Vermont Weekly Bird Notes 5/26/2006

The spectacular northward migrations of shorebirds are seldom witnessed by Vermont birders. Most plovers, godwits, sandpipers, and related species undertake long and arduous flights from wintering sites in South America to breeding grounds in the Canadian Arctic. These migrations rarely include stop-overs in Vermont, except under conditions of inclement weather that cause groundings or “fall-outs”. The recent foul weather that has plagued New England provided an unprecedented boon for birders in the Green Mountain state.

During the past week, no fewer than three separate sightings of red phalaropes occurred across Vermont, with single birds observed on Oxbow Lake in Newbury and Lake Fairlee, and three individuals on Kent Pond in Sherburne. This sandpiper-like shorebird is the most rarely encountered on land of the three phalarope species (red-necked and Wilson’s being the other two), as it spends up to 11 months each year in marine habitats, usually far out at sea. Hundreds of red phalaropes may be seen from fishing boats or during pelagic birding trips; bobbing like corks, they ride the waves like miniature gulls, feeding on tiny invertebrate prey.

As well as being a prized commodity for terrestrial birders during migration, the red phalarope has an unusual breeding system. Females are the larger and more brightly-plumaged sex, and males provide all parental care on the species’ high Arctic breeding grounds. This includes incubation of eggs and rearing of the precocial chicks. Some females may actually mate with two males in a single breeding season. The brief Arctic summer finds red phalaropes winging their way back south to oceanic winter grounds only a few weeks after their arrival in the north.

Other highlights among migrants during the past week included a red-necked phalarope in Brandon, a very rare tricolored heron in Colchester, and 3 sightings of white-winged scoters. Black-billed cuckoos returned to Vermont, with birds heard singing in five locations, and the spring’s first common nighthawk was reported from Washington.

Warbler migration reached its peak, with the following uncommon species reported: blue-winged, Tennessee, Cape May, prairie, palm, bay-breasted, cerulean, mourning, and Wilson’s. Especially noteworthy was a worm-eating warbler reported from Gilman on May 15th. This southern species has never been documented to breed in Vermont.

You can learn about all bird sightings the past week and more on Vermont eBird.

Chris Rimmer

Macaya expedition

VINS Expedition to Pic Macaya Highlighted in Alliance for Zero Extinction Newsletter


An international team of Hispaniolan and North American ornithologists recently led a field expedition to Pic Macaya, Haiti, in the Caribbean Islands Hotspot. At nearly 2,350 meters in elevation, it represents the highest peak in Haiti's Massif de la Hotte. This remote and isolated mountain range, much of which is formally protected within the 5,500-hectare Macaya Biosphere Reserve, supports some of Hispaniola's highest levels of biological diversity and endemism. Yet, it is also seriously threatened by the ongoing loss of forest habitats that has ravaged the rest of Haiti's landscape. The Alliance for Zero Extinction has identified Massif de la Hotte as the site containing more Critically Endangered or Endangered species (13, all amphibians) restricted to it than any other site worldwide. Conservation efforts must be successful here to prevent a dramatic loss of biodiversity.

The expedition's primary goal was to survey bird populations and habitat conditions of Pic Macaya and nearby areas. The team, led by scientist Chris Rimmer of VINS, retraced the route of Charles Woods, Jose Ottewalder, Florence Sergile, and associates, who had conducted pioneering avian surveys on Macaya in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Despite a number of logistical challenges, the expedition documented high levels of avian biodiversity still remaining. In three days of mist-netting at a mid-elevation karst broadleaf forest site that had been surveyed by Rimmer and colleagues in February of 2004, the site was found to have suffered no further habitat loss or visible degradation. Some areas were actively regenerating from prior clearing for subsistence agriculture. Over 125 birds were mist-netted, including eight birds banded in 2004, three of which were North American migrants: one Bicknell's Thrush (Catharus bicknelli, VU) and two Black-throated Blue Warblers (Dendroica caerulescens). The remainder of the expedition focused on the high elevation cloud forests of Pic Formon and Pic Macaya. The summit's extensive ridgeline was found to be covered by an intact pine forest that is essentially untouched by humans. This virgin forest had been damaged several months earlier by an intense fire, which had swept up Macaya's west slope and across the entire summit, killing most broadleaf understory and small to medium-sized pines. However, the towering mature pines (some over a meter and a half in diameter) that dominate the ridgeline's north end had escaped the fire's effects. Two birds heard while the expedition camped on Pic Formon suggest that Macaya's cliff-nesting colonies of Black-capped Petrel (Pterodroma hasitata, EN) remain active.

