At dog play group this week, while Ginger ran with her playmates, I watched Eastern Bluebirds and Tree Swallows compete for nesting sites. This rivalry is very common.
In one corner, we have a bluebird just getting ready to settle down.
Also wearing blue is a pair of tree swallows looking for a domicile.
There seemed to be a lot of trash-talking going on.
So, for about half an hour, I watched some aerial antics as the competitors went at it. My little camera caught some of the action.
We’ll see, later this month, who ends up where — it seems like the swallows often win out but this bluebird was feisty.
The other day, I came upon a dozen turkeys having a little get-together. Normally super cautious, they sort of ignored me as they romped in the tall grass. Spring was in the air….
Just lookin’ for love in all the wrong placesThis should impress themI think she likes me
Wrightsville Reservoir, just a few miles north, is a favorite spot for Ginger and I to hike and bird. We spent a couple of hours there early yesterday.
Much of the reservoir is still ice-covered but kayaks will be out there soon.The hiking trails have many side trails and large boulders.
As we approached the beach area, we were surprised to find this Bald Eagle watching us.
Of course, birding with a dog has its challenges and soon Ginger came trotting along and the bird launched.
Lazily, it soared away, slowly climbing on weak thermals. I watched it for a long time as we walked on, until it was just a speck in the April sky. It’s always a treat to see a Bald Eagle and a nice reminder that there are comeback stories in birding.
Some of the best places to visit for birds around the world are wastewater treatment facilities. The lagoons and wetlands provide a rich environment and in arid areas, a handy source of water. While security issues have restricted access to many such places, they still, as I found out this week, a handy place to visit.
First, on this chilly day, let’s virtually visit a couple of my favorite sites. The Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center at the Port Aransas Wastewater Treatment Facility is one of the hotspots along the Texas coast. Not only are the birds plentiful, they are accustomed to visitors and allow pretty close access.
This Pied-billed Grebe was grooming away in a variety of poses. It was neat to see his feet in action.
In California, The San Elijo Lagoon just north of San Diego is an innovative reclamation site for treated wastewater with great trails and a wide variety of birds.
The Anna’s Hummer was a life bird.
The facilities in the Northeast tend to have few lagoons or wetlands but some, like the operation in nearby Waterbury, have aerated cells which stay open all winter. There were several young Herring Gulls and a few dozen Ringed-bill Gulls gathered on a cold day earlier this week.
On these cold wet Vermont days, it’s nice to have a coterie of birds coming to our backyard. Northern Cardinals, even wet ones, add a splash of color and the Chickadees and Goldfinches add their energy to otherwise drab days. I went back and looked at some shots I took in the last month — and was delighted to remember this red and white combo.
Purple Finch and White-breasted NuthatchHairy and Downy Woodpeckers go through a lot of suet – and leave bits for the ground feeders like Mourning Doves and sparrows.Tufted Titmice are quick and hard to photograph but are daily visitors. We try not to take Chickadees for granted because they are faithful friends throughout the year.Likewise for American Goldfinches, who seem to hang out year-round.
And living on the river, we still are getting Mallards, a Belted Kingfisher, and several mergansers. Here is one from last week.
One of my goals this winter is to get some decent photos of Red-breasted Nuthatches and Brown Creepers. What are yours?
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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One of the winter birds that I have yet to see and add to my life list is the Northern Shrike. We’ve been away much of the last three winters but there’s also been a fairly reliable visitor, which we call the “Appleby’s Shrike,” hanging out in the trees near the popular Berlin, VT restaurant. Most of my birding friends have seen it but for me, it’s just one of those, “Oh, you should have been here an hour ago” birds. Close encounters during the winter months I’ve been around.
I’ve seen many Loggerhead Shrikes in my Southwest journeys — this winter, one of my goals is to see my first Northern Shrike here in Vermont. I mentioned that in a Winter Birding – Bring It On post last month.
The shrike hunts by perching atop a tall shrub or tree at the edge of a field where it surveys the surrounding area for songbirds, insects, and small mammals.
The Northern Shrike is a songbird that is slightly smaller then a robin. They breed up up in the Arctic Circle of Alaska and Canada. During the winter you may find them around your feeder if you live in the northern half of the United States. Unlike the other birds they are not there for the nyjer thistle, cracked corn or other type of seed.
A predatory songbird, the Northern shrike sits on an exposed perch and watches for insects, small birds and mammals, or reptiles. They do not have the powerful talons that raptors use to catch their prey — they grab their prey with their feet, and kill by biting through its victim’s neck. They will impale prey, sometimes while still alive, on the barbs of a fence or large thorns. They often kill more prey then they can eat, which is how they received the scientific name Lanius excubitor, roughly translated this means butcher watchman. This species is known to pierce its prey onto thorns, sticks, fences and other pointed objects where it will either immediately eat its catch, or leave it impaled to be eaten at a later time.
The main field marks which help to easily identify the Northern Shrike are its stout bill which curves at the tip, and its distinctive black mask which goes from the base of the bill through the eye and to the side of its large head. Generally speaking, its upper portions are gray and the underneath are an off-white/soft gray with a faint barring on its chest. Its wings are black with white patches. The Northern Shrike is a medium sized song bird, yet when it flies by, at first glance one generally thinks it may be a out-of-season Northern Mockingbird because of the similar coloring; however, once you see the curved bill and black mask you know that you have seen a rare visitor from the north. I’m already looking every time I go past the turn for Applely’s.
Note: Vermonter Tom Slayton wrote a wonderful article on Northern Shrikes last year.
