This evening, while watching for nighthawks at Kilowatt South (8 passed 
by together at 6:55 pm), I was surprised to see what I first thought was 
a lone nighthawk over Wilder Dam, swooping and swerving as it hawked 
insects.  The bird moved steadily north towards me, and it soon became 
clear that I was watching a tern of some kind.  Light was low, and I had 
no reference for size, but the bird finally flew within ~100 yards, then 
landed on one of the floating mats of vegetation near the NH shoreline.  
At that point I realized it was a an immature Black Tern, the first I 
have ever seen in the Upper Valley outside of spring migration.  At 7:30 
pm it was still roosting on the mat of vegetation, so perhaps it will 
linger until morning.

Just before heading to Kilowatt, I stopped at Ledyard Bridge, where I 
was treated to a concentrated frenzy of passerine feeding in the strip 
of vegetation (a mix of native and planted trees and shrubs) on both 
sides of the path that passes from Route 5 under the bridge.  Highlights 
included 7 Eastern Kingbirds, 2 Red-eyed Vireos, 4-5 Pine Warblers 
(possibly a family group?), 10+ Yellow-rumped Warblers, 2 Scarlet 
Tanagers, 2 Baltimore Orioles, and a Purple Finch.  Interestingly, I 
walked from this spot under the bridge, across the park and onto the 
railroad tracks down to Montshire, but it was dead quiet everywhere 
else.  All the activity - and there was a lot of it - was concentrated 
in that small area, with a few birds also in the row of spruces and 
pines that borders the south side of park-and-ride lot.

Chris

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

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