*Vermont

 

*Statewide

4.30.07

 

*VT0403.06

 

This is the Vermont Rare Bird Alert for April 30, 2007 covering the period
April 23 - 29, 2007.

 

The highlights of this week include a probable BLACK-TAILED GODWIT sighting
at Dead Creek on 4/30.  If this sighting is confirmed, it could be a first
state record for this species. The bird was last seen around 10 a.m. on 4/30
along Creek Road in Salisbury Station. (Directions for 4/29 sighting:  Take
Rte. 7 south to East Middlebury area.  Watch for intersection of Rte. 125
and 116, but stay on Rte. 7. Take next right onto Three Mile Bridge Rd.
Turn left (looks like 2nd left on map) onto Shard Villa Rd.  Turn right on
Dewey Rd. just north of West Salisbury.  Turn right on Creek Rd. at
Salisbury Station.  Drive .2 miles and park (road is flooded so you can't
get to the bridge).  Bird was on left.   Sighting was also along Creek Rd.
on 4/30.)

 

            Another highlight this week is the sighting of 2 male EURASIAN
WIGEONS in Ferrisburg on 4/29.  (Directions: From Route 7 in Ferrisburg go
west on Little Chicago Road to Sands Road; right on Sands Road to
intersection with Grosse Pointe Road.  Birds were on lake side of the road
in flooded field.) 

 

            A GREAT EGRET was seen in Shelburne on 4/27 and in Burlington on
4/29.  The first 4 CATTLE EGRETS of the season were spotted at Shelburne
Farms on 4/25.

 

A MUTE SWAN was spotted at Herrick's Cove on 4/29. Two LONG-TAILED DUCKS
were seen on Lake Pinneo in Quechee on 4/24. A rare sighting of a COMMON
EIDER took place in along the west shore in Alburg on 4/25. 

 

MERLINS were seen in Rutland (1 on 4/22), Proctor (1 on 4/26 and 1 on 4/29)
and Herrick's Cove (1 on 1/29) this week.

 

Two SPRUCE GROUSE were spotted at Moose Bog on 4/23.

 

The first sightings of COMMON MOORHENS took place on 4/26 and 4/28 at Delta
Park.

 

SPOTTED SANDPIPERS, another first of the season, were seen at Dead Creek (2)
and Burlington (1) on 4/29.  CASPIAN TERNS were sighted at LaPlatte River
Marsh in Shelburne on 4/25 (1),  Delta Park on 4/25 (2),  Shelburne Park on
4/28 and on 4/29 in Ferrisburg.  The first COMMON TERN observation of the
season was at Berlin Pond on 4/23.  

 

A RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was spotted in Proctor on 4/24.  RED-BELLIED
WOODPECKERS were seen in Bennington on 4/28 and Pittsford on 4/29.

 

The first EASTERN KINGBIRDS of the season were seen in Richford and
Herrick's Cove on 4/29.

 

A FISH CROW was observed at Delta Park on 4/26.

 

Two PURPLE MARTINS, first of the season, were seen at Dead Creek on 4/29.
NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS are back throughout the state.  A BANK
SWALLOW was spotted at Allen Brothers Marsh on 4/29.  

 

BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERS were spotted for the first time this week, 2 at Dead
Creek on 4/28 and 5 at Herrick's Cove on 4/29.

 

The first VEERY of the season was observed in Pownal on 4/27.

 

Another first, the GRAY CATBIRD, was seen in South Hero this week.

 

BROWN THRASHERS returned this week to Hartland, Grand Isle, Brandon, North
Williston, Johnson, Charlotte and Duxbury.

 

First warbler sightings include a YELLOW WARBLER singing in Burlington on
4/27, a MAGNOLIA WARBLER singing in Fairfax on 4/26, a BLACK-THROATED GREEN
WARBLER in Bennington on 4/28, BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLERS in Proctor, Rupert,
Norwich, Groton, Corinth, Herrick's Cove, Westminster and Essex and a
NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH at Delta Park (4/26).  LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSHES were
observed in Hartland, Norwich and Richmond this week.  PALM WARBLERS were
spotted in Burlington and Essex this week and at Berlin Pond.

 

Spring's first ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK sighting took place in Norwich on
4/29.

 

RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were seen in Essex and Delta Park this week.

 

The Vermont Institute of Natural Science offers natural history trips,
lectures and programs.  To receive a copy of our program calendar, stop at
one of our centers, call the office during business hours at 802-359-5000 or
visit the VINS' web site at http://www.vinsweb.org
<http://www.vinsweb.org/>.

 

            This Vermont birding report is a service of the Vermont
Institute of Natural Science.  VINS is a non-profit, membership organization
located in Quechee with a regional center in Manchester.  Founded in 1972,
VINS' mission is to protect our natural heritage through education and
research. Your membership supports these goals and this reporting service.
Updates are typically made on Fridays.  Please report your sightings of rare
or

unusual birds to VINS, or email reports to [log in to unmask]

 

            If you have any interesting birds to report, you can send your
sightings to the RBA via e-mail at:  [log in to unmask]  Or enter your
sightings on Vermont eBird at http://www.ebird.org/VINS/.

 

 Mary Holland

 

Chris Rimmer

 

Kent McFarland

 

Roz Renfrew

 

Vermont RBA Compilers

 

Conservation Biology Department

 

Vermont Institute of Natural Science

 

6565 Woodstock Road

 

PO Box 1281

 

Quechee, VT 05059

 

802-359-5001 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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