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| Nature News - Prior to 1/1/08
Discover what's happening outside around you. Our on-line nature journal is a bit like a blog of natural events. We'll update it often. If you've explored the North Branch Nature Center recently, send us your sightings and we’ll post them here. We’d love to hear from you. December 15, 2007 What a day for a birdcount! Teams of bird counters braved the cold for the 45th annual Plainfield Christmas Bird Count. Although we are still waiting for one team's results to post final tallies, some highlights thus far include:
December 14, 2007 Chip, Larry, and Amelia braved the snow for the Mad River Christmas Bird Count, and recorded the following:
December 13, 2007
December 12, 2007 Among the usual visitors to the large Maple outside our office windows was a Brown Creeper. Anticipation is building for the upcoming Christmas Bird Counts. Stay tuned, for results will be posted here as they become available. December 11, 2007 As Chip and a board member walked towards eachother down the path at the Nature Center, a Wild Turkey found itself caught in the middle. The startled turkey took off into the field. December 10, 2007
December 5, 2007 A Northern Shrike perched on a tree limb outside our window just long enough to give an amazing close-up look! A Mourning Dove in a nearby branch remained frozen in place throughout the ordeal. December 3, 2007 Late last week, in East Montpelier, Sandal discovered a caterpillar walking atop the snow. The caterpillar was identified as a Large Yellow Underwing, an invasive accidentally introduced into eastern Canada from Europe around 1979. It is not uncommon to see this species during thaws throughout the winter, so keep your eyes peeled! December 1, 2007 A Northern Goshawk was sighted in Middlesex by Brandon, a former camper and friend on North Branch. It perched in a tree long enough for him to enjoy a great view! November 15, 2007 About two weeks ago, USA Today ran a story about Citizen Science featuring NBNC's Monarch Tagging Program. Click here to view the article. November 14, 2007
Photos by Larry Clarfeld
November 12, 2007
November 11, 2007 During a walk around Berlin Pond, Chip sighted Common Loon, Ring-necked Duck, Common and Hooded Merganser, and Common Goldeneye. Farther north, Larry observed a Barred Owl perched on a telephone line outside Shelburne Farms during the early afternoon. November 9, 2007 A lone Grackle was seen at the Nature Center. November 3, 2007 Bohemian Waxwings continue to be seen down along the North Branch where they are feeding on honeysuckle fruits. White-crowned Sparrows and American Tree Sparrows are also being seen at the Nature Center. November 1, 2007 A large flock of 18 plus Bohemian Waxwings were seen down by the river this afternoon. The birds were resting in the tops of the trees and not actively feeding. October 31, 2007 Snow Buntings and a Clouded Sulphur were both sighted at the Nature Center today. How strange to see a butterfly and visitors from the arctic in the same day! The group 5 Snow Buntings were seen in the parking lot this morning and the lone sulphur was seen visiting Johnny Jump-ups in the community garden. A mixed flock of Cedar and Bohemian Waxwings were also sighted flying over the Center. Another surprise visitor was seen at the end of the day - a Northern Shrike. We were fortunate to watch the shrike catch and devour a dragonfly! October 30 , 2007
October 25 , 2007 A Red-tailed Hawk was seen perched in the vacinity of the community gardens. Two Hermit Thrushes were also sighted.October 23 , 2007
October 17 , 2007 The NBNC teen birders headed over to the Champlain Valley today to check out the Snow Geese and search for other migrants. We estimated there were 750 to 1,000 Snow Geese visible in the fields north of Route 17 at Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area. There also a few lingering shorebirds including Black-bellied Plover, Lesser Yellowlegs and a probable Long-billed Dowitcher. The highlight of our day though was seeing the family of 3 Sandhill Cranes in Bristol that nesting this past summer at Lake Winona - a first nesting record for this beautiful species in Vermont! October 14 , 2007 The cover article of The Burlington Free Press featured citizen science projects in Vermont, and the photograph featured NBNC's Monarch Tagging Program offered in September. Click here to view the article. If you are interested in citizen science projects at NBNC, but missed