The team documented 16 bird species during its brief visit to Pic Macaya. Highlights included over 35 Yellow-rumped Warblers (Dendroica coronata), three Gray-crowned Palm-Tanagers (Phaenicophilu poliocephalus), eight Western Chat-Tanagers (Calyptophilus frugivorus, VU), and over 30 Hispaniolan Crossbills (Loxia megaplaga, EN). Most importantly, the group maintained crucial conservation momentum for Macaya, by training two promising Haitian biology students, involving local community members in the expedition, scouting logistics for future field surveys, and demonstrating a continued international commitment to ensure the long-term viability of this area's unique biodiversity. Many serious threats remain to Macaya's ecological integrity, but there is hope on the horizon.


Chris Rimmer
VINS Conservation Biology Dept.

Vermont Weekly Bird Notes 5/19/2006

The haunting, flutelike song of the wood thrush is a summer hallmark of hardwoods forests throughout eastern North America. This versatile songster is most often heard at dawn and dusk, frequently adding a rapid “machine-gun” rattle to its vocal repertoire. One of the most common woodland birds of the East, it is also one of the best studied. Like other songbirds, males often return to the exact breeding territory held the previous summer, as well as to the same wintering sites in lowland forests of Central America.

Despite its conspicuous presence and popularity among birders, all is not well for wood thrushes. The species is of high conservation concern throughout most of its range, because of steady, long-term declines. Wood thrush populations have decreased 43% overall since 1966. Fragmentation of forests in North America has increased the species’ vulnerability to nest predation and parasitism by brown-headed cowbirds, while acidic precipitation may have diminished its habitat quality. In winter, wood thrushes are vulnerable to tropical deforestation, which forces birds to occupy lower quality, secondary forests.

Many conservation efforts are now focused on wood thrushes, lending hope that population declines will be halted, and ultimately reversed. The past week witnessed a widespread return of this beloved species throughout Vermont, and we can all hope that the ethereal song of wood thrushes will long echo in our woodlands.

Other highlights among migrants during the past week included a rare black vulture in Brattleboro, white-rumped and pectoral sandpipers among early northbound shorebirds at Dead Creek in Addison, and 3 calling whip-poor-wills in Corinth.

Songbird migration is reaching its long-awaited peak, despite persistent wet and cool weather. Great crested flycatchers were widely reported, and the first red-eyed vireos appeared. Among warblers were blue- and golden-winged, northern parula, magnolia, American redstarts, Wilson’s, and Canada. Scarlet tanagers and indigo buntings provided welcome splashes of color at several locations. A red crossbill was an unusual sight at a feeder in Brandon, while a white-winged crossbill was sighted on Mt. Philo in Charlotte. With a change in weather that is overdue and inevitable, the floodgates of spring migration should soon open wide.

You can learn about all bird sightings the past week and more on Vermont eBird.

Chris Rimmer, Conservation Biology Director

Weekly Bird Notes 5/12/2006

Spring migration is now in full swing. Perhaps your local catbird is singing incessantly outside the window, or maybe you have noticed that the woods are perceptibly louder. You didn't actually see flocks of migrants flying overhead and dropping into the trees, so how did they get here?

Most songbirds migrate at night. They escape not only our detection, but that of potential predators, like hawks. Many of the smaller songbirds fly a mere 500 to 1,000 feet above the ground. This is good news for bird enthusiasts because it enables us to hear the "seeps" and "zeeps" they make during these nocturnal flights.

Increasing numbers of researchers are using radar and sound recording equipment to document the number and species diversity of birds passing over a given location, but anyone can head outdoors and hear migrants as they stream northward.

