On the early morning bird walk we hiked up tail behind the dorm in the direction of the Everett Mansion. We heard or saw a REDSTART, ROBIN, VEERY, DOWNY WOODPECKER, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, CATBIRD, OVENBIRD, BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER, TUFTED TITMOUSE, WOOD THRUSH, PEWEE, and CHICKADEE. I decided to hike back down on my own and got a beautiful view of a SCARLET TANAGER perched on a leafless branch at the top of a tall tree. I also heard a BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER, MOURNING DOVE, RED-EYED VIREO, and SONG SPARROW. The weather forecast predicted more rain, so I decided to leave after breakfast. On my way home I stopped for a picnic lunch at a fishing access a little ways off Route 30. I couldn’t find the fishing access I vaguely remembered from old camping trips to Half Moon State park, so I turned off in the other direction and climbed uphill a ways to a small pond with a name that begins with a B.
June 27, 2009
June 26, 2009
FRIDAY JUNE 26, 2009
I’m at Southern Vermont College in Bennington for Bird and Botanical’s Annual Meeting. Went on the early morning bird walk and dropped behind the group to poke along with Barbara Walling. We heard or saw RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS, a WOOD THRUSH, GOLDFINCH, CEDAR WAXWING, YELLOW WARBLER, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, SONG SPARROW, SCARLET TANAGER RED-EYED VIREO, CATBIRD, KILLDEER CHICKADEE, CROW, PURPLE FINCH, MOURNING DOVE, and HOUSE SPARROW. We also heard a BULLFROG croaking from the pond in front of the dorm.
After breakfast, I went on the field trip to the New England Tropical Conservancy. NETC is an odd organization that does most of its research in Indonesia but has ambitious plans for their property in Bennington. In the meantime, they have a big open green space with wetlands here and there and a corridor for the future Bennington bypass cutting right through it, a gravel road already in place. I hung out with Phillip Ballou because he always identifies the birds and butterflies as we poke along. On our way there he heard an INDIGO BUNTING and a ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK. When we first got out of the car we heard a WOOD THRUSH. On the walk, we heard or saw a GOLDFINCH, SONG SPARROW, PHOEBE, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, ROBIN, SWAMP SPARROW, MOURNING DOVE, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH, GRAY CATBIRD, INDIGO BUNTING, WARBLING VIREO, YELLOW WARBLER, BARN SWALLOW, GRACKLE, VEERY, RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD, CARDINAL, KINGBIRD, WILLOW FLYCATCHER, TREE SWALLOW, BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER, BLUE JAYS, ALDER FLYCATCHER, and DOWNY WOODPECKER. Also Phillip caught an EASTERN COMMA in his butterfly net. We got rained on a bit, and I realized that my jacket was more of a windbreaker than a raincoat. I got soaked through. We went on to Shaftsbury State Park for our picnic lunch and our afternoon field trip. I stayed for the picnic, but I was cold and wet so I opted to leave when one driver decided to go back to campus. When it cleared I wandered around the campus, which has lots of trails. On my way up to the Everett Mansion I heard a REDSTART, PEWEE, AND BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER. Along the CARRIAGE ROAD, I heard a ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK and saw several RED EFTS. When I got back to the Mansion, I decided to hike up to the top of the fountain on the far side of the courtyard and heard an OVENBIRD there.
June 25, 2009
THURSDAY JUNE 25, 2009
When I was in St. George this morning, I noticed that the CATTAILS look like they’re ready to release their pollen.
June 24, 2009
WEDNESDAY JUNE 24, 2009
I noticed lots of CHICORY IN BLOOM along I-189 in South Burlington today. First I’ve seen this year.
