MadBirders

Mad Birder Tina Valentinetti got these great shots of Bohemian Waxwings in Montpelier, Vermont on March 5th.  The Bohemians are winter visitors and usually leave Vermont by the 3rd week in April, so we will have them around for only a few more weeks.  One can distinguish our resident Cedar Waxwings from our visiting Bohemians by looking at the overall size- Bohemians are slightly larger; the overall color- Bohemians appear more gray and Cedars have a rusty or “cedar” color), and plumage- the Bohemians have white and yellow wing markings, easily observed in the first photo.

Mad Birders will meet at Shaw’s at 2 PM to carpool to Dead Creek area in the Champlain Valley.  We will check for Snow Geese and other birds around the goose viewing area, then spend the evening at the Owl Banding Station nearby.  It will be the peak of NOrthern Saw-whet Owl migration.  Bring a lunch to eat at the dinner hours, dress in layers with sturdy footwear.

Meet at Shaws to carpool to Franklin County.  We’ll look for grassland birds at the Franklin County Airport, visit Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge.  All day trip.

Meet Mad Birders at Shaws in Waitsfield at 7:30 AM.  We will carpool to Jon and Amy Jamieson’s to hike the trails of this wooded area and perhaps find a raven nest.  Young birders are welcome.  There will be a potluck brunch at Pat Folsom’s following the walk.

Meet at the corner of Old County (Loop) Rd and Old Center Fayston Rd for an easy spring walk.

Chris and Julia Child will share their birding experiences in Costa Rica.  Join Mad Birders at Warren Library for photos and descriptions of this exciting birding destination.

The photos above were taken by Pat Folsom during this past week (second week of March 2009) of a young Sharp Shinned Hawk (affectionately known as a “Sharpie”)  Note the yellow legs!

Pine Siskins have been easy to see this winter here in Vermont.  Our previous Mad Birders post about the sighting of a Leucistic  Pine Siskin in Moretown caught the attention of Debbie Janney, a birder in Boise, Idaho ,who was able to get a photo of a Leucistic Siskin at her feeder.  Thanks for sending the photo Debbie!  Above is Pat Folsom’s recent shot of a Pine Siskin in a Vermont stream.

Mad Birders in Waitsfield and Moretown, as well as birders throughout Vermont, have eagerly reported sightings of Red Winged Blackbirds over the past two weeks.  While most people associate the American Robin with the Spring return of migratory songbirds, here in Vermont the Red Winged Blackbird is usually the first to arrive, during the last week of February.  American Robins though, should be returning any day, so keep a look out for them as well.

During the snowfall in Waitsfield today (3/2/09) Mad Birder Pat Folsom managed to see and photograph this female White Winged Crossbill.  This is the first time Pat has seen a Crossbill at her feeder eating sunflower seeds.  These birds rarely visit feeders as they usually are found at the top of evergreens , using  their crossed bill to pry seeds out of pine cones.   Occasionally they are seen on the road, eating salt and grit.   This bird accompanied a large flock of Common Redpolls and Pine Siskins and was seen three different times in the yard.  This bird can be seen in Vermont at any time of year.  Their unusual “crossed”  bill helps the birds remove seeds from cones.  Crossbills also have a special “pocket” in their throats that enables them to store conifer seeds.  Researchers have documented this species consuming as many as 3,000 seeds in a single day.