A Turkey Vulture soaring over Norwich village this morning (March 10) about
10:55 AM was my first sighting of that species for the season here.

(My earliest "spring" sighting of a TV in Norwich was on February 27, in 1998.)

In other recent bird highlights from Norwich village, a Barred Owl returned to
the backyard feeding area again last evening (March 9) and remained on top of a
tubular sunflower seed feeder from about 6:05 to 6:15 PM before flying away. I
didn't see the owl in the feeding area this morning (March 10). 

This has been the first winter in which I have ever seen a Barred Owl in the
village area of Norwich. All my sightings of a perched Barred Owl (as opposed to
one in flight) in Norwich village this winter have been in the vicinity of bird
feeders where an owl might conceivably be able to capture small mammals and
birds. It's possible that my Barred Owl sightings in Norwich village from
January 6 to March 9, 2008, involve just one owl because the localities of
sightings are not widely separated and because there has been so far no evidence
for more than one owl within this area.

A flock of 8 Red-winged Blackbird males was present in the backyard feeding area
this morning.

On a negative note, my last record of a Carolina Wren in Norwich village was one
heard calling on January 8, 2008, along Hopson Road near Beaver Meadow Road. 
This species has a reputation of being vulnerable to winters with deep snows
which might cover food, and I'm wondering whether the current apparent
disappearance of Carolina Wrens is confined to those parts of Norwich village
which I regularly visit or is possibly more widespread in those Upper Valley
locations where these wrens have occurred in recent years.

George


George Clark
Norwich, VT

****************************************************************
To post messages, send e-mail to:  [log in to unmask]
Set your e-mail application to PLAIN TEXT ONLY to post messages.
To contact the list owner:  [log in to unmask]
----------------------------------------------------------------
Web based archives and subscription management are available at:
http://listserv.dartmouth.edu/Archives/uv-birders.html
****************************************************************