The Lake Champlain Birding Trail

A female TUFTED DUCK was found among the large raft of ducks, mostly SCAUP, just north of the Crown Point Bridge in Addison. At least one of the males discovered last week continued to be seen as recently as the 1st. Apparently, the flock shifted to the New York side of the lake on the 30th, but the most recent information sent on the 1st, reported the birds back in Vermont. 5 REDHEAD, 2 NORTHERN PINTAILS, a drake CANVASBACK and 1 GADWALL were also seen among the 800 or so birds present. A BARROW’S GOLDENEYE was at nearby Potash Bay in Panton on the 30th.

A number of BALD EAGLES (up to 6) were found near the bridge; at least 2 others were sighted at Fort Cassin and two were over White River Junction.

Another raptor survey in the towns of Bridport, Addison, and Panton yielded 33 RED-TAILS, 38 ROUGH-LEGS, 8 NORTHERN HARRIERS, 3 AMERICAN KESTRELS, 1 COOPER’S HAWK, and a BALD EAGLE.

At least one of the 3 TUFTED DUCKS seen mixed in with the 1400 or so SCAUP north of the Crown Point Bridge was sighted as recently as the 5th. The larger flock was seen on the 8th, and it is likely one or more of the TUFTED DUCKS will remain as long as the SCAUP do. The flock shifts from the Vermont to the New York side and back. No doubt the cold weather due this weekend will cause additional freezing of at least part of the open water. Also present in the flock are 5 REDHEADS, 2 LONG-TAILED DUCKS, and 2 FEMALE PINTAILS, A BARROW’S GOLDENEYE was spotted in among COMMON GOLDENEYES on the 8th.

On the 4th, a WHITE-WINGED SCOTER was seen at Oven Bay (just north of the bridge) and another was at Button Bay. Also found at Button Bay were 5 COMMON LOONS, 14 HORNED GREBES, and 1 RED-NECKED GREBE. A LONG-TAILED DUCK and a RED-BREASTED MERGANSER were off Mud Island in Panton on the 5th.

A juvenile ICELAND GULL was at Shelburne Bay on the 8th. A second-winter ICELAND GULL was sitting on the Burlington Breakwater on the 4th.

In the Champlain Valley, BALD EAGLES were reported from the Crown Point Bridge and from Shelburne Bay. Three were also seen during the Saxton’s River Christmas Count on the 5th.

Three SHORT-EARED OWLS continue to be seen at the end of Gage Road in Addison.

Wayne Scott
Compiler, VT Rare Bird Alert

Sunday, 1/19/03

The Tufted Duck was still present at Port Kent today, and still hanging out with his new buddies, the Ringnecks, usually close to the ferry dock. Scaup numbers are back up to about 1000, with a few scattered goldeneyes, mallards & blacks, and C. Mergs.

Ausable point provided excellent views of a loitering adult Bald Eagle at the entrance of the park, 2 Mute Swans, 100+ mallards & blacks, and 200+ C. Mergansers, 6 R-b Mergansers, and a few scattered goldeneyes.

An interesting event was a Black-backed Gull predating on a female C. Merganser. He would drop on its back, forcing the merganser to dive, where the gull would follow it and nail it again when it came up for air. This was repeated about 3 times while other mergansers nearby continued to feed without a glance. Only the hen's mate(?) offered any resistance to the gull - this was accomplished by swimming rapidly toward it and crashing into him head-on with his breast. As the hen tired, the gull repeatedly grabbed it by the neck and pulled it up onto the ice, where as soon as it released the merg's neck, it would take off into the water again where the process was repeated. Eventually, the gull was distracted by another merg that had pulled up a 12" trout onto the ice, which it promptly stole from the merg. The attacked hen seemed to continue feeding unhurt. This is the first time I have seen a gull attack a merganser - he MUST have been hungry!

A kill site was found in my yard today - something appears to have taken a titmouse. The wing pattern was quite narrow and I am thinking it may have been a shrike, although I have never seen one around my house. A Sharp-shin is more likely around here.

Starting to hear finches, cardinals, and chickadees at my feeders becoming a little more vocal - with snippets of spring songs mixed in just to tease me.

Dana C. Rohleder, O.D.
Port Kent, NY

Monday, 1/20/03

I wandered out Fort Cassin Road this morning and was treated to 10 Bald Eagles sitting on the ice. Four adults and 6 immatures. This seems to be about the northern extent of open water on the Lake, and as to be expected, there was a pile (~430) of Common Mergansers working the ice edge. Quite a few distant goldeneyes as well.