June 23, 2009
June 19, 2009
FRIDAY JUNE 19, 2009
11:00 a.m. On my way home from Richmond, I saw a DOE AND FAWN walking across one of the Moultroups’ meadows on the plateau above Henry’s riverbottom farm. A few minutes later, when I turned up Sherman Hollow, a RUFFED GROUSE dashed across the road right in front of me. 3:00 p.m. Took a walk up the road. I’m seeing YARROW, RED CLOVER, the purple flower that is either vetch or alfalfa, and DAISIES in bloom. Saw a DOE lying in the tall grass in the meadow across from the Saxtons’ house. She was looking straight at me. When I looked back at her through my binoculars, she got up and started bounding toward the woods. She had a FAWN with her, and it did its best to bound along behind her, but it was having some trouble with the tall grass. It had visible white spots on its back. MILKWEED is coming up. I saw one with buds already. Also saw some BLACKBERRIES in flower. CINNAMON FERNS have their spore stalks up. Some of Lisa’s APPLE TREES have SMALL APPLES coming already. SHAD PLUMS are coming, but they’re not ripe enough to eat yet. Saw four TREE SWALLOWS on the wires at Betty Charland’s (#1256). Noticed some SPITTLEBUG SPIT on the roadside weeds on my way home.
June 18, 2009
THURSDAY JUNE 18, 2009
Saw a FIREFLY flashing outside my big kitchen window. This is the first one I’ve noticed this year, but I haven’t spent much time outdoors after dark.
June 17, 2009
WEDNESDAY JUNE 17, 2009
Nature Conservancy field trip to TNC’s new Butternut Hill Natural Area near Hazen Point not far from North Hero. Carpooled up with Carl Reidel (who I met for the first time) and Larry Hamilton. 11:15 a.m. Walking through the wet woods at Butternut Hill, I heard or saw a CHIPPING SPARROW, GOLDFINCH. RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, and SCARLET TANAGER. We paused in an open-water wet area to look at the INVASIVE YELLOW IRIS. Heard a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, SONG SPARROW, and RED-EYED VIREO. Talked to Steve Young of the School for Northern Studies on the after-lunch boat ride out to Hen Island. Dave Greenough was our local guide and boat captain–a very nice guy.
June 14, 2009
SUNDAY JUNE 14, 2009
4:20 p.m. Decided to take a quick walk before dinner. I thought it might be interesting to time a new loop along the Dogleg Boundary Trail to Blood’s Chute, across the brook there, up the back bank to my Retreat, and home from there. I figured it might take me half an hour. BUT when I got to Blood’s Chute, I ran into challenges…. The rocks were so slippery, I had to move across them very carefully. I crouched over and used both my hands and feet for support. Just as I was making an awkward move to get across the water rushing through the chute, my pocket notebook fell into the water, and I watched it tumble all the way down to the pool below, where it came to rest floating in the deepest part. I scrambled on across, maneuvered down the far bank to the pool, and tried to reach my floating notebook with a stick, but it was too far out. So I took off my shoes and socks, rolled up my pants, and waded in. Actually, the water and sandy bottom felt good, and I had to laugh at the whole situation as I rescued my totally soaked notebook. A quick check showed me that my ballpoint pen ink had survived the dunking, and I waded back to shore to put my shoes back on. I was just beginning to relax when the GOSHAWK started kekking at me from the bank behind me. I thought maybe I’d better take my shoes off again, wade across the pool, and hike back home by way of the steep bank up to the road, but by the time I had gotten myself across the brook, I had changed my mind. I wanted to see if I could be quiet and careful enough to sneak by the GOSHAWK to my Retreat and home by the route I had originally intended. Back across I went, hid behind a big tree while I was putting my shoes back on, and then walked upstream along the brook until I thought it would be OK to try bushwhacking up the bank to my Retreat. NO GOSHAWK! I heard a LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH singing from the brook, so I dropped back down to my old stepping stones hoping I might catch a glimpse of it. No WATERTHRUSH, water too high and stepping stones too slippery to cross, so I took the White Trail and Bob’s bridge back home. Got there at 5:20 p.m.–an hour after I left for my quick before-dinner walk.
June 13, 2009
SATURDAY JUNE 13, 2009
Heard a LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH singing in my side yard this morning.