out on the Monarchs, stay tuned for winter bird counts and Amphibian Monitoring this spring! October 10 , 2007 It has been a spectacular day for wildlife sightings at NBNC! During lunch, we viewed a Peregrine Falcon fly directly overhead, a new addition to the NBNC bird list! Other sightings include White-crowned and Song Sparrows, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Golden-crowned Kinglet, and Ruby-crowned Kinglet displaying. We also found a Common Snapping Turtle hatchling on its way to the river. Click here to see the baby turtle. October 9 , 2007 Still lots of sparrows around the community garden at the nature center - mostly White-crowned, White-throated and Song Sparrows. The songs of migrating Ruby-crowned Kinglets can be heard occasionally and a Pileated Woodpecker has been seen flying over the center almost daily for the last week. Pictures from our recent Plum Island teen birding trip are now posted! Scroll down to the News for 9/23 to see them. October 6, 2007 A NBNC trip over to Dead Creek to see the Snow Geese produced few Snow Geese (around 200 birds), but many other interesting migrants, including: American Pipit, Greater Yellowlegs, Northern Harrier, Black-crowned NIght-Heron, Merlin and 15 Great-blue Herons (all in one area!). October 5 , 2007 A VESPER SPARROW put in an appearance today, down by the community gardens. The bird was quite skiddish, flying out and up into the tree tops when disturbed. Vesper Sparrows have only been seen here 3 or 4 times in the last 10 years. September 28, 2007 A flurry of bird activity this morning for our last bird walk of the fall. Highlights included two low flying Osprey, a Lincoln's Sparrow and a Palm Warbler. Here's the complete list:
September 23, 2007
Our bird list is as follows:
September 19, 2007 More Monarch tagging today - that makes about two dozen or so tagged so far. Also a Band-winged Meadowhawk around the butterfly garden today. September 18, 2007 It's a great time of year for darner dragonflies. Black-tipped, Lance-tailed and Canada. Yellow-legged Meadowhawks are also still flying. September 17, 2007 Some interesting bird reports from over the weekend, including a Red-necked Grebe on Berlin Pond and an immature Hooded Merganser from a small pond in Middlesex. Also in Middlesex an Ovenbird was heard giving its breeding season "flight song", a song usually heard in the summer months. September 14, 2007 More migrants about for this morning's bird walk. A Northern Parula Warbler put in a brief appearance, as well as Black-throated Green, Yellow-rumped and Chestnut-sided Warblers. Purple Finches, Gray Catbirds, and large flocks of Cedar Waxwings and American Robins are all taking advantage of the abundance of fruit along the river. Seed heads of Ten-rayed Sunflower are attracting the attention of Black-capped Chickadees. September 13, 2007 More migrants out and about today - Solitary Sandpiper, Red-eyed Vireo, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Black-throated Green Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Northern Flicker - as well as more Monarchs! September 12, 2007 Despite the winds, a good day for Monarch. We tagged 10 this afternoon during our first Monach Butterfly Tagging program of the season. Also a good day for raptors - Turkey Vulture, Broad-winged Hawk and Northern Harrier were all seen migrating south today. September 8, 2007 Pictures of the emerging Black Swallowtail have been posted. Click here, or scroll down to the news for August 31st.September 7, 2007 A wonderful assortment of migrating songbirds graced our first morning bird walk of the fall. A young Merlin seemed to be attracted to the large flock of migrants foraging in the woods along the river. The following birds were all seen or heard along the trails at the nature center:
September 5, 2007 Two Ospreys were spotted flying over the North Branch of the Winooski from the Nature Center. August 31, 2007 With summer camp a few weeks behind us, it is time to share some of the natural wonders we have witnessed with our campers:
August 29, 2007 Chip, Sandal, Amelia, and Larry took a field trip to Peecham Bog, and found Common Gartersnakes, Pitcher Plants, Labrador Tea, Cranberry, and more August 2, 2007 It's been a great year for Peregrine Falcons in Vermont. The Marshfield Mountain pair, which NBNC staff and volunteers monitored successfully fledged one chick. This report is courtesy of the National Wildlife Federation in Vermont. Preliminary Statistics: Site by Site Results: July 13, 2007 The rescheduled North Montpelier NABA (North American Butterfly Count) was held today. A great day for butterflies, until the clouds rolled in mid-afternoon. And here are the results of our 8th annual count, which covers a full 15-mile diameter circle:
July 10 , 2007 Finally a day that feels like summer! The butterflies are happy to see the sun as well. Butterflies flying around the fields and gardens at the nature include both Baltimore and Harris' Checkerspots, European Skipper and Monarch. And yesterday kids during summer camp discovered a recently emerged Copper Underwing (moth) in one of their terrariums. June 20, 2007 A NBNC-sponsored hike this morning up to Sterling Pond from Smuggler's Notch yielded some interesting birds, including both Bicknell's and Swainson's Thrush, Canada, Magnolia and Blackpoll Warbler. The weather was quite blustery and most birds were keeping a low profile! June 13, 2007 We conducted our second "unofficial" butterfly census at the Nature Center. This is something we plan to do every week or every other week. Chip, Larry, Amelia and Sandal walked the perimeter of the field for an hour and recorded the following: Canadian Tiger Swallowtail - 4 We also noted a Black Swallowtail earlier in the day. Other critters on our walk included a Four-spotted Skimmer and a garter snake trying to devour a Savannah Sparrow nestling! June 9, 2007
June 1, 2007 The final Friday bird walk of season this morning. Most of the birds we saw were residents (with maybe a few migrants mixed in) inlcuding: Great Blue Heron, Wood Duck, Veery, Warbling Vireo, Yellow Warbler, American Redstart, Scarlet Tanager and Baltimore Oriole
May 25, 2007 NBNC conducted a birdwalk this morning in Barre at the "Cow Pasture". The Cow Pasture is across the street from Hope Cemetary and features deciduous woods, fields and early successional habitat perfect for birds. Our list for the morning included: Pileated Woodpecker May 23, 2007 We conducted our first "unofficial" butterfly census at the Nature Center. This is something we plan to do every week or every other week. Chip, Larry and Amelia walked the perimeter of the field for an hour and recorded the following: Cabbage White - 5 We also noted a Canadian Tiger Swallowtail earlier in the day. May 21, 2007 The warm weather has brought with it butterflies - finally! A Silvery Blue was seen checking out wild strawberry flowers in the butterfly garden and several Milbert's Tortoiseshells were found skimming over the fields. May 19, 2007 Venus and the moon formed a beautiful pair in the evening sky tonight. Brilliant Venus was situated just below the crescent moon, forming a "cosmic question mark!" May 18, 2007
Meanwhile, back at the North Branch Nature Center, staff added two new species to the bird list - a Northern Waterthrush and a flock of about 30 Brant! A flock of 60 Brant were also reported yesterday from Lake Willoughby. May 17 , 2007
May 8, 2007 A definite influx of migrant birds overnight! Gray Catbird, Common Yellowthroat, Ovenbird and House Wren all first of season birds at the Nature Center. And reported from the local area were Blackburnian, Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green and Nashville Warblers. Enjoy!
Nature Center staff are often in the habit of eating lunch outside, which inevitably results in some interesting wildlife sightings. Today's catch featured the first Spring Azure (butterfly) of the season, a Six-spotted Tiger Beetle, a Bee Fly (probably Bombylius major), a Broad-winged Hawk and a Savannah Sparrow visiting the birdfeeders.
Participants in our regular Sunday afternoon women's walks were treated to a nice display of early spring wildflowers. Between the nature center and the trail to Hubbard Park, walkers enjoyed blooming Spring Beauty, Blue Cohosh, Coltsfoot, Bloodroot, Dutchman's Britches and Red Trillium. Meanwhile, around the Wrightsville Reservoir, some interesting bird sightings were reported:
May 4, 2007 More birds were heard than seen on a Middlesex Notch bird walk this morning. New arrivals included a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Hermit Thrush, Black-and-white Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Blue-headed Vireo and a pair of Winter Wrens. Wildflowers are just starting to bloom in the notch, including hepatica, Red Trillium and Trout Lily. Spring ephemerals should be in full bloom in a week or so! There were also masses of Eastern Red-spotted Newt eggs in the beaver ponds at the top of the notch.