More interesting behaviorally, during a quick stop at Charlotte Town Beach, I saw an adult Bald Eagle actually sitting in the water, with wings extended, almost paddling. S/he took off after a few seconds with a drake Common Merganser dangling from its talons. Unfortunately, I was just late enough so I don't know whether this was a kill or a scavenge.

Two mature bald eagles were at the Lake Champlain Basin Program office next to the Grand Isle Ferry. The birds have been perched along roadside trees overlooking the duck population and open waters created by the ice crushing ferry that runs between Grand Isle Vermont and Cumberland Head, NY.

Colleen Hickey
Education and Outreach Coordinator
Lake Champlain Basin Program

This AM found 2 Mute Swans, ~130 C. Mergansers and 300+ Goldeneyes off W.M./Port Kent. At least one Barrow's Drake was in the smaller Goldeneye raft.

Wickham Marsh/Port Kent
Increasing numbers of both individuals and species:
Mute Swans - 2 (orange heads)
Common Merganser - 120
Hooded Merganser - 7
Ring-necked Duck - 6
Scaup - 400+ - fly-by
C. Goldeneye - 100 close (no Barrow's noted today) - 400+ way offshore
Black Duck - 20
Mallard - 30
Gadwall - 2
Bald Eagle - 2 adults - one seemingly chasing another away toward Port Douglas, then returning to harass the Goldeneyes (territoriality?)

Mallards & Blacks - 60 each
Wood Duck - 2 pairs
Gadwall - 3
C. Mergs - 120
H. Mergs - 4 pairs
Goldeneyes - 300
Ringnecks - 80
Bufflehead - 50
GBH - 30+
R-w Blackbirds - 200-400
Hyla crucifer - several scattered individuals tuning up - hardly a chorus -
more like a barbershop quartet

Mallards/Blacks - 30
Wood Duck - 1 pair
C. Mergs - 300
H. Mergs - 2 pair
Goldeneyes - 400
Ringnecks - 120
Bufflehead - 30

The lone adult male BARROWS GOLDENEYE of last Saturday is still present, and is still easiest to find by scanning the flock for the greater extent of black feathering on the Barrows -- its mostly black wing coverts and shoulder.

AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS, MALLARDS, GREATER & LESSER SCAUP, RING-NECKED DUCKS, COMMON GOLDENEYES, COMMON MERGANSERS.

Also, 400+ American Robins and 140+ Cedar Waxwings located off-road and along Grand Isle roadsides.

At least three adult BARROW'S GOLDENEYES, 2 males and a female, were present among "uncountable hundreds of ducks" in a patch of open water at the Grand Isle – Cumberland Head Ferry crossing. Other species of ducks included AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS, MALLARDS, 3 NORTHERN PINTAILS, GREATER and LESSER SCAUP, RING-NECKED DUCKS, COMMON GOLDENEYES, as well as COMMON and HOODED MERGANSERS.

Uncountable hundreds of ducks Feb 28th to Mar 2nd at the Grand Isle - Cumberland Head ferry crossing. AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS, MALLARDS, 3 NORTHERN PINTAILS, GREATER & LESSER SCAUP, at least 5 RING-NECKED DUCKS, COMMON GOLDENEYES, 3 adult BARROWS GOLDENEYES (2m. 1f.), COMMON MERGANSERS, at least 1 HOODED MERGANSER. 2 adult BALD EAGLES on Saturday. GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL numbers peaked at 88 on Friday.

Saturday, South Hero, 35 American Robins, 2 Eastern Bluebirds. Sunday, Grand Isle: 4 Horned Larks, 45 Robins, 1 Carolina Wren.

19 participants joined Rutland County Audubon's monthly monitoring walk at West Rutland Marsh today, Friday, May 16. Despite a brisk breeze, 57 species were seen and/or heard.

Warblers included: common yellowthroat (18); yellow warbler (18); black-and-white warbler (8); American redstart (1); ovenbird (3); Nashville warbler (2); yellow-rumped warbler (2); blackburnian warbler (1, new to our list); chesnut-sided warbler (2).

Raptors included northern harrier (1), red-tailed hawk (3), and turkey vulture (5).

Sparrows were chipping sparrow (1), song sparrow (14); white-throated sparrow (2), swamp sparrow (13), and savannah sparrow (1, new to our list).

