Walking in Audubon's Footsteps-Part 2

Once again I have returned to Louisiana to walk in Audubon 's footsteps. This time Pam and I are visiting the Oakley Plantation in St. Francisville, LA, the centerpiece of the Audubon State Historic Site. In 1821 John James Audubon spent a (mostly) pleasant summer at Oakley Plantation, tutoring a lovely, teenaged girl, Eliza Pirrie. Oakley House was built in the late 18th century by Lucretia Pirrie and her first husband, Ruffin Gray. After Gray's death, Lucretia married Scotland-born James Pirrie, a planter and formerly a prominent official in the Spanish government. The Pirrie family occupied the place until 1947, when the site was purchased by the state of Louisiana. During Audubon's tenure at Oakley, the Pirries operated a thriving 1000 acre cotton plantation maintained by over 200 slaves. Oakley is located near the Mississippi River on Bayou Sara some 100 miles north of New Orleans. The favorable conditions for growing cotton and the ready access to the Mississippi River fostered the growth of several plantations in the St. Francisville area, which continue to attract tourists to this day. Here Pirrie and his baleful (couldn't resist the pun) wife Lucretia lived peacefully with their small family. Lucretia hired (and later fired) Audubon to tutor Eliza in drawing, music, dancing, and painting, an activity that occupied him during the morning, leaving his afternoons free to roam Oakley's bird-rich habitat. During his short stay at Oakley it is claimed that Audubon painted over 30 of the canvases that ultimately would appear in his magnificent Birds of America folio.

We meet just outside of Audubon's small bedroom to begin the tour. The tour guide, a comely, 30-ish year old woman, beckons us into the room and begins her sing-songy jabber. Bill Mercia lent me his copy of Danny Heitman's tome "A Summer of Birds", so I am well-fortified with questions. An unfinished sketch of a Carolina Wren-or is it a Bewick's Wren-I can't be sure and forget to ask-lies on the bed. The bed itself seems too short for someone of Audubon's stature. We are told that Audubon's assistant, Joseph Mason, occupied the room, too. It must have been crowded.

Ascending a winding staircase to the second floor, we enter the library. A portrait of James Pirrie hangs over the mantle. He is smiling. In the morning room over the door, hangs a portrait of Lucretia. She glares at us. An odd couple, for sure. A table is set as if waiting for the diners and food to arrive. Although Audubon was little more than a servant, he ate with the family and must have been an entertaining guest, given his well-traveled history and voluble, effusive character. I notice that there are several prints of Audubon's birds on the walls. I correctly identify a Canada Warbler (Bonaparte's Flycatcher) and a Pine (Creeping) Warbler, but can't place a so-called Autumn Warbler. Also, a portrait of the lovely Eliza hangs on a side room wall. She looks serene and older than her 15 years. Another couple taking the tour with us finds the tour guide more informative than I am and wanders off with her. No matter. I am ready for birding. The tour ends in the bedrooms on the third floor. After hearing some forgettable commentary by the tour guide followed by a brief walk on the louvered porch, I am off to the Cardinal Trail. Pam goes shopping.

It's birdy. Appropriately enough, there are a half dozen Northern Cardinals pecking at grit at the head of the trail. I spot an Eastern Towhee foraging with them. To my left and up I see a Summer Tanager. Most of the tanagers migrated south weeks ago, but this one stayed put, presumably for my benefit. Overhead I hear the unmistakable cry of a Pileated Woodpecker. Then I watch him fly into a Loblolly Pine, which he proceeds to turn into splinters. Not an Ivory-billed Woodpecker to be sure, but still a handsome bird. A Brown Thrasher, a Carolina Chickadee, and several Tufted Titmice end the parade. After an hour I am satisfied. At the museum I am handed a list of the birds found on the property. Obviously, this list is considerably longer than my own. Regardless, this shortfall provides an incentive for me to return to Oakley at another time to walk in Audubon's footsteps once more.

