My grandson and I spotted one this morning alongside the main road connecting Craftsbury village with Craftsbury Common. I saw a longish bird dash across the road and land in a sapling and immediately thought “thrasher.” But  to my total surprise, he was white bellied with curved black beak. And a long tail (possibly a juvenile).

I grew up seeing both Yellow- and Black-billed Cuckoos in Westchester County, NY. Then I moved away and somehow they vanished, or I paid less attention. Decades later I spotted one singing on Naushon Island, Mass, the first since childhood. Naushon is as close to untrammeled wilderness as you can get in the lower three New England states. That was about 15 years ago. Naturally I’ve been envious of various reports emanating from the Upper Valley. I never expected to see this species up here.

Has anyone seen the Yellow-billed in the past few years?

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