From: Wayne Scott To: Subject: RBA Vermont - 10/12/00 Date: Thursday, October 12, 2000 5:12 PM - RBA *Vermont *Statewide *10/12/00 *VTVT0010.12 This report covers the period from October 5th to 12th. Frontal systems over the weekend brought significantly cooler air and the first snow of the season to some localities. Lake levels have dropped sufficiently to expose shoreline and mudflats that continue to attract shorebirds. Last Saturday (10/7), a trip from Sandbar south to McCuen Slang with productive stops at Charlotte Town Beach, Dead Creek, and Whitney Creek, produced 10 species of shorebirds including BLACK-BELLIED, SEMIPALMATED and AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVERS, KILLDEER, GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS, DUNLIN, and SEMIPALMATED, WHITE-RUMPED and PECTORAL SANDPIPERS. Also at Whitney Creek were 3 GREAT EGRETS and, at McCuen Slang, 10(!) AMERICAN COOT. The most productive location, however, was in Highgate where Dead Creek flows into the lake. This is an area accessible only by boat. Exposed bars there were host to the following last Sunday, (10/8): 20 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, 2 HUDSONIAN GODWITS, 4 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, 29(!) WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS, 12 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, 3 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS, 51 DUNLIN and 2-3 COMMON SNIPE. Also present were 2 AMERICAN BITTERNS, 6 COMMON TERNS, and 2 TREE SWALLOWS. An adult LITTLE GULL was seen off North Hero among over 100 BONAPARTE'S GULLS. A follow-up on Tuesday (10/10), yielded 125 DUNLIN as well as 23 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, and 3 HUDSONIAN GODWITS. In addition, 6 GADWALL, 4 SHOVELERS, 20 PINTAILS, 60 GREEN-WINGED TEAL, over 1100 BLACK/MALLARD types, a PIED-BILLED GREBE and 175 BONAPARTE'S GULLS were seen. Also on Tuesday, along the western shore of Grand Isle, a WESTERN SANDPIPER highlighted a list that also included BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, KILLDEER, DUNLIN plus SEMIPALMATED, WHITE-RUMPED and PECTORAL SANDPIPERS. Saturday (10/7) proved to be an exceptional day for hawk migration. At South Newbury, in the space of three hours in the afternoon, 15 OSPREY, 3 BALD EAGLES, 20+ SHARP-SHINS, 1 COOPER'S HAWK, 12 RED-TAILS, 3 MERLINS and 3 PEREGRINE FALCONS were seen. The hawk watch at Putney Mountain tallied 350 raptors the same day with a GOLDEN EAGLE the highlight. Two more were seen later in the week bringing the total for the season to 4! Totals for the week included 48 TURKEY VULTURES, 28 OSPREY, 2 BALD EAGLES, 8 NORTHERN HARRIERS, 267 SHARP-SHINS, 20 COOPER'S HAWKS, 8 GOSHAWKS, 2 RED-SHOULDERS, a late BROAD-WING, 55 RED-TAILS, 115 KESTRELS, 11 MERLINS and 14 PEREGRINES. Over at Dead Creek, 60 TURKEY VULTURES, 6 NORTHERN HARRIERS, 4 SHARP-SHINS, 2 COOPER'S HAWKS, 30+ RED-TAILS, 6 KESTRELS and 1 each of MERLIN and PEREGRINE FALCON were seen from mid-afternoon on. There were many flocks of both CANADA and SNOW GEESE winging southward on northwesterly winds on Sunday (10/8). A BRANT was seen among about 230 CANADA GEESE in East Dorset. Before the start of duck season on Saturday, 4 GREEN-WINGED TEAL, 1 AMERICAN WIGEON, 2 RING-NECKED DUCKS, and a LESSER SCAUP were seen from the boat launch at Shelburne Bay on the 6th. The prize, however, was a SORA, spotted in the LaPlatte River channel. Elsewhere from around the state, 31 CATTLE EGRETS were at Shelburne Farms on the 6th. A RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER was visiting a feeder in Brandon, also on the 6th. And, on the 7th, a RED-NECKED GREBE was seen on Lake Morey. Compiler: Wayne Scott Compiler, VT RBA 416 Hanover Center Road Etna, NH 03750 (603) 643-0179 wsscott@turbont.net vtbirder@hotmail.com For Birdeast archives, and to join, leave, or change address, see: http://listserv.arizona.edu/lsv/www/birdeast.html