Category Archives: Bird walks

Thanks, Larry, for the life bird

On Saturday morning, I joined a dozen other birders for a "woods" bird walk led by Judy and Larry Geiger from Wyoming. I have known these folks for years – Larry is a "pokey" who birds very slowly and really prefers to sit and let birds come to him. Every morning as I walk Penny past their campsite (which is adorned with feeders, water sprays, brush piles..) I’ll see Larry sitting in camo clothing in his chair, binoculars and camera at the ready, armed with his coffee and a hand-rolled cigarette, waiting. He sees a lot of stuff before most of us are up and about.

Judy, on the other hand, is a walker, and birds at a pretty good pace, usually instructing as she does. They are a great team who let birders identify sightings by field marks rather than shouting out, "There’s an Indigo Bunting."

Saturday’s walk was rather routine until we visited the park feeding station. Nothing was moving in except the usual suspects and some of us were getting antsy to move on but the leaders dawdled, waiting. Then someone spotted something with yellow, always a good omen, and we were on to a Black-throated Green warbler – and then someone said, there are two birds – and sure enough, a gorgeous Yellow-throated Warbler was also flitting about. Most of us got good looks and then, as warbler do, they were gone. After a wait, we moved on psyched to have such a neat start.

We had ambled only a hundred yards, still chatting about the warblers, when Larry said, "I’ve got a great bird here. Hopefuly, he’ll sing, he’s way back in the understory." As we scrambled, he was talKing about "rain crow" and some other stuff and I had no idea what we were looking for. Suddenly, others spotted it, telling which way it was moving …I still couldn’t see anything. Then the Yellow-billed Cuckoo moved a little more into the clear and then we spent the next fifteen minutes watching it actively feed on caterpillars in the dense foliage. Photos were tough to get – this was the best I could get.

We asked Larry how he ever spotted the bird which was so well hidden and he said that he had spotted the tail, knew that only cuckoos had tails like that, etc. I could have walked down that park road hundreds of times and unless the bird was calling, would have missed it. It was nice to find out later that it was life bird #422 for me. Thanks, Larry.

Group Birding Etiquette

Are you ready to head into the field and see dozens of birds? Knowledge and enthusiasm shouldn’t get in the way of basic birding etiquette.

Tread lightly in the field and be respectful.

Be prompt so the group can head out together as one unit.

Every birder was once a beginner and can probably remember the excitement, the challenges, and the inevitable mistakes of fledgling birders. Be considerate of beginners and help them advance to intermediate and advanced levels of their new avocation. Beginners also have a responsibility not to over burden the leaders and other advanced birders.

Every birder was once a beginner and can probably remember the excitement, the challenges, and the inevitable mistakes of fledgling birders. Be considerate of beginners and help them advance to intermediate and advanced levels of their new avocation. Beginners also have a responsibility not to over burden the leaders and other advanced birders.

Birds’ keen senses alert them to our presence; when the group walks as quietly as possible and whispers, we see more.

Take cues from the leader who might signal for quiet as the group approaches a bird. Walking quietly will help us listen for birds.

While birding in a group, we enjoy sharing our findings.  If you’re new to birding, please don’t be shy; there’s a knowledgeable leader willing to share tips and sightings. But most importantly, enjoy yourself!  Birding is meant to be fun and informative.

Sue McGrath

(this comes from the Newburyport Birder’s Newsletter with slight modifications.)

April Birding Events in Central Vermont

After a morning of 4 degrees and a forecast of a foot or more of snow, it is encouraging to see calendars of birding events popping up on local web sites.  I took three local groups and put their outings on a Google Calendar which you can visit here.

Screen Shot 2013-03-18 at 8.12.49 PM

 

The North Branch Nature Center in Montpelier has a wonderful series of bird walks that are free to members ($25 single/$50 family) or for $10 for non-members.  Led by expert birders, they are low key and popular with skilled birders and beginners.  They are on Fridays and Saturdays in April/May.

The MadBirders club in the Mad River Valley is a collection of avid birders who have a great schedule of events, ranging from the Valley floor to the top of Mount Ellen.  The dues are only $15 a year for individuals/$20 for families, and they welcome newcomers.

Over in Huntington is the Birds of Vermont Museum, a must-see venue for any birder.  They have a bird monitoring walk on their property the last Saturday of each month.  The event is free but they ask that you pre-register by emailing museum@birdsofvermont.org or calling (802) 434-2167.

Are there other bird walks in April in Central Vermont that I’ve missed?  Mention them in the comment section and I’ll add them to the calendar.  Good birding.