MadBirders

Warblers, vireos, flycatchers, thrushes, hummingbirds – They all arrive back in the Valley every May to rest or nest.   Most of us have no idea of their migration challenges  from Central or South America.  View this amazing documentary that chronicles their nonstop flight over the Gulf of Mexico.  This film, directed byJackson Childs,  will be shown at 1PM at the Big Picture on 5/15.   Free.  For more info, check out gulfcrossingmovie.com.

Meet Jeannie Elias at Waitsfield Laundromat (Fiddler’s Green) at 7:00 AM for a  morning walk looking for migrants on the Mad River Path along the river and in surrounding woods and fields.

Mad Birder Scott Sainsbury got this great shot of a Cooper’s Hawk on his birdfeeder yesterday in Moretown.  On June 11th Scott will lead a Spring bird walk on his property, Cross Haven Farm.  Keep a look out for great birds…you never know where they will turn up!

Meet Jeannie Elias at end of Phen Basin Road (off Bragg Hill Rd) for an early morning walk.  This can be muddy, wear your muck boots.    A nice wooded hike to beaver ponds.  NOTE:  This location was changed from the Kingsbury section of Mad River Path.

Meet Mad Birders at Pratts on Rt 100 in Duxbury at 7:30 AM, to carpool to Ward Hill for our annual late May walk.  This is one of our most popular walks, led by our Valley birding experts, Team Pipit.  We invite birders of all abilities to join us for this special morning.  NOTE:  This is a change of date.

Meet at the corner of East Warren and Sherman Rds (first left after the Dip) for a cool spring walk along fields and into the woods.  We will hope for some early warblers and other migrants.  Potluck brunch at Pat Folsom’s to follow.

 
The Vermont Bird Place & Sky Watch and local birders meet to conduct a survey of the wild birds present on the grounds of Hildene. For more information, please call Randy Schmidt at (802) 362-2270 or email randy@thevermontbirdplace.com. Meet at the Welcome Center Parking Lot, 8:00 am, Free.   Note:  In order to be at Hildene at 8 AM, we will leave from Shaws in Waitsfield at 5:15 AM.

Celebration of Peonies
Traditionally the last two weeks of May and the first two weeks of June when the Formal Garden signals the beginning of the season with 1,000’s of peony blooms; many of them from the original 1907 plants.

Let’s enjoy birds and blooms on this trip.  Contact Patti Haynes for Mad Birder organization (496-2220)

John Reilly of Waitsfield got this marvelous shot of a Barred Owl in his yard last month.  We rarely get to see that wonderful long wing span.  Good shot John!

Sean Lawson, Mad River Glen Naturalist, has invited Mad Birders to a special spring mountain birds event on Saturday, April 2.  We will meet at Mad River Glen at 9 AM, snowshoes will be available or bring your own.  We will search for  mountain bird  spring arrivals while enjoying an easy snowshoe.  Suggested donation – $10.

This walk starts at the end of Dick Gaulin Blvd, off Rte 17, just south of the intersection of Rte 17 and Gore Rd.   Parking is very limited.   Carpool from Shaw’s at 7 AM.   Meet leader, Alison Wagner at birding site at  7:30 AM.   This is a moderate uphill hike, wear sturdy, waterproof footwear, bring water.  Migrants should be plentiful.  Note that this is a 3 hour walk.