The VCE crew ventured onto our Mansfield ridgeline study area yesterday evening for our first field session of 2012, the latest start in 21 years. Weather prevented an earlier planned trip on Mon-Tues of this week. Arriving shortly after 5 pm, we set a few mist nets but weren't able to open them, as forecast thunderstorms arrived, and we sat in our vehicles, hail pounding and lightning cracking around us. A break occurred at 8:30 pm, and we were able to get out for the dusk chorus, with Bicknell's Thrush in high gear. In the vicinity of the uppermost parking lot and Amherst Trail, we had 15-18 birds calling and singing, with a few individuals giving dusk flight songs. A singing Lincoln's Sparrow along the Amherst Trail was the first of that species we have ever had on Mansfield during breeding season. This morning was a different story, as skies cleared overnight, wind dropped, and temperature was 43 degrees F at 4:30 am. While vocal activity wasn't as intense as last evening's, we had a fine morning, running 15 nets until 11:00 am. We noted higher numbers of singing Swainson's Thrushes and Magnolia Warblers than usual, fewer White-throated Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos, and only a single Purple Finch. Two Ruby-crowned Kinglets appeared to be on territory, and we did not hear the Lincoln's Sparrow. Several pairs and small groups of Pine Siskins were present, no crossbills. Not a single red squirrel was seen or heard. Mist net captures among our 5 target species included: Bicknell's Thrush - 7, including a 7-year old male banded in 2006, 2 yearling males that we had banded as immatures last September, and 2 new females definitely on eggs (fully-developed incubation patches) Swainson's Thrush - 8, all previously unbanded Blackpoll Warbler - 4, all new birds (1 male, 3 females) Yellow-rumped Warbler - 5, all new birds White-throated Sparrow - 7, all new birds The scarcity of recaptures of previously banded birds was surprising, but it's too early in the season to make conjectures about that. We'll be back up there two nights next week, and we should have a much better sense at that point of the current bird population. Chris -- Chris Rimmer Vermont Center for Ecostudies P.O. Box 420 Norwich, VT 05055 802-649-1431 ext. 1 http://www.vtecostudies.org