Swallows included tree swallows (27), barn swallow (8), bank swallow (4), cliff swallow (2). The last two seen by Roy Pilcher after the group dispersed.

Also of note were American bittern (1), Virginia rail (2), marsh wren (6), chimney swift (9), common raven (5), warbling vireo (5), red-eyed vireo (3), great-crested flycatcher (1), gray catbird (9), eastern kingbird (2), Baltimore oriole (4), ruby-throated hummingbird (1), yellow-bellied sapsucker (1), indigo bunting (1, new to list).

The best sighting of the day was a male rose-breasted grosbeak bathing in a puddle and preening for quite a while before joining his girlfriend in the brush across the road.

Blue-winged teal (a pair)
Wilson's Snipe
Solitary Sandpiper
A male No. Harrier
Alder Flycatcher
Brown Creeper (a pair)
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher
Veery
Loads of BobolinkRose-breasted Grosbeak
Loads of No. Orioles
Warbler Species: female blackburnian(?); Redstart; Yellow; Common
Yellowthroat;
Black-throated green
and a possible Lincoln's Sparrow

I just received a photo of a WHITE PELICAN at Arnold Bay in Panton. Apparently, it has been present for 5 days. The bird was seen today!!!

Yellow Warbler, American Redstart, Warbling Vireo, Black Crowned Nightheron, Gray Catbird, Baltimore Oriole, Rough Winged Swallow, Bank Swallow, Tree Swallow Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Bobolinks, Osprey

On August 20th up to 5 GREAT EGRETS were seen from Brilyea Access at Dead Creek WMA.

An adult BALD EAGLE was seen on August 17th on Lake St. Catherine in Poultney, and an immature was sighted at Braeloch Point in Colchester on
the 16th.

Migrant shorebird reports continue to be limited. Visits to Pompy flats on August 14th and 17th found LEAST SANDPIPER, SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, PECTORAL SANDPIPER, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, LESSER YELLOWELEGS, SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, and KILLDEER. At Brilyea on August 20th, there were about 6 SOLITARY SANDPIPERS right next to the parking lot.

Along the West shore of Grande Isle, 2 CASPIAN TERNS were seen on August 11th and a YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO was sighted on August 12th.

Reports of landbird migrants are still scarce, but there are initial signs of the coming migration. SWALLOWS are flocking up; approximately 600 BANK SWALLOWS and 450 TREE SWALLOWS were seen along the East shore of Grand Isle on August 11th and 8th, respectively. A COMMON NIGHTHAWK was seen heading south over Swanton the evening of August 17th, and a CANADA WARBLER was feeding with a flock of BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES in Underhill Center on August 21st.

Sightings during a walk at the West Rutland Marsh on August 16th included 8 RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS and many species still feeding young.

Rutland County Audubon completed two years of monitoring West Rutland Marsh today with 10 participants and 37 species tallied.

Best in show goes to a beautiful male northern harrier hunting over a field. The only other
raptor of the day was a red-tailed hawk.

There was plenty of evidence of successful breeding. We watched two young yellow-bellied
sapsuckers work their way up a telephone pole.

There were good numbers of swamp sparrows (16), marsh wrens (10), common yellowthroat (17),
yellow warbler (9), cedar waxwing (25), and gray catbird (9).

5 great blue herons and 1 green heron were spotted. 2 willow flycatchers, 1 alder
flycatcher, and 1 great-crested flycatcher were heard as well as 1 scarlet tanager.

To date we have logged 103 species at the marsh, 88 miles and an average of 12 participants per
trip. Thanks everybody!

Sue Elliott
www.rutlandcountyaudubon.org

Highlights included 1 Cooper's hawk circling to
the top of the ridge over the marsh and then
perching on a dead tree; 3 hermit thrush feeding
on berries; 12 white-crowned sparrows; 1 rusty
blackbird (one year a day since the last one seen
during a marsh walk); and about 140 American
robins.

Also: 53 mallards; 2 red-tailed hawks; 6 common
ravens; 4 marsh wrens (one still singing
repeatedly); 1 pileated woodpecker; 1 northern
flicker; 11 swamp sparrows; 10 song sparrows; 27
white-throated sparrows; 4 purple finches; and 3
dark-eyed juncos.

Sue Elliott
http://www.rutlandcountyaudubon.org

The annual migration of snow geese have been arriving at Dead Creek WMA and other parts of the Champlain Valley for the past week. Current reports from Dead Creek put the numbers in the 5,000 - 7,000 range. The best viewing is from the viewing area on the South side of Route 17.