Photo by Pam MacPherson

Dead Creek Daze

The Dead Creek WMA in Addison is one of Vermont's premier birding spots throughout the year. Raptors such as Northern Harriers, Osprey, Bald Eagles, and American Kestrels are abundant. Waterfowl, including Mallards, Wood Ducks, and Canada Geese nest there. Songbirds from warblers to sparrows are everywhere. And rarities are common, if that makes any sense. So it should not be surprising that I visit Dead Creek fairly often or that the Green Mountain Audubon Society, of which I am currently the President, schedules field trips to Dead Creek on a regular basis.

So it was that members of the GMAS visited Dead Creek during the last week in August, searching for shorebirds. The area accessed by the so-called Brilyea trails often serves as a magnet for shorebirds in migration, but only if the water levels are low, exposing the mud flats. No luck this year. This summer has been especially rainy and water levels at Dead Creek are high. One Spotted Sandpiper, a Wilson's Snipe, and a handful of Killdeer was the best we could manage. Still, we got great looks at two immature Bald Eagles, a small flock of Horned Larks, and a number of songbirds, including Cedar Waxwings, Eastern Kingbirds, Eastern Phoebes, and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. Herons are always abundant at Dead Creek in late summer and early fall and this year was no exception. Great Blue Herons predominate, but Black-crowned Night Herons and Green Herons are regulars, too. This year a reclusive American Bittern erupted right at our feet as we approached the watery expanse beyond the meadow on the west Brilyea trail.

Of course the big attraction at Dead Creek is the Snow Geese that stop over for a month in the fall. Thousands of Snow Geese fill the fields and skies at Dead Creek then. That migration comes later, though. Needless to say we have scheduled another field trip in early November to take in the show. Pictures to follow.

Put A Dog on your Blog

Last year we lost our beloved Cocker Spaniel, Jasper. Jasper was 14 years old. We had purchased him when he was a puppy as a birthday gift for my son, Andrew, who at the time was 11 years old. But Andrew eventually went off to college and Jasper had long since become the family dog. When he died, at Christmas time no less, it was like losing a family member.

Pam and I waited awhile to get back into the dog business, but eventually the urge to become pet keepers again overwhelmed our better judgment. After a few false starts we found another cocker puppy in Massachusetts-a girl puppy this time. Once again we are adjusting to life with a pet. Pam conducted a naming contest for her and, after sifting through dozens of entries we selected a name submitted by our French friends Allanah and Yaelle-Choupy, which (as I am tired of explaining) is short for Choupinette-a cute little girl.

In a few short weeks Choupy has become accustomed to our daily routine, including some of my birding adventures. For example, I have often envied the people walking their dogs at Technology Park in South Burlington, one of my favorite birding spots. But I seldom brought Jasper there because he was so excitable, and not in a good way, around other dogs. Choupy is certainly very interested in other dogs, but seems to be more mellow around them than Jasper was. So last week I took Choupy birding at Technology Park.

Despite the fact that Technology Park is the business home of Ben and Jerry's and Symquest, among others, the property has a large grassland that provides nesting sites for Bobolinks and Savannah Sparrows. There is also some shrubbery on the property that holds catbirds and Song Sparrows and wetlands that serve as nesting sites for Red-winged Blackbirds and Swamp Sparrows. There are several small bodies of water at Technology Park-I hesitate to call them ponds-that attract a variety of waterfowl. Last week, for instance, I spotted a Hooded Merganser, who had taken up residence in one of these water holes. Not surprisingly, small groups of Canada Geese and Mallards routinely visit these spots. During the winter the cherry trees lining Community Drive are a magnet for Bohemian Waxwings and in some years Pine Grosbeaks, a major attraction for birders and photographers alike.

