Today at 6:00 pm a female Northern Harrier was hunting the fields around the water tank and little orchard (Turkey Lot) on the Windsor WMA. Earlier today I met a group of people exploring the WMA, including a woman from Mexico. We discussed the abundance of Milkweed plants and Monarch butterflies that had been on the site this summer as a single Monarch flew around us, I asked the woman where she lives in Mexico, she said that she lives in the region where Monarch butterflies assemble in Winter. I enjoyed hearing the descriptions of the massive assemblage of Monarchs she observes back home. It was a special moment of natural connection between the Monarch flying around us in Vermont with the woman's home in Mexico. I hope they have safe travels home.
An audible wave of Cedar Waxwangs flew overhead.
This past Sunday at 2:00 pm the WMA was the scene of exciting aerial interactions between an American Kestrel and a larger hawk. The hawk repeatedly approached the Kestrel rapidly from above, and the Kestrel avoided contact with each dive of the hawk. The Kestrel regulary hunts the field below the wires near its nest box. My friend and I watched the raptors interact while Jim the mower loaded his tractor onto the trailer and my dogs hunted mice in the newly-mown grass.
Woodpeckers and Flickers are abundant in the area, An Eastern Phoebe frequently drops down from the tree line at the edge of the tank road to capture prey just above the road surface.
Some trees are sprouting tree stands ahead of opening day of archery deer hunting season tomorrow. I donated a blaze orange vest to the walkers for safety on their future hikes in this area. Nice days on the Windsor WMA. Michael.
Michael T. Quinn
P. O. Box 639
Windsor, VT 05089
802.674.2522
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