White-rumped, Solitary, Stilt, Least, Semipalmated and Pectoral Sandpipers, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Short- and Long-billed Dowitchers, Wilson's Phalarope, Semipalmated Plover and Whimbrels.

Birds seen during the week of 8/24-8/31 at Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area include the following.

Baird's Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Stilt Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpipers, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Red-necked Phalarope, Short-billed Dowitcher, Long-billed Dowitcher

immature Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcons, Turkey Vultures, Osprey, Red-tailed Hawk, Merlin

Canada Geese, Mallards, Green- and Blue-winged Teal, Black Ducks, Wood
Ducks, Northern Pintail

Tree, Bank, and Barn Swallows, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Chickadees, Robins, Starlings, Goldfinches, Pewees, Phoebe, Starlings, Kingbirds, Horned Larks, Ovenbird

Saturday Nov 22 - Sunday Nov 30.

On the 22nd a juvenile NORTHERN GANNETT was seen over Lake Champlain in Charlotte. Another was seen in Grand Isle 2 days later, quite possibly the same individual.

SNOW GEESE had not left the state as of the 26th, although there have been no reports of them after that date. A "vast" flock was seen in the cornfield at the junction of Route 7 and Three Mile Bridge Road in East Middlebury. This is apparently the same flock that has been hanging around Cornwall Swamp and in fields east of Otter Creek for about 3 weeks.

Lake Bomoseen yielded some interesting finds on the 24th, including 15 AMERICAN BLACK DUCK, a NORTHERN SHOVELER, 84 HOODED MERGANSER, and a BELTED KINGFISHER. Both species of mergansers were also seen on Lake Dunmore.

One of the most interesting sightings of the week was a WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER, seen foraging on the rocky shoreline directly below the Champlain Bridge on Thanksgiving Day.

A single LAPLAND LONGSPUR was spotted within a flock of SNOW BUNTINGS and HORNED LARKS at Long Point in Ferrisburg. Reports of PINE SISKINS continue, and in some cases people are seeing them at their feeders for the first time. A few scattered reports of one or two COMMON REDPOLLS have come in over the past week.

Winter visitors to the Champlain Valley this weekend included Rough-legged and Red-tailed hawks, Horned Larks, and Snow Buntings.

On Champlain, Bald Eagles were found on the edge of the ice just North of the Crown Point Bridge and near the Sand Bar causeway in Milton. Common Loons were seen in the open waters in the North part of the lake.

Ausable Point: (very slushy/frozen)
Bald Eagle - pair of adults

Port Kent/Wickham Marsh (open):
Mallard- 12, Black Duck- 9, C. Merg. - 11, Bufflehead - 5, C. Goldeneye - 8, G. Scaup - 1

Essex ferry dock (fully open):
Mallard - 25, Black Duck - 27, C. Goldeneye - ~35, Barrow's Goldeneye - Drake & probable hen, Bufflrhead - 3, Scaup hen - 1, C. Merganser - ~18,

Whallons Bay (open):
C. Goldeneye - ~50, Barrow's Goldeneye - NONE, C. Merganser - ~10, Bald Eagle - 1 imm.

Clark Rd. - ~130 Snow Buntings

Westport Marina (~200 sq. ft. unfrozen)
Mallard - 15, Black Duck - 12, C. Merg. - 8

Sightings along the Vermont side of the lake this past week include the following. At least 350 Common Goldeneyes and 100 Common Mergansers were at the Crown Point Bridge. In Shelburne Bay there were Buffleheads, Common Goldeneyes, Common Mergansers, Mallards, Hooded Mergansers, Scaup and Canada Geese. Also present were Herring, Ring-Billed, and Greater Black-Backed Gulls.

A Coopers Hawk was seen near the Burlington Waterfront along with a Black Duck. A Rough-Legged Hawk was seen in Colchester, VT. An American Kestrel was seen in West Addison, VT. A Northern Shrike was seen at the Button Bay Boat Launch.

The Townsend's Solitaire was last seen near the West Rutland Marsh on the 2nd from Pleasant Road. There were also three Eastern Bluebirds in the same area.

Waterfowl continue to hang around the open water around the Grand Isle fish hatchery and the ferry. Seen reciently were Black Duck, Mallard, Ring-necked Scaup, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Common Goldeneye, Barrow's Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser and Northern Pintail.

Two Snowy Owls and a Short-eared Owl and a Northern Shrike were also seen in the area.

