I was surprised to encounter a flock of 30 Bobolinks in the unmowed fields at the end of Cossingham Road in Norwich this afternoon. They flushed noisily several times, allowing me to identify at least 8 adult males, one of which seemed to be in early stages of post-breeding molt. The remaining birds were females and free-flying juveniles, though I couldn't easily distinguish them.
This conserved property is a real sanctuary for grassland birds, butterflies and other wildlife, as owner Liz Russell delays mowing until well after the avian nesting season. The trails on are open year-round for hiking, skiing and snowshoeing.Chris
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Chris Rimmer
Vermont Center for Ecostudies
PO Box 420 | Norwich, Vermont 05055
802.649.1431 x1
http://vtecostudies.org/
