a sliver of redwood

This sliver of redwood is so small and weathered that an expendable matchstick would hold it with little esteem. It came from a redwood corpse now prostrate and long silent. For how long this redwood giant had rested there, only its living relatives know. Time is measured by them, neither in days nor years nor even decades, but centuries. This hulk of a giant with the girth and length of a commuter train was fortunate to die full of years, yielding his place to the next generation in crashing headlong into the embrace of mother earth. Along with his immediate living family gathered about him, they constitute the fortunate ones. With nineteen out of twenty of their kith and kin felled first by the axe and then by the chainsaw, this generation of giants that survives on these California foothills does so under special dispensation and protection.

It was an idyllic life, the happy confluence of soil and solitude, moisture and moderation, altitude and latitude that combined together to produce a sustained but measured growth. With head reaching to the heavens above and roots buried deep in the rich earth below it was, or so it appeared to be, a benevolent universe and without bounds. Daily mists sailed inland borne on winds traversing the cold California Current ever willing to cool and quench any lingering thirst that he or another maturing giant may generate. With crowns jostling for space and with bodies lean of limb, if branches should find room to extend horizontally, there a universe of lichens and mosses and an array of air breathing plants abounded. There the Marbled Murrelet, an avian creature of the oceans, would lay its single egg. There a lone chick would anxiously await the fading light of dusk for a parent’s return with sustenance from the sea.

If danger there was, it was heaven sent! Dark and foreboding cumulus clouds drawn eastward from the rising thermals of the Great Basin patiently waited an opportunity to discharge their burden of electrical energy. The giant who stood the tallest and stoutest would serve as nature’s lightning rod and would be humbled. The path traveled by the surge of electrical energy would instantly render sap to steam and in the process split the protecting bark asunder. From thence it would be a slow death, a half a century may be, but this majestic giant could not and would not survive heaven’s chastisement. In the event of a conflagration that death would be hastened while others, with their thick and fire resistant bark still intact, had less to fear. However, there would be casualties.  

All the while in the cool and moist dappled world below, a profusion of ferns and shrubs vied for whatever sunlight penetrated the canopy above, all pygmies at peace amidst the kingdom of giants.  

From a lowly California dogwood, a Varied Thrush called.  Evening came and morning came, and God acknowledged that what he saw was good.

California, summer 2001

the patience of job

The window of opportunity was still open as Roy walked the Pittsford Trails that steamy July afternoon in his priority block, Proctor 4. This was the third year of the second five-year Vermont Breeding Bird Atlas project. A couple more weeks and the breeding season would be as good as over for the year. 

The sound of the brook was soothing on this unduly hot day. Roy had heard many a male Ovenbird singing in suitable habitat, but breeding confirmation had eluded him. As Roy followed the bend in the path from above and to his left there broke forth an agitated series of chatterings, as if two pebbles were being tapped in rapid succession. Roy would take his time for this was surely an opportunity to score one more breeding confirmation. The clicking persisted but it was difficult to zero in from whence it came. Finally Roy caught a glimpse of one of the perpetrators striding along a horizontal branch, calling as it went. The minutes went by and the mosquitoes had their fill but Roy remained riveted, ears and eyes straining. Eventually the agitation subsided until there was but a single bird registering its concern. It would not be long. Roy was sure there would be some telltale exposition of a nest or the call of a demanding fledgling. 

All of a sudden Roy’s world was compromised as a large black lab straining at the leash with his mistress in tow noisily erupted upon the scene from behind him. Roy was sure all was lost. A single bird raised the alarm but as the intruders’ presence faded into the distance and the commotion subsided, a second bird emboldened by the intruders’ departure dropped to a lower branch straight ahead of Roy. Oblivious to Roy’s presence the Ovenbird strode boldly forward, a juicy caterpillar in its beak, a meal for some hidden nestling or fledgling! Breeding confirmed!

 “Thank you, thank you,” Roy muttered in appreciation and relief as he checked off: Ovenbird, Carrying Food (CF), 07/19, Breeding Confirmed!

christmas bird count results

Golden-crowned KingletRutland County Audubon’s 42nd Annual Christmas Bird Count took place on Saturday, January 2. Weather conditions for the count were favorable with dry roads and temperatures a degree or two below freezing.

Count statistics reverted to the running ten-year averages for both individual birds and bird species. Count day produced 8,437 individual birds as compared to the ten-year running average of 8,480.  Day species numbered 53 with an extra two recorded during count week. This compares with a ten-year running average of 51 species. A Northern Harrier and a Rough-legged Hawk were observed during count week.

New records were set for Great Blue Heron with a sighting of 4 birds, Canada Geese that tallied 1,444 birds and Song Sparrow that came in with 12 individuals.  The larger than normal number of Canada Geese resulted from unusually large numbers that happened to be moving south on count day.

It was gratifying to welcome several new observers to the count and to the traditional and enjoyable countdown pot luck supper that concluded the day.

rcas's 41st christmas bird count

Red-tailed Hawks were well-represented during the CBCTraditionally the Rutland County Annual Christmas Bird Count takes place on the last weekend of December or the first weekend of January depending as to when Christmas day lands. Saturday, December 27 was the designated day for this year’s count, count number 41 for Rutland County and count number 115 for National Audubon since the first bird count was inaugurated by Frank Chapman as an alternative to the “side hunt," a Christmas tradition of shooting birds.