A Great Egret was seen flying over Berlin Pond and then landed in the wetlands at the pond's southern end. The huge collection of Tree Swallows nearby included a few Barn Swallows and six (somewhat early) Cliff Swallows. Two Common Loons were also visiting the pond. (Perhaps they'll nest there.) A day later, an American Bittern showed up in a wet, roadside ditch on East Hill Road in Plainfield. The spring migration is about to move into high gear! April 23, 2007
The first bird walk of the season here at the Nature Center featured some early migrants, including two beautiful Eastern Meadowlarks. Here's the list for the morning: Wood Duck April 18, 2007 First butterfly of the season today! At least one Milbert's Tortoiseshell was seen resting on the ground during the warmest part of the day. This species, like its relative the Mourning Cloak, overwinters in Vermont as an adult! They fly during these early warm days of spring in order to seek mates for the next generation. April 3, 2007 Migrant waterfowl are starting to move into the area. A pair of Wood Ducks, a pair of Mallards and a Common Merganser were all spotted on the North Branch of the Winooski today. In addition to large numbers of Canada Geese, a pair of Ring-necked Ducks were seen in a small pond off of Route 2 in Middlesex. April 1 , 2007 New arrivals at the North Branch Nature Center today included a Song Sparrow and an Eastern Phoebe. Elsewhere in the area, a Northern Goshawk and a Sharp-shinned Hawk were reported from Middlesex. In the botany department, Coltsfoot was seen blooming in Middlesex as well. March 28, 2007 Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles and American Robins are everywhere now! A lone Turkey Vulture was spotted flying over downtown Montpelier this afternoon. March 22, 2007 A Carolina Wren was heard singing in Waterbury today. Did this bird survive our cold winter or is it an early migrant from further south? March 20, 2007 It may not feel like it, but spring officially starts today at 8:07pm! Early spring migrants, like Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles, are being seen throughout the area. Keep your eyes out for Eastern Phoebes and Song Sparrows - they won't be far behind. Now is a good time to look for Jupiter in pre-dawn sky. If you're up and out by 6am, you'll notice a brilliant "star" in the eastern sky. That's Jupiter in the constellation Scorpius and it outshines everything else in that section of the sky. March 15, 2007 More signs of spring from East Montpelier. A single American Kestrel and 2 Killdeer were seen on Gould Hill Road (about a mile from the nature center). March 13 , 2007 A singing Red-winged Blackbird at NBNC today made it official - spring is on its way! A Barred Owl was heard calling during the daylight hours from the trail across the footbridge. And, from the local area, Common Grackles, American Robin and Red-winged Blackbirds in Berlin. American Goldfinches and Purple Finches have very vocal lately and Brown Creepers were reported singing in Middlesex over the weekend.
A single Brown Creeper explored the Red Maple right next to the office building at the Nature Center this morning. Keep your ears open - these inconspicuous birds will soon be singing their beautiful cascading song. February 25, 2007 More reports of amorous owls! A Barred Owl was heard calling in Middlesex (during the day). And in Montpelier a Great-horned Owl was heard in the vicinity of Hubbard Park. February 24, 2007 Six intrepid souls joined Dr. Bill Barnard over at Victory Basin WMA to search for Gray Jays and other boreal birds. Gray Jays were no where to be seen, but Victory Bog was alive with the sight and sounds of White-winged Crossbills and other winter finches. After lunch our group headed to Moose Bog (Wenlock-Buxton WMA) near Island Pond to search for the Three-toed Woodpecker. No luck finding the woodpecker but we did finally see some Gray Jays. Here's our bird list for the day:
February 23, 2007 A Northern Saw-whet Owl was vocalizing in Middlesex last night, across the street from Rumney School. Another sign of spring right around the corner? February 21, 2007 Bird song is in the air! A Tufted Titmouse was heard singing today at the Nature Center and a Northern Cardinal was heard pouring out its heart in Waterbury. February 19, 2007 Venus and the crescent moon formed a beautiful pair in the evening sky. Look for Venus in the west after sunset now and through March. It's the brightest object in the night sky after the sun and moon. You can't miss it (although you might think it's a UFO)!
