RCAS Hot Spot: Kent Pond — Rutland County Audubon society

Kent Pond, Gifford Woods State Park, and the Appalachian Trail in Killington afford plenty of birding opportunities. Located in the heart of the Green Mountains, this area offers a variety of birds in a beautiful setting.

Common Merganser, Mallard, Common Loon and Spotted Sandpiper are often present on Kent Pond. Sometimes Osprey are seen and, on more rare occasions, Bald Eagle. Spotted Sandpipers nest here. In the summer of 2009 a pair of loons unsuccessfully attempted to nest on one of the islands in the pond; it is hoped they will succeed in future years.

The pond is a particularly good place to visit after stormy weather in spring or fall. On June 23, 2009 Roy Pilcher wrote about some of the unusual visitors that have been seen at the pond in the past. Click here for more details. On May 31, 2011, observers there to check on the nesting loons were startled to find an American White Pelican perched on one of the rocks near the loon nest.

There are two options for viewing Kent Pond. One is the fishing access on Rte 100 (on the west side of the pond). The second is along the impoundment on Thundering Brook Road (the east side of the pond). The area is heavily used by fishermen and kayakers especially on summer weekends.

The Appalachian Trail runs through Gifford Woods State Park west of Kent Pond and passes along the south side of the pond. The trail in either direction offers the opportunity to see a wide variety of warblers including Nashville, Northern Parula, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Black-throated Blue, Yellow-rumped, Black-throated Green, Blackburnian, Blackpoll, Black-and-white, American Redstart, Ovenbird and Canada warblers. Brown Creepers, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers and Winter Wrens are present in good numbers.

A pleasant hike is to take the Appalachian Trail south of the parking lot and continue east along Kent Pond and across Thundering Brook Road. This route will take you over a ridge to the bottom of Thundering Brook Road. You can then return the way you came or walk up Thundering Brook Road to the pond and then back along the trail to the fishing access parking lot.

Common Loon

For the past few years a pair of Common Loons have attempted to nest on one of the islands on Kent Pond. They haven't been successful yet, but sometimes it takes time for a new pair to get it right.

Song Sparrow

Song Sparrows, along with Common Yellowthroats, are frequently heard singing near the boat access area during spring and summer.

Mallard

Mallards, and occasionally American Black Ducks, are frequently seen with their young on Kent Pond

Spotted Sandpiper

Spotted Sandpipers nest on Kent Pond. While it's fairly easy to see an adult, it's a little trickier to spot one of the young.

Bonaparte's Gull

Bonaparte's Gull is another of those species that can appear occasionally at Kent Pond, particularly in or immediately after bad weather. Marv Elliott took this photo was taken in May of 2011. The same day, five Common Terns and one Black Tern were spotted.

Greater Yellowlegs

This Greater Yellowlegs, in breeding plumage was seen at Kent Pond in May 2011. Greater Yellowlegs have been seen at this location in October and May during migration.

Common Loons

The choregraphy went something like this: The loon pair swimming together approached the shore whose bank sloped gently down into the water. The female swam to the shore and half beached herself, allowing sufficient depth of water for the mail to swim and approach her from behind and then mount. The female further anchored herself with partically outstretched wings.

Red-necked Grebe

This Red-necked Grebe was seen at Kent Pond in May of 2011. Click here to see what else has been seen at this location in the month of May over the years.

American White Pelican

Living up to its reputation for rarities, Kent Pond produced this American White Pelican on May 31, 2011. We can only speculate how this bird landed so far out of its normal range west of the Mississppi River. Perhaps the violent weather in parts of the U.S. this spring blew it off course. At any rate, this is only its eighth recorded sighting in Vermont.

Dunlin

This Dunlin in breeding plumage was seen in early June of 2008 near the end of the shorebird spring migration season. Most Dunlin sightings in Vermont occur along Lake Champlain; click here to see where.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is one of the regulars around Kent Pond, its uneven tapping heard by mid-April. Once the eggs have hatched, it's fairly easy to hear the young in the nest cavity especially when one of the adults appears with food.

Common Yellowthroat

It is fairly easy to spot a Common Yellowthroat in the brushy habitat around Kent Pond, especially at the boat launch. Listen for its "witchity witchity" song and you should be able to locate it.

Common Loon with chick

After several years of unsuccessful nesting, the pair of Common Loons at Kent Pond have finally produced a chick. Congratulations to the proud parents!

Alternately you can turn east, cross Route 100 (traffic moves quickly so use caution) and take the Appalachian Trail through Gifford Woods State Park. Birding is best mid-May through summer and well into September. The pond is usually frozen in winter through mid-April.

DIRECTIONS: Take Route 100 north from the intersection with Route 4 in Killington. The fishing access and parking lot are about ¼ mile on the right. To view the pond from the east side, take Thundering Brook Road north from Route 4 (the first road east of the intersection of Route 100).

RESOURCES:

Gifford Woods State Park

More Photos from Kent Pond

Google Map

eBird data