The 15-mile diameter count circle, once delineated, remains the same from year to year. Participation and effort seem to follow an even pattern so “weather” is left as the great arbiter. If one had misplaced the calendar, field observers this year may well have imagined that they were out during the first week in April. Meadows appeared lush and free of snow, streams were flowing strongly and ponds were mostly free of ice. Temperatures were in the 32° to 43° F. range. Some roads and fields were flooded adding to some interruption in coverage.

A reasonable assumption would be that under such weather conditions birds both waterfowl and song would disperse more widely as compared to an immediate frozen and snow covered habitat. And so it was to be. Individual bird numbers came in at 5,705 as compared to a running ten-year average of 8,638. That is almost a 34% decrease! The species count was not so depressed with 50 species tallied just one less than the running ten-year average of 51.1 species.

CBC field formTwo previous species records were equaled, namely the sighting of two Peregrine Falcons and the sighting of three Great Blue Herons.  A new record of 10 individuals was set for Red-bellied Woodpecker. Looking back over the past 40 years of Rutland’s Christmas Bird count records, a single Red-bellied Woodpecker was first observed in 1990, then two in 2003, four in 2004, five in 2010, six in 2011 and finally 10 in 2014. Quite a progression and a nice illustration as to why the collection of all this data is so important!

Thanks is due to the 21 field observers who drove 333.7 miles and walked 20.15 miles, spending a total of 65 party-hours on the beat. Thanks is also due to the seven feeder watchers who spent 37.5 hours at home tallying the birds at their feeders.

At the conclusion of the day, 25 weary but content participants enjoyed a great spread at the traditional pot luck supper and count-down at the Proctor Free Library.

Next year’s Christmas Bird count is set for Saturday, January 2, 2016. 

two Barred Owls were observed on the countThe numbers:  Great Blue Heron [3], Canada Goose [140], Wood Duck [1], American Black Duck [21], Mallard [133], Common Goldeneye [1], Common Merganser [6], Sharp-shinned Hawk [1], Cooper’s Hawk [2], Red-tailed Hawk [32], Peregrine Falcon [1], Merlin [1], Wild Turkey [84], Wilson’s Snipe [1], Rock Pigeon [305], Mourning Dove [417], Barred Owl [2], Belted Kingfisher [2], Red-bellied Woodpecker [10], Downy Woodpecker [67], Hairy Woodpecker [47], Northern Flicker [2], Pileated Woodpecker [13], Blue Jay [366], American Crow [1063], Common Raven [21], Black-capped Chickadee [697], Tufted Titmouse [69], Red-breasted Nuthatch [17], White-breasted Nuthatch [123], Brown Creeper [9], Carolina Wren [12], Golden-crowned kinglet [1], Eastern Bluebird [35], Hermit Thrush [1], American Robin [4], Northern Shrike [1], European Starling [1027], Common Yellowthroat [1], Northern Cardinal [102], American Tree Sparrow [97], Song Sparrow [6], White-throated Sparrow [2], Dark-eyed Junco [141], Red-winged Blackbird [16], Brown-headed Cowbird [2], House Finch [105], Pine Siskin [29], American Goldfinch [158], House Sparrow [308].

Roy Pilcher begins the countdown

 Thana McGary and Lana and Fred Bates help with cleanupLarry Booker tallies the numbers

christmas bird count: dec 27

Ruffed GrouseRutland County’s annual Christmas Bird Count is set for Saturday, December 27. It will mark the 115th National Audubon count and the 41st Rutland County Audubon count.

Last year 22 Field Observers and eight feeder watchers tallied 8,760 individual birds spanning 51 species. These numbers were well within the ten-year running averages of 8,840 individual birds and 51.2 species.

Even with forty years of data collection, new records seem to fall with each successive count. Last year was no exception. With the observation of two Hermit Thrushes, species #101 was added to the count total. Furthermore, with the sighting of 42 Red-tailed Hawks, three Rough-legged Hawks, two Peregrine Falcons and 18 Carolina Wrens, individual species records were either equaled or exceeded.

The count area is represented by a circle 15 miles in diameter centered where Route 4 West crosses the Otter Creek.  The count area remains constant from year to year although the number of observers and weather conditions change.

As tradition dictates, a potluck supper and count down at the conclusion of the day will follow at the Proctor Free Library beginning at 6 o’clock. Beverages and flatware will be provided and participants along with family and friends are invited to bring a hot dish, salad or dessert.

For those wishing to participate, mark your calendar and reserve Saturday, December 27, for this year’s count. Field team leaders can always use new participants while feeder watchers in the count area are more than welcome. Give Roy Pilcher a call at 775-3461 or email birding@rutlandcountyaudubon.org if you would like to participate one way or another. Join the fun and contribute to the longest running citizen science field study ever undertaken, an uninterrupted one hundred and fourteen years!

2013 christmas bird count results

a Barred Owl peers at a field team in Rutland TownOn Saturday, December 28, Rutland County Audubon completed its 40^th annual consecutive Christmas Bird Count. On the national level it marked the 114^th Christmas Bird Count.

Recognition and credit is due to the 22 dedicated field observers and eight faithful home feeder watchers who participated. Two dozen participants rallied later in the evening at the Proctor Free Library for a pot-luck supper and count down. To the four team members from outside Rutland County who joined the local teams, thank you for your enthusiasm and contributions. 

