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RECAPS OF "WARBLER WEDNESDAYS" AND "FEATHERED FRIDAYS" WALKS

"Warbler Wednesdays"

Boston Lot Lake -- Lebanon, NH

May 27th

The final outing in the Warbler Wednesdays" series took place under mostly sunny skies with the temperature at a very comfortable upper 60s range. Nine birders participated recording 34 species during the two hour and twenty minute walk.

Highlights included a drumming ruffed grouse, three veery, two wood thrush and eight warbler species including a black-and-white warbler, a northern parula and both a black-throated-blue and black-throated-green warblers. A complete check list for the day's walk can be seen by clicking on the link below.

Many thanks to "Pip" Richens for hosting this series has she has now for the last several years.

http://ebird.org/ebird/nh/view/checklist?subID=S23664634 

May 20th

Blustery, cool conditions prevailed during this morning's walk, a harbinger of the annual garden threatening frost that is predicted for some local areas tonight. Nonetheless, a hardy and cheerful group of 14 birders headed up the trail to Boston Lot Lake in search of late arriving spring migrant.

The woods were quieter than normal, perhaps a function of the cool, windy conditions. Nonetheless, 35 species were located including a first of the season eastern wood-pewee.

Red-eyed vireos were the bird of the day with six being seen and/or heard along the route. A blue-headed vireo was heard also.Warblers were not numerous with the exception of American red starts (4). Other warblers identified included a common yellowthroat, a singing pine warbler, a chestnut-sided warbler, a northern parula, two black-throated-blue warblers and two ovenbirds.

Thanks to "Pip" Richens for leading the walk and to Blake Allison for keeping the count list, a copy of which can be found by clicking on the following link:

http://ebird.org/ebird/nh/view/checklist?subID=S23548209

May 13th 

Twenty ardent birders showed up on this 52 degree, initially cloudy and showery morning. The skies cleared but conditions became very windy supressing avian activity over the walk's last half hour. Just the same, the group was able to tally 40 species.

Only eight warbler species were seen and/or heard during the morning including four ovenbirds, a northern parula and a black-throated blue warbler. A roughed grouse was heard drumming in the woods, and a solitary sandpiper was observed standing on a boulder across the lake. Perhpas the morning's best moments were provided by a horned grebe that obligingly lingered just ten yards off shore during the course of our visit to the lake.

A note of appreciation to"Pip" Richens and George Clark who hosted the walk.

A complete species count can be found by clicking on this eBird link:

http://ebird.org/ebird/nh/view/checklist?subID=S23424211 

May 6th 

Clear, albeit brisk conditions prevailed as 21 birders set out along the steep path up to Boston Lot Lake. Forty species were observed over the course of the next two hours and fifteen minutes.

At the power line clearing, good views were had of a chestnut-sided warbler, a common yellowthroat and an American redstart. Returning through that area later in the morning, the group was treated to a dazzling look at a scarlet tanager aglow in the morning sunlight.

Up at the lake, a least flycatcher, a calling veery, a spotted sandpiper a black and white warbler and a white-crowned sparrow were among the highlights.

Thanks to "Pip" Richens for leading the walk. The day's count can be foun on NH eBird.

http://ebird.org/ebird/nh/view/checklist?subID=S23267420





 "Feathered Fridays"

Union Village Dam Park -- Thetford Center, VT

May 29th

Conditions could not have been more agreeable than those that eleven birders experienced on the final "Feathered Fridays" outing. The sky was mostly sunny, the wind was calm and the temperature moved from 66 to 74 degrees during the two hours and 45 minutes the group was out in Union Village Dam Park's lovely surroundings.

The birds were very vocal from the beginning. Twelve species were identified as birders gathered before heading out along Buzzell Bridge Road toward the Mystery Trail!! Highlights for the morning included a Nashville warbler, a blackpoll warbler and a field sparrow heard singing in a field, where else, on the other side of the Ompompanoosuc River. Forty-six species were recorded with good representation of vireos and flycatchers. Eleven warbler species were heard/observed including three black-and-whites. To see a complete check list, click on the link below.

