On New Year’s Day, a very rare duck – a Common Pochard — was identified by Vermont birders with help from others. It was seen on the second and not seen for two days, until today, January 5th.
Common Pochard taken Jan. 2 by Larry Master
Here is the alert issued on VTBIRD by Jim Mead.
Leave it to Ted Murin(one of Vermont’s Top Birders) to have the perseverance to try and relocate the Common Pochard for others to get a chance to see it. He called me about 25 minutes ago to tell me that he has in fact seen the Common Pochard this morning at 10:05 a.m. !!! I was close to my house when he called and raced home to get the word out to all of you ASAP. He was on the NY side of the Champlain Bridge when he found it and he just called me again to tell me that he is trying it from the VT side. It is very windy- about 15-20 mph from the NW. The ice edge is closer to the bridge now and the best place to see the duck at this time would be from the bridge. The Pochard is with a large mixed flock of ducks approx. 1/4 to 1/2 mile from shore and approx. 3/4 of a mile from the bridge. When he saw it, it was close to the ice edge. He said that the viewing is good aside from the wind. He also mentioned that there are 16 Bald Eagles there and that they are putting an attack on the ducks and it is quite a show.
I hope that many more of you get a chance to see this rare beauty.
Good luck to all and thank you very much Ted- nice job. Jim Mead
We awoke to more new snow and a stiff Northwest wind, and a forecast for even colder temperatures. It stays dark until about 7:00 AM but sure enough, at 7:05 the first Black-capped Chickadee visited with window feeder. Right after that, a Common Redpoll came to the thistle seed feeder and then the parade of hungry birds started.
Our first bird of 2013 was a Black-capped Chickadee. photo by Mac Mansfield.
Shortly afterwards, I took our Vizsla out on a cold birding snowshoe outing but most of the birds still around were back at the house chowing down. We then went out and birded for an hour at North Branch Nature Center and got a lot of exercise but few birds.
I had figured that there were about 15 species here in the County this month. When I returned home, the feeders were alive with redpolls and after studying them for some time, I spotted a Hoary Redpoll right next to a Common Redpoll. By noontime, I had logged the following birds:
American Crow
Hairy Woodpecker
Blue Jay
Black-capped Chickadee
White-breasted Nuthatch
Common Redpoll
Hoary Redpoll
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Dark-eyed Junco
It was a good first day. Tomorrow’s temperature is supposed to be even colder. Is is OK if I crank up the wood fire and hope for a Downy Woodpecker and a Brown Creeper at the feeders?
As I plan for a Big Year for the county, I’ve been looking over the data on eBird for Washington County for counts of birds for the last few years. This year’s reports have new records — 196 for the county and 167 by the top individual, the team Fred & Chris Pratt. They are gone three months of the year which makes the feat even more impressive.
The Hairy that hits our suet daily should be an easy New Year’s Day county tick.
We had finch irruptions this year but few if any rare species like the Northern Hawk Owl or Varied Thrush of former years so based on about 200 species for the county, I’m going to to set a personal target of 170 species in Washington County for 2013. (I have only logged 132 species for this year although we were gone from the state quite a bit.) So, off we start next week.
I’m hoping that the Common Redpolls that are overrunning our feeders will stay for another week — or longer.
I decided to set some monthly goals as well based on past arrivals of species on eBird. I took a look at January bird records and set a target of 35 species for the month. Many of them will be easy (crow, chickadee, blue jay, nuthatches,etc) but I’m hoping to see Bohemian Waxwings, which I’ve missed this year, a Northern Shrike, which is a nemesis bird for me, and a return of Pine Siskins and Pine Grosbeaks. The waterways have pretty much frozen up so the Mallard and mergansers I have on the list may have to wait until later. I also need the Common Redpolls to hang around for another week.
White-breasted Nuthatches, like this one visiting today, are here all winter (along with their red-breasted cousins.
The next step in my planning will be to spend more time with maps of the county, putting together a list of hot spots and areas that have potential that I’ve never visited.
Given the new two feet of powder, I have a feeling that much of my January birding will be on snowshoes or XC skis. Oh Darn!
Common Redpolls arrived at our feeders in late November and ate us out of house and home for about a week — and vanished until today. I’ve not seen any Redpolls in the woods or anywhere around central Vermont but suddenly, about a dozen were chowing down on our sunflower and nijer seeds this morning.
It’s great to have them back — they are just great to watch as they chow down. You might remember, from this post, that they have a “pocket” in the neck area to store food. I thought of this today as I watched one grab at least a dozen seeds. I didn’t stick around to see if it could still lift off with that payload.
So, regardless of whether you are a new group passing through, or an old group coming back to where the food is great, welcome Redpolls. You perk us up on these short, short days.
Previously, I wrote that I was looking into doing a big year in 2013 since we are staying in Vermont this winter. I was considering a state-wide effort but after giving it more thought, felt that it would be a nice challenge to bird Washington County — it’s more energy-efficient, time-efficient, and manageable with having to bird mostly with a dog along.
“I hear you’re planning a big year — can’t wait.”
So, I’m already learning a lot as I plan. We have lived in this county for about 25 years total — including the last 13 — and I am just now learning the boundaries. It’s a 695 square miles with lot of zigs and zags. There are only a few bodies of water so we look for shorebirds in flooded cornfields. Here is some material that my friends at North Branch Nature Center put together for a county contest a year ago.
Q: What birds can be found in Vermont / Washington County?
A: – Vermont Daily Field Card: This is a great checklist that can be used for day-to-day
birding in Vermont. It includes rarity and time of year for each species. – Bird Checklist for NBNC & Surrounding Parks: This checklist was designed for use at
NBNC and surrounging parks but also includes directions to some other local hotspots. – Vermont State List: A list of all birds ever seen in Vermont, even if they were only
seen once. – Breeding Bird Atlas: Contains a list of known breeding birds in Vermont and includes
maps of where breeding has occured. – Vermont eBird Bar Chart: The powerful eBird website allows for a bar chart displaying the
frequency at which birds occur throughout the year in our state. You can submit your
sightings to eBird too! (added 1/12/10) – Washington County eBird Bar Chart: Similar to above and specific to Washington Co.
Q: Where are the best places to see birds in Vermont / Washington County?
A:
– VT eBird: Has a list of birding “hot spots” and even allows you to see which birds have
been reported at those sites. – Birding Guide to Chittenden County: A resource from Green Mountain Audubon. – Birdwatching in Vermont, by Bryan Pfeiffer and Ted Murin, is an excellent resource
for birding in the state. – Birdwatching in the Mad River Valley: The “Mad Birders” have posted a list of places to
bird in the Mad River Valley on their website.
– Lake Champlain Birding Trail: A free guide to birding spots along the lake.
– Connecticut River Birding Trail: A $5 guide to birding spots along the Connecticut.
Q: What are good Identification Guides? A: There are many great identification guides and you may ultimately want to obtain several. Some have different features and/or styles such as detailed life history, range maps that appear next to plates, photos vs. illustrations, etc. Some may be small & compact (for field use) while others may be bulky but comprehensive. Furthermore, some guides are specific to a certain region (ie, Eastern vs. Western) or type of bird (Gulls, warblers, shorebirds, etc.) Below are some suggestions:
– Cornell’s “All About Birds”: an free, online guide
– Sibley Guides
– Peterson Guides
– Audubon Guides
– Stokes Guides
– National Geographic Guides
– Kaufman Guides
Q: What Towns are in Washington County? A:
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Christmas Bird Count participants on the Northhampton, MA count. Photo by Geoff LeBaron.
With this winter’s influx of winter finches and other northern visitors, birders throughout the Northeast have been saying, “I hope that bird stays around for the Christmas Bird Count!” You never know what you are going to find in late December birding but “Hope springs eternal in the human breast” among Vermont Birders for a Northern Hawk Owl or a Varied Thrush. The annual bird count starts in just two weeks.