Weather conditions were mostly favorable with partly cloudy skies in the morning becoming more intense in the afternoon while a biting westerly wind at times gusted up to 15 mph. Temperatures for most of the day were above freezing and remained in the 30° to 38° range. Small ponds were frozen but streams were open, a contributing factor to the record number of Belted Kingfisher tallied. Snow cover varied from open ground to approximately 4 inches. Roads were clear, well sanded and drivable, an important consideration with the field teams covering 386.5 miles by car.

With 8,674 individual birds counted the number was within 2% of the ten year running average of 8832. The species count of 51 closely reflected the ten-year running average of 51.2.

In spite of the apparent ordinariness of the above numbers several records were established. The sighting of a single Bald Eagle and three Rough-legged Hawks matched previous records for the species. A Red-tailed Hawk count of 42 exceeded the previous record of 37 established 15 years previously. For many years only a single Peregrine Falcon had been sighted, now the record is two. It was a good year for Belted Kingfisher with a tally of six. The previous record of four goes back 25 years. The Carolina Wren total of 16 birds increased the record by one.

partly open water attracted geese and Belted KingfishersA new species was added to the count as species number 101 for the forty years Rutland County has undertaken the Christmas Bird Count. The new species is none other than the Vermont State Bird, the Hermit Thrush. Not one but two Hermit Thrush were documented! One bird was heard and the other bird was seen, each bird by a separate field team. Well done!

Count Numbers:

Canada Goose (705), American Black Duck (43), Mallard (74), Common Merganser (4), Bald Eagle (1), Sharp-shinned Hawk (1), Cooper’s Hawk (5), Red-tailed Hawk (42), Rough-legged Hawk (3), Peregrine Falcon (2), Ruffed Grouse (2), Wild Turkey (30), Rock Pigeon (609), Mourning Dove, (388), Barred Owl (1), Belted Kingfisher (6), Red-bellied Woodpecker (4), Downy Woodpecker (57), Hairy Woodpecker (32), Pileated Woodpecker (8), Horned Lark (10), Blue Jay (359), American Crow (1045), Common Raven (18), Black-capped Chickadee (858), Tufted Titmouse (67), Red-breasted Nuthatch (16),

White-breasted Nuthatch (78), Brown Creeper (7), Carolina Wren (16), Winter Wren (2), Golden-crowned Kinglet (13), Eastern Bluebird (25), Hermit Thrush* (2), American Robin (60), Cedar Waxwing (511), Northern Shrike (1), European Starling (1956), Northern Cardinal (110), American Tree Sparrow (237), Song Sparrow (4), White-throated Sparrow (20), Dark-eyed Junco (263), Snow Bunting (3), Red-winged Blackbird (4), Rusty Blackbird (10), Brown-headed Cowbird (4), Purple Finch (8), House Finch (68), American Goldfinch (475), House Sparrow (307).

Bold → Record Number    * New Species to the count.

west rutland’s 20th annual butterfly count

a single Black Swallowtail egg The RCAS West Rutland Annual Butterfly Count took place as on Saturday, July 6, 2013. That in itself was remarkable in the context of an extraordinary persistent rainy season. In spite of temperatures that ranged from a low of 77°F to a high of 86°F participants made every effort to faithfully record the butterfly occurrence or lack of it on this the twentieth count.

The numbers probably tell the story best! As indicated this was the 20^th annual West Rutland count and that in itself provides twenty years of data. The number of species recorded over the twenty years has ranged from a low of 20, one such data point which was the first year with only one participant, to a high of 47 species. The number of individual butterflies recorded has ranged from a low of 112, this year, to a high of 2,091. Taking a broader or longer term perspective over the 20 years, the average number of species is 32/count and the average number of individual butterflies is 621/count. Doing the math the species count for 2013 is 34% below the running average while the number count of individual butterflies is 81% below the running average.

Common Wood-NymphWhile there is an understandable disappointment from the participants’ view point in not having the satisfaction of seeing and intercepting a larger number or wider array of butterflies, the effort and data collection is important for the record and future analysis.

The data collected on July 6 for the West Rutland count will be a single snap shot in time and place for the US and Canada that marks its 39^th Annual July 4^th Butterfly Count sponsored by the North American Butterfly Association.

in the nick of time

My computer is very demanding and, from time to time, we have a serious discussion as to where my loyalty resides. Today was one such occasion. With a steady rain overnight and continuing well in to the morning and temperatures in the mid-fifties, it was surely a day when the computer and I could reestablish our relationship. The urge to go birding was equally strong and so a compromise was entered into. Two hours of birding and no more! 

So here I am a few hours later, together again with my trusty computer and with a story to tell. 

The weather at Kent Pond was no better than that down in the valley. The rain could not make up its mind from which direction to blow! First one window on one side of the car was opened and the rain came in. Then the window on the other side was opened and the rain continued to come in. Not all was lost. Through the curtain of rain drops a single Common Loon was seen in the center of the pond and from time to time a familiar song managed to seep through whenever a window was opened.

It was time to venture to the western side of the pond from which the loon nest could be viewed using a scope or binoculars. The island looked quite diminished. The rising waters had submerged a goodly portion of the limited real estate. My eyes strained to focus through the obscurity of rain, but no loon could be seen in or near the nest. It was difficult to gauge but surely no more than two inches of elevation separated the nest site from the rising waters. Probably a surge or the constant battering of waves from the exposed southwest had done their worst and all was lost! 