Special thanks to Becky Cook and Ted Boze for leading the series.

 http://ebird.org/ebird/vt/view/checklist?subID=S23693750

May 22nd

A bright, blue sky, dappled with fair-weather clouds, served as the backdrop for a lovely morning out on Buzzell Bridge Rd. and the "Mystery Trail.."

Forty-nine species were recorded over the course of two plus hours. The broad, diverse representation included a mother hooded merganser and her her three young, two drumming ruffed grouses, a great blue heron, ruby-throated hummingbird (2) and belted-kingfisher (2)  and many passerines.

Thrushes recorded were veery (3), singing hermits (2), a wood thrush and American robins (6).

Eleven warblers were heard and/or seen. Highlights there included a blackburnian, a black-throated green and a black-and-white. Chestnut warblers were ubiquitous with nine observed or heard. There was a tantalizing  moment when a prairie warbler-like call was heard, but it happened only once and could not be confirmed. A search for a previously reported blue-winged warbler also came up empty.

Among the "flycatcher class" were recorded alder flycatchers (4), willow (1) and great-crested (1).

A complete checklist can be found by clicking on the following eBird link:

http://ebird.org/ebird/nh/view/checklist?subID=S23577302

May 15th

Frost reports were exchanged as sixteen birders gathered before heading out on the "Mystery Trail" at Union Village Dam Park. The temperature was a chilly 37 degrees, but there was no frost in evidence along the trail's route. The cold temperatures may have helped suppress the species count which was 38. At this point in migration, one might have expected a higher total. Indeed, it was quiet when the party headed out, but there was noticeably more song around nine a.m. when the temperature had risen to 50.

Eleven warbler species were tallied. Particularly abundant were yellow warblers (8), common yellowthroats (6) and chestnut-sided warblers (5). Also of note were white-throated sparrows (8) and a single white-crowned sparrow. Conspicuous in their absence were members of the flycatcher family, two phoebes being the only representatives of that group. Also absent were vireos.

The morning's special treat was the observation of a female oriole building a nest.

Blake Allison led the walk and compiled the day's list. The complete count can be seen on VT eBird.

http://ebird.org/ebird/nh/view/checklist?subID=S23454090

May 8th

About a dozen participants today enjoyed a fine and song-full morning for birding at the northern end of the Union Village Dam area in Thetford, VT. Among 50 bird species detected, there were numerous highlights, some of which are here briefly mentioned as follows.

An American Bittern provided an exceptionally good view as it partook of an unidentified item of prey. Two Solitary Sandpipers were nearby. Two Wood Ducks, a Mallard, two Common Mergansers, and six Canada Geese constituted this morning's waterfowl. Ruffed Grouse were drumming in three locations. A Least Flycatcher was present along with the Eastern Phoebes. Song by a couple of Red-eyed Vireos contrasted nicely with that of a Blue-headed Vireo. House, Winter, and Carolina Wrens were present and singing. Two Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and several Gray Catbirds were among the insectivores. Ten species of warblers, including parulas and Blackburnians, provided a good opportunity to compare songs. Several White-crowned Sparrows were seen, and excellent views were obtained of White-crowns alongside the bright white-crowned- stripe form of the White-throated Sparrow. A Scarlet Tanager was singing, and our group obtained excellent views of a Baltimore Oriole.

Thanks to George Clark for leading and special thanks to Charlie Harcourt for keeping records during today's walk and for entering into eBird the complete list and other details. It can be viewed at:

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S23303707

May 1st

Cool and mostly cloudy conditions prevailed as 16 birders eagerly embarked on the first of the season "Feathered Friday" outings. No doubt the long winter and promise of seeing returning summer residents contributed to the high turnout and the enthusiastic demeanor of the gathering.

A total of 37 species were observed along with one unidentified raptor. Highlights included two drumming ruffed grouse, a bald eagle, a blue headed vireo, two Louisiana waterthrush and a field sparrow. A complete list can be found by clicking on the following link. Thanks to Becky Cook and Ted Boze for their good-natured and highly competent leadership.

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S23163318