Just in time for Valentine's Day, Bryan Pfeiffer noticed a Tufted Titmouse singing in downtown Plainfield on Febaruary 13. American Tree Sparrows, regular winter visitors, have been making the rounds at area bird feeders. And Carolina Wren reports from feeders seems to have picked up in the last few weeks. Feeder activity may rise as the winter storm covers natural food supplies birds normally pursue in winter. But perhaps the biggest birding news comes from the Northeast Kingdom, where a rare Three-toed Woodpecker has been visiting a frozen beaver pond since mid December. This boreal species is one of the rarest woodpeckers in the eastern United States. It wasn't seen over this past weekend, but stay tuned for more reports. And, by the way, yes indeed, unlike other woodpeckers, which have four toes, this species (and its cousin the Black-backed Woodpecker) has only three by design. Go figure. January 24, 2007 While skiing, Dave Thurlow flushed a Wilson's Snipe from a marshy area at Sparrow Farm in East Montpelier. January 19, 2007 Chip and the teen birders spent last weekend birding on the coast of Massachusetts. Highlights included King Eider, up to nine gull species and Short-eared Owl. Here's the trip list:
January 8, 2007 Here's an acrostic poem composed by the 15 women and 7 Girl Scouts on the Sunday afternoon Women's Nature Walk with NBNC educator Sandal Cate: Nature Walk Acrostic It was a fun Sunday! Plainfield Christmas Count Results
A quick drive around Berlin Pond yielded some lingering waterfowl – in fact, most likely some of the same individual ducks seen on the December 15 Christmas Bird Count. Out in the open water were 3 Common Goldeneye, a female Ring-necked Duck and a Hooded Merganser. Also two dozen Mallards (that's a male's blazing blue speculum and feet pictured to the right) were in a small farm pond near Berlin Pond. No sign of that female Black Scoter. Monday, December 18 Birds are still the major theme of Nature News this month. This morning a flock of 25 Cedar Waxwings flew over the nature center. Saturday, December 16 Another Christmas Bird Count today – Plainfield, which includes parts of towns from Marshfield to Montpelier (including the nature center). Highlights from this count include a Bald Eagle (an adult), first seen by one team near Max Gray Road in Calais and then by the "Nature Center Team” in East Montpelier, just off Route 14 south of Route 2. Also notable were 2 Northern (“Yellow-shafted”) Flickers at the Barre Country Club (the first since 1996), a Northern Shrike and 57 Mallards (a record high count for that species).
Stay tuned for complete count results or visit the Mad Birders website for Mad River/Northfield results. Friday, December 15 Some preliminary results from the Mad River/Northfield Christmas Bird Count. The “Nature Center Team” of Sandal Cate, Matt Brantner and Chip Darmstadt covered a territory around Berlin Pond. Highlights from their count include 65 Canada Geese, 3 Common Goldeneye, a Ring-necked Duck, a female Black Scoter, a pair of Hooded Mergansers and a lone American Black Duck on Berlin Pond. Also, a Ring-necked Pheasant at the north end of Berlin Pond (not in the count circle) and a Northern Shrike on Crosstown Road in Berlin. Thursday, December 14 With no or little ice on the North Branch of the Winooski, there have been a few lingering water bird sightings. Both a female Common Merganser and a Belted Kingfisher were seen/heard today. Wednesday, December 6 The American Robin count is up to 2 today! Both birds still hanging out in the Winterberry Holly. Tuesday, December 5 A lone American Robin feeding in a Winterberry Holly shrub at the North Branch Nature Center today. Hopefully not yet a sign of spring! November 28 Woolly Bear Caterpillars are Everywhere!