Not so! From around the north side in a rocky enclave an adult loon appeared and then a second. Closer and closer together they swam and, joyously, from between them, bobbing in the water a little black chick appeared. It was joined soon after by a second. Together the family group trod water, remaining close until an invitation from one adult enticed one chick on to its back to be followed by its sibling. With the raising of one wing both chicks disappeared into the embrace and warmth of the familiar not to be seen again.

One adult then left the area, mission accomplished! The second with the chicks safely and securely embedded, patrolled the westerly periphery of the island. Strategically, and to this observer, surprisingly, the adult then clambered back on to the nest site now almost completely obscured through the rain and opaqueness of the foliage. In a short while after some further movements and shuffling by the adult loon its head appeared and in its bill an egg shell could be seen only to be ceremoniously and defiantly tossed upon the rising waters. 

It had been in the nick of time!

Christmas bird count results

Bohemian Waxwings graced us with their presence during the CBC With nearly a foot of snow on the ground, the forecast of another day of snow on Saturday, December 29, while welcomed by ski enthusiasts, was of some concern to those who had planned and committed themselves to Rutland’s 39^th annual Christmas Bird Count. Despit snow all day as forecast, the full roster of 8 teams nevertheless took to the field while 5 feeder watchers from the comfort of home tallied all and every bird bold enough to show itself or be heard.

Under the circumstances it was to be expected that relatively fewer miles would be traveled on foot in comparison to miles traveled by car.  However, a nice diversity of species was observed, 49 to be exact, only two species less than the running ten year average of 51. Six thousand four hundred seventy-one individual birds were tallied, a significant decrease from the 8,884 running ten year average.

Two new numerical records were set for the count, namely 78 Common Raven and 775 Common Redpoll.  The former was attributed to a carcass upon which the ravens were feasting on the Clarendon Flats and the latter reflecting the predicted implosion of the species into Vermont this winter. Unusual, but not unique to the Rutland CBC, was a single Great Black Back Gull at the Rutland transfer station, two Wilson’s Snipe in a drainage ditch, a single Rusty Blackbird and a single White-winged Crossbill observed at a feeder.

At day’s end several brave souls made it to the countdown gathering and potluck supper at the Proctor library, and, more importantly, safely home again!  An elegant sufficiency of food appeared for a balanced meal while all 8 teams each had a representative to report the day’s observations! 

Well done, Rutland! Here’s to next year’s fortieth count. 

christmas bird count 2012

Common Redpolls are here this yearFirst, a look back at Rutland County Audubon’s past participation in the Christmas Bird Count tradition. By way of keeping track, RCAS designated last year’s count as #112/38.  The numbers indicate that it was the 112^th national count and the 38^th local count. That’s right - Rutland County Audubon supporters have undertaken 38 local Christmas Bird Counts while on the national level counts have been undertaken all the way back to Christmas Day 1900. The first count was an alternative to the post-Christmas “side hunt” tradition of  wanton slaughter. The Christmas Bird Count phenomenon of data collection is both the longest running and most broadly based citizen science project in this country. Data already collected continues to drive legislation and policies that designate, protect and sustain birds in general and those in crisis in particular.

Christmas Bird Counts must occur between December 14 and January 5. Count circles of a 15-mile diameter once designated remain constant. The center of our local circle is where Route 4 crosses the Otter Creek in Center Rutland. The area covered radiates 7.5 miles all around from there. There are 19 counts scheduled to take place this year in Vermont.

Over the 38 years the Rutland count has tallied 98 species. Results from count 112/38 indicate that 8,744 individual birds were counted and 60 species were observed. New records continue to be set and last year was no exception with counts of 819 Canada Geese, 1 Eastern Screech-Owl, 6 Red-bellied Woodpecker, 136 American Robin and 3 Yellow-rumped Warblers. These observations were collected by 34 field observers and 6 feeder watchers. 

Count # 113/39 will take place this year on Saturday, December 29. Field teams will be assembled and field captains will be in touch with their members who will cover their designated area. As always feeder watchers located within the count circle are very welcome.  Note a major change this year: There is NO PARTICIPATION FEE. Results both national and international will be available when compiled on the internet and not in print form.

An important tradition of most counts is the “countdown pot luck dinner” and that of the Rutland count is no exception. We will gather at the Proctor Free Library following the count at 6 o’clock. Participants and spouses/family are asked to bring a hot dish, a salad or a desert.  Beverages, flatware and utensils will be provided.

If you participated last year you will be contacted, if not please give Roy a call at 775-3461. More eyes looking, more birds tallied, the end result is more fun!

For a list of all the CBCs in Vermont, click here.

For prior years' summaries, click here.

rcas 38th christmas bird count results

Why, you ask, give up eight or nine hours of your time to participate in an annual count of the birds?

Tufted TitmouseCould it be because there are birds out there to be counted and birds are part of our natural world? And the more one knows about them the more one appreciates them and the greater the wonderment? Or is it because there are those fellow enthusiasts whose addiction and concentration may rival your own and whose company is to be enjoyed?

However, striking a more rational stance, don’t forget there is a tradition now stretching back one hundred and eleven years of generations of birders who were similarly motivated to record and to contribute their time and their efforts to an ever expanding database of information of which the local contribution is a mere miniscule, nevertheless essential part! With the enormous capabilities of computers to store data, Christmas Bird Counts have now gone global expanding beyond the U.S.A and Canada to many countries of the Western Hemisphere. 

