I conducted my annual Forest Bird Monitoring Program census at Roy Mountain WMA in Barnet yesterday morning. I highly recommend this unique, seldom-visited site, a lowland cedar-fir swamp with some monstrous green ash. It's a challenging place to navigate - with many deadfalls, hummocks, sinkholes, and beaver flowages - and there are no established trails, but it's a wondrous place. Yesterday's highlights were 4 counter-singing Northern Waterthrushes at one point, a singing Olive-sided Flycatcher, and discovery of an apparently just-fledged Rusty Blackbird nest. In >20 years of censusing Roy Mt. WMA, I've never encountered Rusties. I first heard this pair in the dense alder swamp bordering the cedar-fir swamp proper. Approaching, I noticed both adults carrying food and alarmed at my presence. Marking the spot where they went down and re-emerged with empty bills, I slogged over, which elicited serious agitation on their part. When I found a fresh nest moments later, just 4 feet above ground and surprisingly visible in an intertwining alder and fir, the pair's agitation peaked. The nest was empty, and I retreated after briefly searching the immediate area, not wanting to stress the adults further. I have to believe there were fledglings nearby. Although it seems early, Rusty Blackbird fledglings were observed as early as June 5 during the second VT Breeding Bird Atlas (2003-2007). For details, check out my eBird list at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S23885318 Chris -- Chris Rimmer Vermont Center for Ecostudies P.O. Box 420 Norwich, VT 05055 802-649-1431 ext. 1 www.vtecostudies.org **************************************************************** To post messages, send e-mail to: [log in to unmask] Set your e-mail application to PLAIN TEXT ONLY to post messages. To contact the list owner: [log in to unmask] ---------------------------------------------------------------- Web based archives and subscription management are available at: http://listserv.dartmouth.edu/Archives/uv-birders.html ****************************************************************