It is best to choose a quiet location away from roads and airplane flyways, preferably a hilltop, but even your front yard will do. Try to find a dark location, as lights can disorient migrating birds. Nights and low clouds force birds to fly at lower altitudes, putting them within human earshot.

Some species are easier to identify by nocturnal flight calls than others. Thrushes are among those that give the most distinctive calls, along with some warblers, sparrows, and herons. It may take some time to tune your ears, but once you do, you will be amazed at the number of birds migrating above you.

New songbird arrivals seen in Vermont during the past week included Baltimore oriole, rose-breasted grosbeak, indigo bunting, eastern kingbird, great crested flycatcher, least flycatcher, eastern meadowlark, and bobolink.

Sunday was a noteworthy day, with a long-tailed duck observed on the Colchester Causeway, two glossy ibis at Herrick's Cove, a Caspian tern at Delta Park in Burlington, and a black-billed cuckoo in Brandon.

Virginia rail and sora were observed in southern Vermont this week. Shorebirds are beginning to make an appearance, with upland sandpiper reported from Highgate Center, semi-palmated plover in Pownal, and spotted and solitary sandpipers across the state. Observers also noted the widespread return of chimney swifts and masses of warblers and sparrows.

You can learn about all bird sightings the past week and more on Vermont eBird.

Julie Hart, Conservation Biologist

Happy Endangered Species Day!

In April, the Senate passed a resolution making TODAY, May 11th, Endangered Species Day. It is designed to increase awareness of endangered species, the work that is being done to protect them, and highlight the threats they face. Some endangered species success stories are the return of Peregrine Falcons and the recent announcement of Vermont's first nesting Bald Eagles!

You can learn more about the holiday on the Audubon, National Wildlife Federation, and Endangered Species Coalition websites. These organizations suggest ways tot take action for endangered species by providing educational materials, petitions, pledges, and other ideas. The Alliance for Zero Extinction, of which VINS is a member, is a coalition of organizations worldwide that aims to prevent the extinction of all species by identifying and protecting vital habitat.

There is also a movie currently in theaters that encourages the protection of species and their habitat. "Hoot" is based on Carl Hiaasen's Newberry Honor-winning novel for young adults and features three middle school students trying to stop the building of "another Mother Paula's Pancake House" and to protect the burrowing owls that live on the site. Visit here for more information.

Happy Endangered Species Day!

Vermont Has Its First Successful Bald Eagle Nest

The long wait is over. For several years, Vermont was the only state in the 'Lower 48' that had no nesting bald eagles within its borders. That changed in late April when a pair of bald eagles successfully hatched young in a nest they built last year on the Vermont side of the Connecticut River.

"This is part of one more very important wildlife success story for Vermont," said Governor Jim Douglas. "Wild turkey and moose have been restored to healthy populations, and the osprey, common loon and peregrine falcon were taken off Vermont's endangered species list just last year."

"I want to thank the state fish and wildlife personnel who protect and manage Vermont's fish and wildlife resources for the people of Vermont and the many state partners who contribute greatly to making these fish and wildlife success stories possible."

Last spring a pair of eagles built a nest in the Connecticut River valley in southern Vermont, but no eggs were laid. Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department biologists and game wardens monitored the site and were hopeful the pair would return to try again this year.

"The eagles built a good nest in a large, side-slope pine overlooking the river," said Forrest Hammond, a wildlife biologist with the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department. "Its location makes it difficult to see what's in the nest so we've been watching the eagles' behavior to determine their reproductive status. Chris Martin, from New Hampshire Audubon, used a spotting scope to observe one of the eagles offering bites of food to one or two different locations within the nest. This behavior strongly suggests chicks are present."

"We won't risk disturbing the eagles to get a closer look into the nest, but we will continue to watch from a distance. We are not releasing information about the location of the nest and urge people to respect wildlife by staying well away from the nest in order to avoid scaring the eagles. The adults could abandon the young, or the young could jump from their nests if disturbed by people getting too close."

