Tag Archives: local birding

Local Talent

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During weeks of gray days with drizzle and chilly, we walk most every day waiting for warmth and migrants. Here are some birds that hang out locally and brighten the dismal mornings. This Song Sparrow was singing non-stop and still at it an hour later.

Common Mergansers cruise on the icy river.

We see a few Mallards – this guy was a “puddle duck” on a nearby recreation field.

American Robins are showing up more often, often in traveling groups.

Snow is again the forecast tomorrow but the days are longer, more birds are on the way here. Ginger and I are ready to get out there and see them. Good April birding to you all.

Some Backyard Birds -2025

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In the last week or so, we’ve had some interesting visitors to our backyard patch. We get woodpeckers every day and here’s a Hairy.

More often these days, we are delighted to see and here Red-bellied Woodpeckers like this morning’s.

Two days ago we saw Wild Turkeys out back for the first time ever. They hung around for a half hour and then moseyed off.

Yesterday, there was this Red-tailed Hawk perched across the river at the end of our path, patiently waiting for breakfast.

Living on a busy street just a mile from downtown, we have a wonderful backyard from which to see nature. We’ve recorded 140 bird species here over the years.

Let’s Roll

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Suffice it to say there’ve been a few distractions since my last post. Dog injury, Covid, and lousy weather have hindered my birding but focusing on positive things these days, I’m getting out and working on my bird list for 2025.

With temperatures well below zero at night, nearly everything has frozen up but this week, I found an open spot on the Winooski River downtown. Two Common Merganser were feeding in the icy water — here’s the male.

Just across the stream was a Mallard resting.

One of my target birds was Wild Turkey and I thought, “If I were a turkey (hold your comments), where would I be on a cold windy day like this?” I thought of farms and checked one close by and “sorpresa!”, twenty birds were out foraging. Here are a couple of shots from outside and inside the car.

Our backyard feeders have been very active in this frigid weather, with mixed flocks of chickadees, finches, tree sparrows, and juncos. A couple of Mourning Doves join the action every day.

While I miss the birding I once did down South, it’s a fun challenge to get out in frigid weather and see, and try to photograph, the birds of an old-fashioned Vermont winter.

June 1st Ride with Mom

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Early this morning on a dog walk/birding outing, I came across this merganser family out for a cruise. For once, the dog was not moving, the sun was behind me, and there was no foliage in the way. I count ten or eleven youngsters – including the two getting a ride.

Early May Birds

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New migrants are arriving daily and the trees are just budding — it’s a great time to get out an check things out. Here are a few recent sightings.

This pair have been here for weeks but always nice to see.

Eastern Kingbirds showed up last week, as did Common Loons.

And I’m still sorting out sandpipers — this one, which I saw just up from the house, I’m calling a Solitary Sandpiper, not a Spotted.

Warblers are here but their movement and the dog’s leash make them difficult to photograph. But all the Yellow Warblers and American Goldfinches add lollipops of color to enjoy.

Some October Birds

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After a wonderful trip to Spain with a stopover in Lisbon, we are back in Vermont at the start of stick season. The leaves are gone and many of the birds but many of our favorites are around. Here are some:

Many Mallards will stay around all winter.
We see these Common Mergansers every day.
A pair of Hooded Mergansers.
Hermit Thrushes will be heading out soon.
White-throated Sparrows will be a delight to see all winter.

The cooler temperatures remind me of what’s ahead but also makes me think of Snowy Owls and the redpolls, crossbills, and waxwings that may show up. Good birding.

Local Birds — late August

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I have combined dog walks and birding for years and here are a few shots from recent outings. Here’s my companion, resting halfway through a three mile hike.

A few minutes earlier we had encountered several Northern Flickers.

Most of the woodlands birds aren’t singing now so you have to spot them. This Veery was very accommodating.

Walking along the river, I’m seeing the Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, and Belted Kingfishers nearly every day. Here are a Wood Duck, a Green Heron, and a Common Merganser.

It’s been a good birding summer and we look forward to fall walks — with fewer birds but also, fewer bugs.

A Few August Backyard Birds

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We are fortunate to have a nice birdwatching venue behind our house, located less than a mile from the center of the city. Here are a few visitors in the last week or two:

We’ve had a family or two of Mourning Doves. These are waiting for me to refill the bird bath.
Ruby-throated Hummers delight us at the back porch feeder.

Our path to the river is still pretty muddy since the flood but this Gray Catbird is enjoying the lawn chair which survived the disaster.

The dead trees across the river are favorite perches for crows, kingbirds, and the occasional hawk or eagle. This Osprey, while not unusual to the area, is one of the first I’ve seen out back.

Checking eBird just now, I find that I’ve submitted 950 checklists and observed 136 species at this backyard patch. Nice spot for a birder to live.

Morning walk along river

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After yesterday’s encounter with the Great Egret, I vowed to carry my camera every jaunt. Here are a few shots from this morning, when mosquitos seem to outnumber birds.

The Great Blue Heron was on patrol again.
This Alder Flycatcher was singing instead of bug-catching.
I probably saw these geese as youngsters earlier in the summer.
These young mergansers have been cruising since the flood.
Belted Kingfishers are hard to photograph – always on the move.

One of today’s objectives was to relearn how to blog and handle photos on my iPad in preparation for traveling without the laptop. The last time was from Spain in 2021. We’re planning to head back in six weeks.

Views From The Bridge

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Just up the street from our house, there’s a little bridge that I cross nearly every day on walks with Ginger. Over the years, I’ve seen all sorts of wildlife on the river from it – here are a few from the last few days.

This morning, I spotted these mergansers just as they saw me, and after a warning command, they turned and cruised easily back upstream.

There is ongoing feud with city crews over ornamental shrubs planted along the bridge approaches. Beavers are winning.

Several days ago, I encountered this Snapping Turtle laying eggs beside the bridge.

The next morning I saw this family cruising downstream to the bridge, watching me warily.

Returning about ten minutes later, I saw momma turtle just down from where the geese had entered.

It’s all part of nature but I am hoping the goslings made it ok.