The staff at the North Branch Nature Center have reports from folks seeing lots of Woolly Bear caterpillars this autumn! The most recent sighting was one at the Nature Center on November 27. (That's Executive Director Chip Darmstadt in the photo welcoming a few.) This seems to be a banner year for Woolly Bears, which are seeking good outdoor habitat for wintering over. Woolly Bears feed on plantain and other local vegetation, but they don't bother any valuable plants. So, even if there are a lot of them in your yard or fields, they won't cause any problems. Their biggest problem is getting from one side of a road to the other, so anything you can do safely to help them along is welcome! Woolly Bear caterpillars will form a cocoon in the spring and then emerge from it as the Isabella Tiger Moth. Their life cycle starts all over at that point. Folklore hints that the amount of black banding will tell how hard the winter ahead may be. However, the black banding actually indicates the relative age of the caterpillar. Younger ones have more black than older ones. Some insects like the Woolly Bear will often have a peak in their population. According to Dick Dearborn, a retired Maine Forest Service scientist, Woolly Bear numbers increase to a high point about every ten years. Perhaps warmer winters also help them survive into the spring. So if you continue to notice them, just realize they're headed for a protective log, leaf pile or building foundation to snuggle up for the winter. Don't we wish we could do that ourselves sometimes? Meanwhile, with warm temperatures persisting, several plants are still in bloom at the Nature Center, including Fall Dandelion, Johnny Jump-ups and Scarlet Trumpet Honeysuckle (on the front porch).
A relatively warm fall week kept a few noteworthy birds and bugs active at the Nature Center and around Montpelier. A few moth species were still flying at NBNC on November 17 (no butterflies). We also noticed a Painted Turtle! On November 15, pre-schoolers visiting the Nature Center discovered a Short-winged Blister Beetle. (Very cool!) And on November 14, we noticed four Cedar Waxwings and three Common Grackles. We also had reports of a Carolina Wren on Elm Street in Montpelier and a Northern Cardinal from Culver Hill Road in Middlesex.
Chip Darmstadt and Bryan Pfeiffer are back from guiding a group of teen birders to the coast of Maine -- a perfect retreat from stick season in Vermont. Highlights included Harlequin Duck (pictured here), Red-throated Loon, Red-necked Grebe, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Northern Gannet, Snow Bunting and all the other usual coastal delights. Watch the NBNC web site for additional news about additional programs for teen naturalists. November 12-13 A lone Common Grackle lingered at the nature center on November 13. We also noticed Golden-crowned Kinglets as well as a White-tailed Deer on the North Branch trail (during deer season!). And, of course, a Wooly Bear Caterpillar was crossing the trail as well. It's a good fall for Wooly Bears! (So why does the Wooly Bear cross the trail, anyway?) On November 12, Common Mergansers and Hooded Mergansers were on the Winooski River behind the Capitol Plaza and a bit farther upstream as well. November 1 November is off to a splendid start! In fact, it was so nice out that NBNC staff had lunch outdoors (for the last time this year?). A stroll around the property turned up some “last gasp” wildlife sightings.
And a few entomological observations:
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North
Branch Nature Center |
Open Monday -
Friday, 9am to 4pm Trails open every day Directions to the Nature Center Contact Us |
NBNC's Grand Re-Opening Festival on June 9 featured
everything from birds to bugs to botany and a bounty of biologists.
Bobolinks were bouncing. Bee mimics were buzzing. Well, you get
the idea. Here's the bird list from our morning walk.
Our butterfly listed included Canadian Tiger Swallowtail,
Cabbage White, Silvery Blue, Northern Crescent, Harris' Checkerspot
(pictured here) and Hobomok Skipper.
A Nature Center bird walk at Sodom Pond in Adamant this morning turned up 2 more Black Terns (see Erika Mitchells photo to the right). As reported elsewhere, the terns were feeding along with swallows (Tree, Barn, Cliff and No. Rough-winged). Common Loon, Wilson's Snipe and Ring-necked Duck were also seen on the walk.
If
you need proof that low-pressure systems knock birds out of
migration and into view, just go outside. The wet, wild weather of
the past two days has produced nice fallouts across Vermont. Here
in Central Vermont, 
A 
The
Plainfield Christmas Bird Count, held on December 12, 2006, revealed
a lot about the birds now wintering in the area. More than 20 intrepid
observers counted a total of 34 species (4,128 individual birds) on
December 12 -- plus another five species (43 individuals) not on count
day but during the week of the count. Here's the list (with some highlights
in bold):
Monday,
December 27
By
Sandal Cate
In
the avian department:
