Ginger and I have a Friday morning routine: take the recycling/trash to the depot and then head up to the airport and Berlin Pond to check for birds. Today, it was too windy to chase balls on the tarmac but we came across this nice pair of Hooded Mergansers.
I am part of a small group of local birders who help one another with sightings using WhatsApp. Tuesday afternoon I saw a report from my friend Chip, who directs North Branch Nature Center, about a Snowy Owl found about five miles from here. Sally and I decided to drive up and see if we could find it – and we did so on some muddy dirt roads arriving at the parking site, which in spite of the tough cold wind, was a beautiful vista of the Worcester mountain range.
Initially, I had no luck and with freezing hands, texted another friend who had just been there. In no time, one of the many clumps of snow turned into a Snowy Owl, sitting patiently far off next to tree. The wind made a steady camera a hope but after a short time admiring this lovely visitor from the North, we hopped back into the car.
Tuesday was my 81st birthday so it was a special gift. Here are a couple of long-distance shots.
Montpelier is blessed to have many multipurpose trails within the forest land of the city – trails that are not used much midweek. The dog and I walk them most days and aside from meeting a few runners and mountain bikers, have the trail to ourselves. Here’s a stretch we walked this week.
As Ginger and I move along, we see the usual bird suspects including many Yellow-rumped Warblers who are foraging and moving continually. I find them tough to photograph, and the dog, usually roaming ahead on a short loose leash, is not a great help, Here’s a shot I grabbed as the bird launched.
At the start of a walk the other day, this Eastern Phoebe posed for me. It will be migrating soon.
It looks like a Pileated Woodpecker found this tasty.
This is an interesting time of year, the leaves are nearly gone, as are the summer birds, but we are starting to see juncoes and finches and so it continues. Good birding.
Lots of young birds active – White-throated Sparrows practicing their song, Blue Jays begging for food, and many inquisitive youngsters.
Ovenbirds are loud in the woods, their “teacher, teacher, teacher” call resonating loudly but they themselves tough to spot. Yesterday I saw a number of them, chipping at me as the dog and I walked along the trail. I’m not sure if they were youngsters upset with the intrusion or adults distracting us from nearby ground nests. In any case, they were the first I’ve seen this year.
While foliage covers up some of the birds this time of year, we enjoy the wildflowers and critters that we see on our walks. Ginger has a fetish about squirrels and today, several crossed our path.
Late in the walk, I saw something I’d not seen before. There was a wake on the river and I thought it was a River Otter but …..
We also saw and heard a number of birds so we’ll share some images next post. Great time to be out and about in Vermont.
This morning on a dog walk at the airport, I heard and then saw Killdeer — a neat sign of spring and a diversion from the terrible news around us. The striking plumage, frenetic feeding, and noisy chatter are a nice tonic.
Birds are bringing us a special bit of joy during this tough period of our lives.
Snow Geese are relatively uncommon in this part of the state so it’s sort of a big deal when some show up, which they did late last week. Reports ran as high as 60 birds with a mix of blue morphs and after a couple of days, I was able to swing by and check them out. The photos are not great but you can get the mix of young and adult birds, perhaps see a blue morph in one photo, and see why these birds, often found in flocks of thousands, are fun to have locally in small groups.
One of my favorite places to exercise Ginger is off-hours at the local airport. The parking areas and taxiways are clear of snow and dog-attracting debris and tennis balls roll forever. It was freezing fog this morning but we got a good workout – but also got chilled – so it was back to the car for a little birding.
Just a quarter-mile away is a parking lot for a number of medical groups and more importantly, a good view of birds. Today, I was looking for a species I’ve seen there before — Northern Shrike, and today as I drove in I spotted one in its top of the tree spot. The photo conditions were awful but I rolled down the window, and with warmed-up hands, grabbed a shot. I suspect it will hang around so we’ll return in better lighting. The “butcher-bird” is always a nice winter find.
One of the most scenic sites locally is also a prime birding spot – and a fine mountain bike trail. Today Ginger, our pup, and I took a little hike, seeing and hearing a few birds, but also just enjoying a pretty September morning in Vermont.
The view to the west showing Camel’s Hump peak. A Broad-winged hawk was circling and calling to add a nice touch.
The trail is part of a major network built and maintained by community groups and the city.
Ginger, my birding companion, can get a bit impatient.