Saturday, December 31, was the appointed day for Rutland County’s thirty-eighth annual count.  The weatherman’s prediction was for sleet and rain after midnight but we were spared! Intermittent light rain and a generally cloudy day were as favorable conditions as could be expected for this season of the year. Our standard 15-mile diameter circle was divided as usual into eight sectors. It was covered by eight designated teams of three to seven members each with the mandate and responsibility to record with due diligence the numbers and species of birds present. These teams totalling 38 individuals traveled 289 miles by car and another 38 miles on foot. While at home six households within the count circle maintained a watchful eye on their feeders over a combined period of 48 hours.

Following the day's efforts, and despite it being New Year's Eve, over two dozen participants gathered at the Proctor Library to enoy a bountiful potluck and to count down the day's birds.

With the last list submitted and a final tally made, the data for the local Rutland Count is ready to be transmitted electronically and gathered with between two to three thousand similar counts from across the hemisphere.

Roy tallies the day's resultsFor our Rutland County count, 58 bird species were observed on count day with two additional species not seen on count day but during count week (three days prior and three days following the actual CBC day), yielding a grand total of 60 species. As to individual birds, a total of 8,744 was tallied on count day. By way of comparison the running ten year average of species for the Rutland count is 52.3, an increase this year of 15%, and 9,200 individual birds, a decrease this year of 5%.

This year’s list:

Great Blue Heron (1), Canada Goose (819*), American Black Duck (14), Mallard (329), Hooded Merganser (1), Common Merganser (7), Northern Harrier (2), Sharp-shinned Hawk (1), Cooper’s Hawk (2), Red-tailed Hawk (24), American Kestrel (1), Merlin (CW), Peregrine Falcon (1), Ruffed Grouse (2), Wild Turkey (74), Wilson’s Snipe (3), Rock Pigeon (581), Mourning Dove (603), Eastern Screech Owl (1**), Barred Owl (3), Belted Kingfisher (2), Red-bellied Woodpecker (6*), Downy Woodpecker (65), Hairy Woodpecker (43), Northern Flicker (1), Pileated Woodpecker (10), Horned Lark (CW), Blue Jay (302), American Crow (794), Common Raven (19), Black-capped Chickadee (873), Tufted Titmouse (44), Red-breasted Nuthatch (14), White-breasted Nuthatch (97), Brown Creeper (20), Carolina Wren (8), Golden-crowned Kinglet (10), Eastern Bluebird (30), American Robin (136*), Northern Mockingbird (1), Gray Catbird (1), Cedar Waxwing (244), Northern Shrike (2), European Starling (2276), Yellow-rumped Warbler (3**), Northern Cardinal (79), American Tree Sparrow (91), Chipping Sparrow (1), Song Sparrow (3), White-throated Sparrow (7), Dark-eyed Junco (221), Snow Bunting (13), Red-winged Blackbird (73), Brown-headed Cowbird (5), Purple Finch (11), House Finch (149), Common Redpoll (29), Pine Siskin (15), American Goldfinch (195), House Sparrow (382).

BOLD       Equal to previous Numerical Record.

BOLD*     New Numerical Record.

BOLD**   New Species to the Count.

The thirty-eight local Rutland counts have now tallied 100 species!

Historical information on Rutland's counts and CBCs across the hemisphere, click here.

thirty-eighth annual Christmas Bird Count on December 31

a Bohemian Waxwing earlier this yearThe first Christmas Bird count took place on Christmas Day, 1900. It was organized as a reaction to the tradition of the Christmas Side Hunt in which participants would choose “sides” and then proceed with their guns to the fields and woods to shoot as many birds and wild creatures as possible. Ornithologist Frank Chapman decided there was the potential for a better holiday tradition, namely counting birds in a “Christmas Bird Census”! In that first Christmas Bird Census there were 27 participants who observed 90 species of birds and approximately 18,500 individual birds. In contrast, the 111^th Christmas Bird Count achieved a new all-time record with 62,624 participants representing 2,215 counts of which 1,714 were in the United States, 394 in Canada with the remainder in Latin America, the Caribbean and the Pacific Islands.  Of the 61,359,451 individual birds tallied, 57,542,123 were in the United States and 3,355,759 were in Canada.  In Vermont we contributed 18 local counts to the international effort. The Annual Christmas Bird Count, now in its 112^th year is both the largest and the longest running citizen science project anywhere!

Last year marked the 37^th consecutive annual count by Rutland County Audubon. Thirty-one field observers in 8 teams covered 25.5 miles on foot and 310.5 miles by car. In addition there were 6 feeder watchers. Their combined efforts tallied 9,260 individual birds across 51 species.  Record high counts were achieved for Pileated Woodpecker (16), Common Raven (41) and Bohemian Waxwing (798). For a description of last year’s count click here.

Rutland County’s 38^th Annual Christmas Bird Count is set for Saturday, December 31.  The count circle is 15 miles in diameter and is centered where old Route 4A crosses the Otter Creek in Center Rutland. Feeder watchers and field observers are always most welcome to join in this annual quest. As tradition dictates, a pot luck dinner follows at the Proctor Free Library at 6 o’clock in the evening, affording an opportunity to relax and enjoy the company of fellow birders as a tentative list of the day’s sightings is developed.  Mark your calendars to reserve the date and call Roy Pilcher at 775-3461 if you are interested in participating. 

many thanks to our seed sale sponsors

Paul Garland of Garland's AgwayAs members and friends of Rutland County Audubon well know, the first Saturday in November marks the annual ritual of RCAS bird seed sales. These sales have take place at both Garland’s Agway in Rutland and Blue Seal Feeds in Brandon. What the reader of this journal may not know is that the first seed sale Rutland County Audubon undertook was with the cooperation and sponsorship of Rutland Agway in November, 1984.  This would make the recently completed bird seed sale in November of 2011 the twenty-eighth!

Anita Campeau and her daughter help out RCASFor the majority of these years Paul Garland of Garland’s Agway has been the sponsor and facilitator of this annual event. Anita Campeau of Blue Seal Feeds in Brandon goes out of her way to ensure the seed sale at that location runs smoothly. If you happen to meet Paul or Anita either at their stores or on the street, a “thank you” would be in order and much deserved.

The opportunity of greeting many friends and supporters of Rutland County Audubon occurs but once a year at these seed sale events. These are important contacts for us in Audubon and so we too would like to state our appreciation of these two local merchants.

a decade of bird monitoring

On August 16, 2001, fifteen members and friends of Rutland County Audubon sallied forth with the simple goal of recording, on a monthly basis, all the birds seen and heard on the 3.7 mile walk around West Rutland Marsh. The tally for that day was forty-five species! On July 21, 2011, ten years later, and having never missed a single month, nine well seasoned and, still enthusiastic, birders recorded 48 bird species. The log of species in the intervening years has now risen to 143 and the total number of participants to a staggering 1,395! Unforeseen only ten years ago was the introduction of eBird, now the ever expanding repository of not only these local marsh monitoring records, but of bird sightings across North America and now, in fact, to the world beyond.

What accounts for this quite remarkable number of bird species within the confinement of this relatively small area is the diversity of habitats. These include an extensive cattail marsh, a shrub swamp, some red maple-black ash hardwoods, stands of northern white cedar and white pine, in addition to open meadows and some, but limited, scattering of homes and formal gardens. If you have never done so, consider taking the time to visit the ten stations of the Bridge-to-Bridge Interpretive Trail to learn more about these habitats.

a Virginia Rail escorts its young across Marble St.Very few of the bird species encountered rise to the level of requiring Rare Species Documentation. Nevertheless, some of the totals recorded in a single monitoring walk are quite impressive. These record highs include American Bittern (5), Least Bittern (3), Alder Flycatcher (10), Willow Flycatcher (11), Least Flycatcher (10), Eastern Kingbird (29), Warbling Vireo (11), Marsh Wren (19), Eastern Bluebird (28), Veery (16), Common Yellowthroat (24), and Rusty Blackbird (18).

The occurrence, sustainability and diversity of these bird populations are directly tied to the health and preservation of the habitat upon which they depend. The encouraging news is that both Rutland County Audubon and the Town of West Rutland through their elected representatives are united in the goal of preserving this wetland ecosystem and the lands surrounding it.

the results are in!

I set two alarm clocks to 5 A.M., a precaution as sleep the night before the annual Christmas Bird Count is predictably fitful. By that hour I am wide-awake and ready to go! Sounds during the night were particularly ominous; the splattering of water from the roof on my patio confirmed the prediction that a light rain would persist throughout the night into Sunday morning, the day of the count. Birding in the rain is birding at its worst! Cold, snow, wind, heat, and even the annoyance of insects are preferable!

Our field team of five rendezvoused at the College of St. Joseph at 7:00 a.m. It was one of eight field teams designed to cover the eight sectors into which the 15-mile diameter standard count circle had been divided. We consolidated into two cars, equipped with a pair of radios in case we became separated. We were off, enveloped by ground fog and under a light rain.

At our first stop at the Otter Creek, mostly free of ice, we scanned for ducks but with no luck. For the next 45 minutes we confined ourselves to urban side streets, checking local feeders, preferably the ones that the homeowners had remembered to fill. The early birds did not fail us. We noted the usual feeder activity, Black-capped Chickadees, a Tufted Titmouse, an American Goldfinch, a Downy Woodpecker, a pair of Northern Cardinals, White-breasted Nuthatches, and a welcome Red-breasted Nuthatch calling from a Norway Spruce besides a clutch of Mourning Doves. Leaving the city behind, we headed for Boardman Hill where a farm hedgerow yielded a large flock of Wild Turkey and, above in a gnarled maple, a Red-bellied Woodpecker. The heavily wooded Quarterline Road was good for a raucous pair of Pileated Woodpeckers, heard and then seen. It was also good for a flock of well over 100 Bohemian Waxwing and, for some of our group, the first good look at this year’s irruption of northerners. 

Turning east into Walker Mountain Road we made for Clarendon and the Otter Creek floodplain. The ground fog was still intense but lifting, the rain had ceased and above a patch or two of blue, a promise and a stimulus to press on! Press on we did and fortunately in the second car a pair of sharp eyes made out the obscure silhouette of a Great Blue Heron pacing a narrow drainage ditch seeking a morsel on which to sustain it. We would return at noon when the skies cleared to find the bird still there, an extraordinary and memorable scene.Great Blue Heron observed during the count

The day progressed under partly cloudy skies, temperatures were moderate in the 37° F to 46° range, balmy enough in fact for us to take a lunch break at a picnic table adjacent to the local firehouse. Refreshed, we continued, bird by bird, species upon species, 29, 30, 31… would we make 32?  Eyes tired, with light failing once again, it took a sharp-eyed observer to make out the silhouette of a raptor perched across the Otter Creek among the bare limbs of a tree. A quick U-turn and with the aid of a spotting scope, we had species number 32, a Sharp-shinned Hawk. Time to pack it in, freshen up, and make our way to the potluck supper and count down. 

The traditional potluck supper was held at the Proctor Free Library with 35 in attendance, representing all the eight field teams and several feeder watchers. Following an excellent spread, it was time for a provisional countdown of the day’s sightings and highlights. Final numbers revealed that 51 species had been tallied and 9,260 individual birds counted, the combined effort of 31 field observers and 7 feeder watchers. Rutland County’s thirty-seventh Christmas Bird Count was now history and part of the national record that going back one hundred and ten years (this being the one hundred and eleventh national annual count).

Here are the numbers (bold indicates species with numerical highs, along with previous high):

Sharp-shinned Hawk 4 Cooper’s Hawk 5 Red-tailed Hawk 24 Rough-legged Hawk 1 Peregrine Falcon 1 Ruffed Grouse 3 Wild Turkey 206 Rock Pigeon 364 Mourning Dove 474 Barred Owl 7 [6] Belted Kingfisher 1 Red-Bellied Woodpecker 5 [4] Downy Woodpecker 59 Hairy Woodpecker 35 Pileated Woodpecker 16 [12] Horned Lark 4 Blue Jay 261

American Crow 1,345 Common Raven 41 [25] Black-capped Chickadee 1,065 Tufted Titmouse 118 Red-breasted Nuthatch 72 White-breasted Nuthatch 140 Brown Creeper 11 Carolina Wren 15 [6] Golden-crowned Kinglet 14 Eastern Bluebird 36 American Robin 25 Bohemian Waxwing 798 [250] Great blue Heron 1 Canada Goose 571 American Black Duck 61 Mallard 318 Common Merganser 10

Cedar Waxwing 88 European Starling 1,465 Northern Cardinal 116 American Tree Sparrow 228 Song Sparrow 4 White-throated Sparrow 9 Slate-colored Junco 159 Snow Bunting 165 Red-winged Blackbird 6 Rusty Blackbird 4 Brown-headed Cowbird 1 Purple Finch 7 House Finch 221 Common Redpoll 87 Pine Siskin 3 American Goldfinch 187 House Sparrow 399

Christmas Bird Count-January 2

Red-breasted NuthatchThe catch phrase "think globally, act locally," may well apply to the annual Christmas Bird Count phenomenon now in its 111th year at the global level and the 37th year at the local level. The numbers are really quite staggering now that the count has expanded beyond the USA and Canada. Last year 2,160 counts involved 60,753 volunteers, who tallied over 56 million birds representing 2,300 species. While dwarfed by all those numbers, Rutland County's contribution amounted to 6,333 individual birds, representing 43 species, tallied by 28 volunteers. Incidentally, those numbers were well below average, something we hope to address this year with your help!

Since the results of this mammoth "citizen science" exercise form the basis of serious research, certain protocols need to be followed throughout. The count circle, 15 miles in diameter, once described, cannot be changed from year to year. The window of opportunity for undertaking the count is standardized to run from December 14 through January 5. Miles traveled by car and by foot are recorded as are the hours spent watching feeders. The high and low temperatures are recorded as are the winter, water, and precipitation conditions. Count compilers and organizers, while independent, tend to follow similar organizational methods of designating field teams to specific areas while feeder watchers may remain in the comfort of their homes.

This year's count is set for Sunday, January 2. The traditional potluck supper follows the day's activities when a tentative list of the sightings is compiled and highlights recounted. Rutland County Audubon participants have enjoyed the hospitality of the Proctor Library over the years and will do so again, gathering in time to kick off proceedings at 6 PM. Bring a dish to share; beverages and utensils will be provided.

For further information and/or express a desire to be part of this 37th Rutland Christmas Bird Count, contact Roy Pilcher at 775-3461 or shamwariVT@aol.com.

nine years of monthly bird marsh monitoring completed

monitoring walk #108On Saturday, July 22, 2010 Rutland County Audubon members and friends completed the 108^th month of bird monitoring of the West Rutland Marsh. The monitoring consists of walking the 3.7 mile perimeter of the marsh each month and recording all birds seen and/or heard during the walk. Any individual who has participated in all 108 monthly monitoring walks would have covered 399.6 miles and would have seen or heard 139 different species of birds!

While those numbers may be impressive, what is more important is the ever expanding data set that has been faithfully recorded on eBird, a collaborative effort of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon and publicly available to researchers, bird enthusiasts and the curious. During nine years of marsh monitoring, 1,266 individuals participated, constituting a potential community of informed and empathetic advocates willing and ready to ensure the sustainability of the marsh and its diverse inhabitants.

While monitoring is both collegial and fun, many participate in welcoming the opportunity to hone their birding skills, both auditory and visual. It would be difficult to imagine a more dynamic and inviting classroom in which to learn, to exercise and to contribute.

While celebrating this birding milestone, there is more to the marsh than just the birds! The ten-station Bridge to Bridge Interpretive Trail, with the help of a brochure available at the kiosk, can expand the horizons of the curious to the flora, to the landscape and even to the soils characteristic of a wetland as it traverses River Street to the south and Marble Street to the east.

West Rutland Media CampThis summer, among the curious, there were three groups of young people who visited the marsh to experience some of the treasures that it has to offer, a Tapestry class from Rutland, the West Rutland Academy and the West Rutland School Media Camp. Click here to see the video created by the students.

Everyone is welcome to participate in Rutland County Audubon’s field trips and activities. There is no charge. Notice of events may be found in the local press and also on the Events section of this website.

annual butterfly count, west rutland’s seventeenth

White Admirals on animal scat

Rutland County Audubon undertook its seventeenth annual “July 4” West Rutland Butterfly Count on Saturday, July 3.The North American Butterfly Association’s counts, now in their thirty-sixth year, are organized along the lines of the Audubon’s Annual Christmas Bird Counts within circles of 15 miles diameter that once designated, remain constant.  The first West Rutland count was organized by Monica and Alan Gregory in 1994.

Ten participants took to the field at 9:00 a.m. on a clear but humid morning with a temperature reading of 68° F.  By the time the day was over for the last participant about 3:30 p.m. the temperature was hovering around 87° F. 

The 35 species tallied was in fact equal to the average over the past 16 years while the individual tally was some 116 short of the average.  Looking over the species diversity and numbers, the highs and the lows over the past 16 years, it would appear that there is neither constancy nor predictability although the counts were undertaken in the same areas and almost on the same calendar date.  One variable seems to be the maturity and passage of the season and that of supportive plant growth.

It was nice to record two Dion Skippers, a species included in “Vermont’s Sweet Sixteen.”

For the most part no attempt was made to differentiate between Northern Crescent and Pearl Crescent, hence Crescent sp.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (1), Canadian Tiger Swallowtail (1), Tiger Swallowtail sp. (2), Cabbage White (33), Clouded Sulphur (101), Bronze Copper (2), Coral Hairstreak (1), Acadian Hairstreak (1), Eastern Tailed-Blue (26), Great Spangled Fritillary (27), Aphrodite Fritillary (14), Atlantis Fritillary (4), Meadow Fritillary (172), Crescent sp. (34), Baltimore Checkerspot (3), Question Mark (2), Eastern Comma (2), Painted Lady (1), Red Admiral (6), White Admiral (2), Viceroy (2), Eyed Brown (13), Common Ringlet (5), Common Wood Nymph (12), Monarch (23), Least Skipper (5), European Skipper (60), Indian Skipper (1), Peck’s Skipper (4), Tawny-edged Skipper (1), Long Dash (3), Northern Broken-Dash (7), Little Glassywing (23), Dun Skipper (4), Dion Skipper (2).  Total individuals, (600).  Total species, (35).

bats in the balance!

NOTE: This program was originally scheduled for March 16, but will be held on March 30.

US Fish and Wildlife Service, Northeast Region

In February 2006 some 40 miles west of Albany, New York, a caver photographed hibernating bats with an unusual white substance on their muzzles.  He noticed several dead bats.  The following winter, bats behaving erratically, bats with white noses and a few hundred dead bats in several caves came to the attention of New York Department of Environmental Conservation biologists, who documented white-nose syndrome in January 2007.  Hundreds of thousands of hibernating bats have died since.  Biologists with state and federal agencies and organizations across the country are still trying to find the answer to this deadly mystery.

Sick, dying and dead bats have been found in unprecedented numbers in and around caves and mines from Vermont to Virginia.  In some hibernacula, 90 to 100 percent of the bats are dying.

While the bats are in the hibernacula, the affected bats often have white fungus on their muzzles and other parts of their bodies.  They may have low body fat.  These bats often move to cold parts of the hibernacula, fly during the day and during cold winter weather when insects they feed upon are not available, and exhibit other uncharacteristic behavior.

Despite the continuing search to find the source of this condition by numerous laboratories and state and federal biologists, the cause of the bat deaths remains unknown.  Recent identification of a cold-loving fungus could be a step toward and answer. 

Scott Darling, a Vermont Fish and Wildlife biologist, has been directly involved in seeking some understanding of the causes of white-nose syndrome and with developing certain countermeasures.  Scott will speak on “Bats in the Balance” on Tuesday, March 30, at 7:00 p.m. at the Rutland Free Library.  Plan to attend! 

LOON CONSERVATION IN VERMONT…PEOPLE MAKE THE DIFFERENCE!

Please join Eric Hanson, the Vermont Loon Recovery Project Biologist, in exploring the natural history of the Common Loon at the Rutland Free Library at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, February 22.

Loons were in trouble in Vermont 25 years ago with fewer than 10 nesting pairs statewide.Common Loon at Spring Lake Conservation and volunteer efforts have brought the loon numbers back to over 60 pairs in Vermont today, including 11 nesting pairs in the southern half of Vermont. Eric will discuss the threats facing loons and much about their fascinating behaviors and amazing natural history. The Vermont Loon Recovery Project is a program of the Vermont Center for Ecostudies and the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department.    

As the loon population expands, volunteer and lakeshore owner assistance has become even more critical, especially in educating fellow lake users about “their” loons and what they need to be successful. Eric will also discuss the role of loons as an indicator of water quality, especially with reference to mercury contamination.