So far, Irene hasn't disappointed in producing some good birds.  A small 
group of us (Spencer and Doug Hardy, George Clark, Ralph and Justin 
Hybels) ventured out this morning, working the VT side of the river from 
Wilder Dam to Pompy Flats.  Although we didn't find any legitimately 
storm-tossed birds, the storm definitely grounded some migrants.  
Kilowatt Park and the Dam were quiet, but Ledyard, the Pompy Farms 
"oxbow", and Pompy Flats itself were productive.

A few highlights:

_Ledyard
_

Canada Goose  65
Wood Duck  1
American Black Duck  1
Mallard  95
*Blue-winged Teal  1*
Green-winged Teal  2
Pied-billed Grebe  1
Double-crested Cormorant  1
Great Blue Heron  1
*Peregrine Falcon  1*
*Semipalmated Plover  2*
Spotted Sandpiper  1
*Sanderling  1*
Least Sandpiper  8_
_*Bonaparte's Gull  3*

_Pompy Flats_

Canada Goose  18
Mallard  5
Green-winged Teal  1
Hooded Merganser  6
Bald Eagle  1
Killdeer  15
Solitary Sandpiper  3
*Sanderling  3*
*Semipalmated Sandpiper  55*
Least Sandpiper  8
*White-rumped Sandpiper  2*

A flock of 42 Semipalmated Sandpipers was at Pompy Farms oxbow, and 6 
additional Blue-winged Teal were at the Ompompanoosuc rivermouth.

The main eBird site has a nice feature on "hurricane birding" 
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/news/hurricane-irene-en-route, stressing 
above all else the importance of birding safely.  Here in the Upper 
Valley, with hard rains currently pelting us, brooks and streams rising 
rapidly, and winds increasing as of early afternoon, anyone venturing 
out should be extremely careful.  I'm _not_ recommending that anyone go 
birding in this extreme weather -- the conditions are not only 
treacherous, but it's just plain difficult to use optics and remain 
comfortable.  Tomorrow's weather should be much more tranquil, and there 
could be some exciting post-Irene avian remnants!

Chris

-- 
Chris Rimmer
Vermont Center for Ecostudies
P.O. Box 420
Norwich, VT 05055
802-649-1431 ext. 1
http://www.vtecostudies.org