The Christmas Bird Count came about as a reaction to slaughter. During the late 1800’s, there was a popular holiday tradition known as the Christmas “Side Hunt, a killing binge in which Americans went merrily into the woods to compete in shooting as many birds and small animals as they could within the holiday. People chose sides and went afield with their guns; whoever brought in the biggest pile of feathered (and furred) quarry won.
This was a time when conservation was in its beginning stages and many observers and scientists were becoming concerned about declining bird populations. Beginning on Christmas Day 1900, ornithologist Frank Chapman, an early officer in the then budding Audubon Society, proposed a new holiday tradition-a “Christmas Bird Census”- that would count birds in the holidays rather than hunt them.
So began the Christmas Bird Count. Thanks to the inspiration of Frank M. Chapman and the enthusiasm of twenty-seven dedicated birders, twenty-five Christmas Bird Counts were held that day. The locations ranged from Toronto, Ontario to Pacific Grove, California with most counts in or near the population centers of northeastern North America. Those original 27 Christmas Bird Counters tallied around 90 species on all the counts combined.
The 113th annual Christmas Bird Count involves tens of thousands of participants. This year’s count will take place between Dec 14, 2012 to January 5, 2013. It is the longest running Citizen Science survey in the world, providing critical data on population trends. Volunteers will be out across the nation and hemisphere bagging more than 50 million birds by eyeball.
Each count occurs in a designated circle, 15 miles in diameter, and is led by an experienced birder, or designated “compiler”.
While there is a specific methodology to the CBC and you need to count birds within an existing Christmas Bird Count circle, everyone can participate! If you are a beginning birder, you will be able to join a group that includes at least one experienced birdwatcher. If your home is within the boundaries of a Christmas Bird Count circle, then you can stay home and report the birds that visit your feeder or join a group of birdwatchers in the field. If you have never been on a CBC before and you want to participate in a count this year, including feeder counting, please contact your count compiler prior to the count.
Click here to learn where Vermont CBCs are located, date of counts and compiler contact information. I plan to participate in the Plainfield CBC on December 15th.
As I wrote last week, we are experiencing an irruption of winter finches here in central Vermont and I saw my first Pine Grosbeaks, finally. Here’s a recent eBird map showing sightings near here:
Reports of Pine Grosbeaks this calendar year.
Pine Grosbeaks seem to be a lot like Bohemian Waxwings — if you happen upon them, they are there in numbers and quite cooperative but often, if you get there a half-hour later, they are off to another feeding site. I stumbled on a group of 13 females and juveniles this morning and took a few photos as they fed on the berries on the ground.
Pine Grosbeaks are one of the largest members of the finch family. The males are rosy-red, while the females are yellow. Juveniles are hard to distinguish as both males and females are similar in coloration.Pine Grosbeaks tend to be rather cooperative and thus easier to photograph than twitchier species like warblers.It’s fun to read of PIGR sightings throughout the Northeast — it is a great year for winter finches — just as forecast.
Being a grandfather who got into birding late in life, it’s a treat to see at least two of my grandchildren become fledgling birders. Our oldest, Mac, was up from Massachusetts with his mom for Thanksgiving. He caught the birding bug during a a birder camp this summer at North Branch Nature Center. He and Jen have done a few outings at home and this afternoon, Mac and I went out for a short trip.
One of the things I’m learning about youth birding is that attention spans are different with kids — in fact the leaders at camp this summer interspersed many games with the kids which were as popular as the birding. Short outings, especially if the birding is spotty, work well.
We went up to Berlin Pond. During the drive, I was looking for birds in the trees while Mac played some game on his iPhone. I decided to chill out – we’d bird when we got there.
I had been there doing a little scouting this morning but many of the waterfowl had headed out this afternoon. Even so, it was great. We could see Hooded Mergansers as we parked the truck and we watched them through binoculars and the scope. What’s not to like about a Hoodie? I brought out the camera and fitted it on the scope and took a few shots.
What’s not to like about a Hoodie?
Mac was intrigued — he’d never seen digiscoping before. I had him get on a group on American Black Ducks and set the camera on for him. He fired off a few shots and loved it. His shot is better than mine — what can I say?
American Black Duck digiscoped by grandson Mac Mansfield-Parisi
We trudged down to where I had hoped to see some geese but aside from a Bufflehead, it was rather empty. He didn’t care, the Hoodies had made the day. A small flight of Canada Geese came right over us as we walked back to the truck to sort of complete the outing. Half an hour or so, six species, but a great outing. Mac lives right near Parker River Wildlife Refuge and I look forward to many future outings with him.
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I’ve been laid up after last Thursday’s surgery and while I have enjoyed watching birds coming to our feeders, it was nice to get out in the woods early this frosty morning for my first outdoor outing in nearly a week. Mary has done a great job with keeping the dog exercised but I was ready to take back that duty — carefully.
There’s not a lot out and about at daybreak aside from the chickadees, nuthatches, blue jays, and crows but they were nice to hear and see as I trudged up the crusty frozen path. I’ve been reading up on birding by ear and looking into recording and analyzing calls so I brought my iPhone along. Even though we live in the country, the background noises can be loud in the early morning. We have a noisy rooster a mile or so off and there’s always a dog or two barking in the distance. The traffic noise, even though the road is a half-mile off, can get loud and of course, I have the Vizsla tromping back and forth “helping” me bird. I think recording will be a work in progress for a while .. but an interesting aspect of birding to look into.
A Blue Jay eyes our suet package.
Since I had to take it easy and pause periodically, it was fun to remember past sightings as I moved along our trail — the trees where three Brown Creepers were calling to one another as they foraged, the dead snag where a hawk sat until the dog spooked it, the little meadow where a couple of Common Yellowthroats drove me nuts as I tried to get them to settle for a photograph. We then flushed a partridge and the dog was off and running again.
I find that this “virtual birding” is enjoyable — recalling specific birds you have seen at given points along a patch that you frequently bird. It’s a diversion on days were there are few birds but it also is a reminder that hey, it won’t be long until we start seeing ______ again.
A group of Common Redpolls made their first visit this morning.
And sure enough, as I returned and thawed my hands out, I noticed a new bird at the feeder. It was our first Common Redpoll of the season. We’ve been expecting them and it was great to see them again.
As I have noted before, a Canadian ornithologist, Ron Pittaway, each year issues a Winter Finch Forecast. He notes that there is a “widespread tree seed crop failure in the Northeast” this year. It looks like a good year for winter birds — we’re already seeing a lot of Purple Finches, Dark-eyed Juncos, and hundreds of Pine Siskins.
In the last couple of weeks, I’ve seen reports of sightings of gaggles of Bohemian Waxwings and Pine Grosbeaks all over Vermont. Friends of mine have reported berry trees laden with birds and yet, I’ve yet to come close to one of the visitors. Until today….
Last night, before a board meeting of the North Branch Nature Center, I was whining to Chip, the ED, about all the reports of Pine Grosbeaks. He asked, “Have you seen them up at Rumney in the fruit tree?”
A female Pine Grosbeak feeding on fruit at Rumney School, Middlesex, VT.
Rumney School is about a half-mile up the road and so this morning, after an appointment, I drove by the school and noted some birds in the tree in front. I carefully parked out back and grabbed my camera, aware that school is in session and guys wandering around with binos and cameras may look suspicious. I got close enough to make out the Pine Grosbeaks and took a few shots and left. The birds were used to people and just filling their craws with the red berries.
The neat outcome was that when I entered the sighting into eBird, it marked it as a new life bird. I had not realized that I didn’t have Pine Grosbeaks so it turned out to be not only a year bird, but my #350 life bird. Thanks Chip.