The Bald Eagles continue to feast at Dead Creek WMA with up to 15 seen at a time. Jeff Nadler was able to get some great photos that can be seen on his website http://jnphoto.net/baldeagle1.html

This weekend at Dead Creek WMA in Addison, VT up to 11 Bald Eagles were seen from Brilyea Road (south of Route 17) mostly adults with a few juveniles. Other birds there included Common Mergansers, Mallards, Canvasbacks, Green-winged Teal, Canada Geese, Northern Shrikes, Red-tailed and rough-legged Hawks, Horned Larks Black-capped Chickadees, White-breasted Nuthatch and Red-winged Blackbirds.

March 1, 2004

The Grand Isle/Plattsburgh ferry continues to attract waterfowl to the open water it creates. This weekend the following species were seen.

Green Mountain Audubon Society did its monthly monitoring at Delta Park IBA in Colchester yesterday.
A quiet morning with lots of birds on the water. Saw the following:
Double-crested Cormorant 20
Great Blue Heron 1
Canada Goose 16
Mallard 7
Common Goldeneye 14
Common Merganser 65
Hooded Merganser 3
Greater Yellowlegs 1
Pectoral Sandpiper 2
Ring-billed Gull 15
Greater Black-backed Gull 2
Bonaparte's Gull 180
Ruffed Grouse 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Pileated Woodpecker 1
American Crow 4
Black-capped Chickadee 15
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
American Robin 25
Yellow-rumped Warbler 14
Swamp Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 5

Shorebird activity is winding down now and raptor migration is in full swing. Large movements of hawks and eagles have been seen in the Champlain Valley. Mt. Philo provides good views from the Vermont side of the lake with hundreds of Broadwings seen last week. Waterfowl migration was also evident on Sunday with Canada and Snow geese seen flying south over the valley.

A recient report indicates that shorebird migration is begining in the Champlain Valley.

4 Red Knots
1 Ruddy Turnstone
11 Sanderlings
2 Least Sandpipers
2 Semipalmated Sandpipers
2 Lesser Yellowlegs
1 Greater Yellowlegs
1 Great Egret
6 Caspian Terns
1 Common Tern (first of season)
100+ Bonaparte's Gulls

As of today 40 species of birds have been banded including a dozen warblers. Other birds seen include a Golden Eagle, Red-Shouldered Hawk, Northern Mockingbird, and Prairie Warbler.

During the Rutland County Audubon monthly monitoring at West Rutland Marsh 50 species were tallied.

Of particular note were a male and female
northern harrier soaring over their usual spot. 4
red-tailed hawks and 8 turkey vultures were also
present.

Marsh birds included 4 American bittern, 4 great
blue heron, 18 swamp sparrow, 2 Virginia rail and
1 sora. At a the end of the walk, while
discussing the arrival date of the marsh wren and
consulting our field card, 1 marsh wren
obligingly popped out to be counted.

Also heard or seen, were over 1 killdeer, 30 tree
swallows, 3 barn swallows, 1 rough-winged
swallow, 1 house wren, 2 belted kingfishers, 1
gray catbird, 1 brown thrasher, 1 ruby-crowned
kinglet, 1 yellow-bellied sapsucker. Turkeys were
heard gobbling up on the hillsides.

Spring is here in the Champlain Valley with reports of new migrants showing up every day. The first warblers appeared this week with sightings of Yellow-rumped, Myrtle, Black-throated Green, Pine and Palm Warblers. There are also reports of Chipping and White-throated Sparrow. Peregrine Falcons, and Ravens are busy with nesting on area ledges and Ospreys are using many of the nesting platforms throughout the valley.

A RED-THROATED LOON was spotted from Grand Isle on October 8th, and between 5 and 24 COMMON LOONS were seen from Grand Isle every day this week.
Two RED-NECKED GREBES were seen off Grand Isle on the 8th of October and one on the 10th.
A juvenile NORTHERN GANNET was spotted off Charlotte Town Beach
on October 12th.
As of October 13th there were approximately 8,000 SNOW GEESE at
Dead Creek, along with 1,000 CANADA GEESE. Numbers are expected to peak
there in the coming week. Grand Isle had 5,650 SNOW GEESE pass overhead on
the 9th of October, with hundreds of CANADA GEESE migrating through during
the week.
One SURF SCOTER was observed off Grand Isle on October 7th. Six
WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS were seen off Grand Isle on the 7th of October, 4 on
the 9th, 27 were observed on Lake Morey on the 9th and 2 were seen off Grand
Isle on the 10th. A mixed flock of between 30 and 40 SURF and WHITE-WINGED
SCOTERS were spotted on Lake St. Catherine in Poultney this week. Eight
BLACK SCOTERS were observed from Grand Isle on the 8th of October and 30 on
the 9th.
OSPREYS were observed at the Burlington Intervale

A MERLIN was spotted at the Burlington Intervale
One SABINE'S GULL was observed from Grand Isle on October 9th.
A juvenile BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE was seen from Grand Isle on
the 9th of October.

