Category: Local Birding

Hoodies in the Snow

Midst a major snowstorm, hopefully the last of the season, we’ve had a lot of activity in the backyard including the resident Carolina Wren, dozens of goldfinches, and even a mink and a beaver. Today, a pair of Hooded Mergansers showed up on the open river, so I donned boots and went out to see them. Unfazed by the snow, they foraged away, and cruised like it was July.

Perhaps we’ll see them with chicks in a few months. They’re a nice sight on a snowy afternoon.

Note: I am having trouble having photos show on the email posts. If you click on the url, they show. Working on it ……

Vitamin C

We still have some fruit left on trees around town and in the last few weeks, large flocks of birds have hit them. Perhaps the best are the Cedar Waxwings, which are beautiful, if not noisy with the high-pitched calls.

American Robins come and go and join in the feasting.

The other day, I heard lots of bird song coming out of a large bush downtown and knew that I’d find House Sparrows.

I’m still looking for Bohemian Waxwings, Grosbeaks, Redpolls, and other potential visitors but these guys were fun to encounter.

An Early Arctic Visitor

Last week a friend contacted me to let me know that a Snowy Owl had shown up on his patch. I was out birding with my gear and within a half-hour, was looking at the wayward bird from up north. I grabbed a few photos at range and left it undisturbed. I held off reporting it due to the sensitive area it was in and by request of my friend. It was not seen again – probably departing that night.

Check right!
Check left!
OK, get your picture and scram.

I saw a Snowy in March — this one is early. Always a treat.

Backyard Birds 2

Some of the visual treats for us are the mergansers, both hooded and common, who motor past our spot on the river. The last few days, between snow squalls, some handsome Hoodies have been out and about. They’ll head south soon.

Ice patches are starting to form along the river’s edge — it will be months before I can get shots like this in Vermont. Happy Thanksgiving.

Backyard Birds 1

Living next to a river is great — we paddle on it, ski on it some winters, and have an ever-delightful array of wildlife to watch. On perhaps my last paddle of the year, I flushed these mallards just upstream of the house.

We’ve had a summer-long affair with a Great Blue Heron who shows up for a while, is gone for weeks, and returns and day after day is right out back.

“Snow in the forecast, think it’s time to get out of Dodge.’

Stick Season 3

The last few days, Ginger and I have been exploring the trails along Wrightsville Reservoir. Today the rain stopped early and a beautiful Fall morning ensued.

The usually suspects were there: crows, geese, chickadees, blue jays, and goldfinches but then we came upon this Northern Shrike, a bird I only see once or twice a year.

Stick Season 2

Each day I take Ginger, our labradoodle, on walks around the city or on trails throughout the county. We spend an hour or two and try to integrate a little birding into each adventure.

Some of our best finds, like this guy, are right out back before we even get going.

Montpelier itself has some nice birding and we found this House Finch just a bit down the road — heard it chipping and then spotted it.

On one of our jaunts on the trails of East Montpelier on Saturday, we flushed a Great Horned Owl who was out of sight before my camera was out of my pack. But later, in a real surprise, three Rusty Blackbirds, which I never see up here, flew into some trees and posed for the camera.

I hear that Common Redpolls are around. It’s time to bundle up and see our winter visitors. Hopefully a Snowy Owl has Washington County in its gps.

Stick Season 1

Stick season in Vermont means that the leaves have fallen, many of the birds have left, as have most bugs and tourists, and we get some cold clear days to get out and about.

There is a stark beauty to crisp early mornings.
Some lingering Canada Geese announce our presence.
As does the Belted Kingfisher, on his normal perch just out of camera range.
American Goldfinches cavorting. “Need a faster shutter speed, buddy.”

Next week is the start of rifle deer season so we’ll wear blaze orange and stick to the back roads.

Paddling With Mergs

Until the last few days, we’ve had a small group of Common Mergansers on the river behind our house. In several kayak outings I’ve mixed with them, and when I had my camera onboard, trying to photograph them. With a moving river, skittish birds, and trying to balance the boat and the paddle, it’s an interesting challenge.

Up ahead are five mergansers already easing away from me as they see the boat.
I got four of them in the frame
The next day I got them going upstream.
They settled for a bit and I was able to get abeam of them
Hey, let’s get moving south and away from that guy with the blue boat.

The river is pretty barren now, as are the trees, and frost is in the forecast. We’ve had good birding this season on the North Branch of the Winooski.

August Juveniles

We’ve enjoyed seeing a lot of bird youngster activity in our yard this summer including a brood or two of House Wrens as well as young Blue Jays and Common Grackles begging their parents for food from the suet feeder. On the river, we’ve had geese, mergansers, and ducks all raising kids. 

Here are some youngsters that I’ve seen nearby the last couple of days.

A young Hairy Woodpecker showing off his new crown.
Gray Catbirds have been everywhere, often with five or six juveniles. This was one of several out back.
This Common Yellowthroat was in an early brood out back.
This one, with his siblings, are new and very inquisitive.

Song Sparrows are everywhere, but we know they’ll be gone soon. It’s fun to hear them work on their calls.

Yesterday, I was surprised to see this juvenile Herring Gull on the river. Quite unusual but I suspect he hooked up with his cousins at one of compost facilities nearby.