Historic records of bald eagles in Vermont are scarce, but they were reported to have nested near Lake Bomoseen in the 1940s. Nine years ago a pair of bald eagles displayed territorial behavior at Somerset Reservoir, but no nest was found. In 2002, a pair of bald eagles built a nest near the North Springfield Reservoir but failed to lay eggs. A great horned owl occupied the nest the following year. The eagles didn't return to the site. Eagles built a nest near this same site in 2005 but did not lay eggs. This spring a great horned owl again took over that eagle's nest.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the state, the Vermont Bald Eagle Restoration Initiative is gearing up for its third season of raising young eagles at the Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area in Addison. Nineteen eagles were reared and released from this site in the Lake Champlain Valley in the past two years. More young eagles are due to arrive sometime in May.

"We were confident that eagles would eventually nest in Vermont and are thrilled that it finally happened," said Fish & Wildlife Commissioner Wayne Laroche. "The Vermont Bald Eagle Restoration Initiative is part of our recovery efforts to remove the bald eagle from the state's endangered species list."

The initiative is one of many conservation projects found in Vermont's new Wildlife Action Plan, a statewide all-species plan to conserve wildlife and vital wildlife habitat. Funding for ongoing eagle recovery will come from the state Wildlife Grants Program.

Efforts to restore bald eagles to other states have been extremely successful. The banning of DDT, an extensive reintroduction program, and protection of critical breeding and wintering habitat have contributed to the bald eagle's recovery nationwide.

"We hope Vermont's restoration initiative will speed up the establishment of breeding eagles in the Lake Champlain region," explained Laroche. "We also hope to increase public awareness about endangered species and the role of top predators in aquatic habitats of Vermont."

To learn more about the project and Vermont's eagles, visit the Vermont Bald Eagle Restoration Initiative website.

Weekly Bird Notes 5/4/2006

Plumage polymorphism is a fancy way of saying that a bird species comes in different colors. Most of us have a perfect example right now under our bird feeders: color-coded white-throated sparrows.

These sparrows have two easily identifiable color patterns. "White-stripe" morphs have sharply contrasting black-and-white head stripes and usually solid gray breasts; "tan-stripe" morphs have less-contrasting dull black-and-tan colored stripes, and they often have streaks on their breasts.

You might suspect that these differences simply involve males verses females, but this polymorphism exists within both sexes. White-striped individuals, or “morphs”, are larger, sing more often, and are more aggressive than tan-striped birds. But, tan-striped females provide more parental care.

Such differences are maintained by negative assortative mating—each morph almost always mates with its opposite. The more aggressive white-striped females are preferred by both forms and are more successful in attracting the preferred tan-stripe males. This usually causes white-striped males and tan-striped females to pair with each other. Their nests contain chicks of both color morphs. The chicks all grow up in the same environment, yet their behavior is determined mainly by their genetics.

White-throated sparrows arrived from the southeastern United States last week in large numbers, gracing the ground below feeders across Vermont.

A sandhill crane flew southward over Shelburne Pond on April 26. Whooping cranes returned to Vermont last week for the second year. Satellite tracking by biologists indicated that crane numbers 309 and 520 left Jefferson Co., NY and stopped in Lewis Co., NY before moving to Addison Co., VT where 309 visited last spring. They're sort of vagrants to Vermont from a reintroduced whooping crane breeding population that migrates between Florida and Wisconsin. The female in this pair visited Bridport-Cornwall last June.

Other rare visitors to Vermont included a tricolored heron at Delta Park in Colchester on the April 29 and a glossy ibis in Richmond on April 26.

Shorebirds began appearing last week with the first report of greater yellowlegs, spotted sandpiper and pectoral sandpiper at Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area on April 29 and 30. The first solitary sandpipers were observed in Westminster on April 30.

Warblers are arriving in waves. First reports included: a Nashville warbler in Rupert on April 29, yellow warblers at Berlin Pond and West Rutland Marsh, black-throated green warbler at Gifford Woods State Park, and black and white warblers throughout the state. The overwintering Cape May warbler in Rutland was last seen April 27, and is believed to have headed north for the breeding season.

You can learn about all bird sightings the past week and more on Vermont eBird.

Kent McFarland, Conservation Biologist