Migration is underway for shorebirds throughout the valley. Weather dependent they can be found in fields or edges of lakes, ponds and wetlands throughout the valley. Hawk migration is just beginning, check the local hot spot Mt. Philo Just off Route 7 between Vergennes and Burlington.

Shorebirds at Dead Creek include; Black-bellied Plovers, American Golden-Plovers, Semipalmated plovers, Killdeer, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Solitary Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, Hudsonian Godwits, Sanderlings, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Least Sandpipers, White-rumped Sandpipers, Baird's Sandpipers, Pectoral Sandpipers, Stilt Sandpipers, and Wilson's Snipe.

Summer is here and birds are busy raising their young throughout the state. There are a few rarities around including a Whooping Crane along the Lemon Fair River in Cornwall. Virginia Rails and a Sora were spotted in the West Rutland Marsh. A Caspian Tern was seen from Delta Park in Winooski.

A Gyrfalcon was seen on the 23rd. at Burlington's Intervale near the compost project. There have also been sightings of Bald Eagles in the area.

Two RING-NECKED DUCKS were seen in Button Bay on January 15th and one at the Burlington waterfront on the 16th. Fifteen-hundred COMMON GOLDENEYES were observed at the Champlain Bridge, and 300 more in Button Bay on January 15th. LONG-TAILED DUCKS were sighted at Button Bay (5 on 1/15 and 1/16), Burlington waterfront (2 on 1/16) this week. Four HOODED MERGANSERS were observed in Panton on January 15th.

It was a good week for BALD EAGLE sightings. One BALD EAGLE was seen on the 14th on Grand Isle. On the 15th one was observed at Charlotte Town Beach, 2 at the Tri-Town Water Treatment Plant, 4 at the Champlain Bridge and 2 in Potash Bay. Three adult BALD EAGLES were observed at Shelburne Bay, Shelburne Beach and Button Bay on the 16th, as well as 5
at Champlain Bridge and one on Mount Independence. A COOPER'S HAWK was sighted on Grand Isle on January 14th, 15th and 16th, and in Vergennes on the 16th. An AMERICAN KESTREL was observed in Benson on the 16th of January.

A rare sighting of a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL took place on January 15th at Champlain Bridge.

A BELTED KINGFISHER was spotted in Arnold Bay, south of Button Bay State Park on the 15th of January.

A NORTHERN SHRIKE was seen in Charlotte.

A CAROLINA WREN was seen on Brae Loch Point in Malletts Bay on January 15th.

Three EASTERN BLUEBIRDS were sighted in Vergennes on the 16th of January. Over 100 AMERICAN ROBINS were seen in Shelburne on January 16th.

Thirty BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were seen along with 30 CEDAR
WAXWINGS in Charlotte on January 16th.

One LAPLAND LONGSPUR was seen among a flock of HORNED LARKS east of the road to the Tri-Town Water Plant on the 16th of January.

A HORNED GREBE, several RED-NECKED GREBES, two WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS, a SABINE'S GULL, PARASITIC JAEGER, and an unidentified species of JAEGER were seen at Charlotte Town Beach on the 30th of September.

at Charlotte Town Park on September 30th. A PALM WARBLER was observed at Whitney Creek on the 30th.

place at Dead Creek's Brilyea Access on October 1st. The first of the WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS were also seen at Dead Creek this week.

Sightings of hawks are increasing throughout the region as juveniles are now hunting on their own. Shorebird activity should also start increasing any day now. Great and Cattle Egrets have been spotted in several locations recently. There were nine Great Egrets at East Creek WMA in Orwell, VT last weekend.

The Vermont Rare Bird Alert (RBA) is a service of the Vermont Institute of Natural Science. VINS is a non-profit, membership organization located in Woodstock with regional centers in Quechee, Montpelier and Manchester. Founded in 1972, VINS' mission is to protect our natural heritage through education and research.