…imagine!

Muchas Gracias Chris and Julia!

    The Mad Birders wish to thank Chris and Julia Child for their fantastic presentation about the birds and natural wonders of Costa Rica.  The event at the Warren Library was informative, interesting and intriguing.  Now we all want to get to Costa Rica to see the Collared Aracari or maybe even just a […]