On this particular occasion in late summer I had no idea what to expect nor did Choupy. She bounded off toward the ball field taking no note of the Killdeer or Ring-billed Gulls strutting on the infield. A Red-tailed Hawk soared overhead, but she was oblivious to it. Only a Great Blue Heron wading in the "pond"caught her attention, her tail wagging vigorously. Perhaps she mistook this bird for a Great Blue Dog. I pointed her toward the shrubbery and she immediately flushed a Song Sparrow followed by a Savannah Sparrow, much to her delight. After an hour she and I had had enough birding and we returned to the car. As we left the parking lot Choupy put her paws up on the dashboard to take one last look at that heron, her tail still wagging. I took this gesture to mean that she had enjoyed her first outing and hoped that we would return soon for more birding at Technology Park.

Photo of Choupy at the Famer's Market by Pam MacPherson

Carry Me Back to Old Virginia

Although this blog is concerned mainly with Vermont outdoors, occasionally I have to acknowledge the attraction of other venues. For example, last week I took an extended road trip to the wilds of Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., and Virginia. In the latter two places I was joined by my youngest son, Andrew. I stopped in Pennsylvania on both ends of the trip to do some fly fishing in Big Bushkill Creek. What a great spot. Six miles of the river flows through the Boy Scout Reservation at Ressica Falls. In this section of the river only fly fishing is allowed and the fishing is strictly "catch-and-release". Brown Trout were the order of the day and I met with some success using a #16 tan flymph. These were beautiful 12"-15" fish adorned with large orange and black spots set on a tan-yellow-brown background. I will return.

But the highlight of this escapade was a visit to Chickahominy Lake, 30 miles southeast of Richmond. Andrew and I rented a jon boat for the evening and ventured forth in search of bass, bream ("brim" in Virginian), and whatever. The sun was blazing at the outset of our voyage and the temperature was in the mid-to-upper 80's. But the setting was idyllic and a liberal application of sunscreen and Bud Lite dulled the effects of the sun. The bird life on the lake was distracting to me. Osprey, cardinals, and assorted woodpeckers flitted about in the cypress trees and the marsh at the water's edge. I had left my binoculars behind and I was kicking myself for doing so. But this was supposed to be a fishing trip. And indeed, with effort we caught a few-punkin'seeds, brim, and bluegills-but no bass, a mild disappointment. No matter. Fishing (and birding) is all about the experience-the setting, the companionship, and the wildlife. It's also about the excitement of exploration and discovery. If you have fantastic success without much effort, why go back? With our success, or lack thereof, you can carry me back to old Virginia anytime. I am packed and ready to go.

Photo by Andrew MacPherson

My Blue Heron

My cousin, Suzanne, is not a birder, but she is an excellent, amateur photographer. We are killing time during her visit to Vermont and I offer to take her "birding by car". She is skeptical. I think that she has heard this before. But she is game, or perhaps bored, so she grabs her camera and off we go.

My thought is that we will intercept Muddy Brook at various points along its course where there is easy public access. Muddy Brook flows north out of Shelburne Pond, forming the boundary between South Burlington and Williston. During its five mile run to the Winooski River Muddy Brook can be interdicted at several points. First we turn onto River Cove Road in Williston and stop at Muddy Brook Park. No dice. Usually Common Mergansers, Mallards, and American Black Ducks swimming in the Winooski River can be seen from the road, but today the VELCO trucks are in the field noisily installing new power poles. Suzie sighs.

Next we swing by Technology Park in South Burlington. Muddy Brook flows as a nice freestone river along the eastern border of the property. I am told that American Woodcock can be found along the riverbank, but today we see only Red-winged Blackbirds, European Starlings, and American Robins. I insist that Red-tailed Hawks are almost always seen here, but Suzie is not impressed. "We see plenty of them on the Cape.", she skoffs.

We stop by the Muddy Brook Reserve on Van Sicklen Road on the off chance that Suzie will want to do some hiking. But no. It's starting to rain and besides it's buggy and I have forgotten to bring the insect repellant (again). Suzie caustically notices that one of the signs marking the road into the housing development across the street is called Blue Heron Drive, which probably means there isn't a blue heron within five miles of here, she says. She's wrong. I pull out my ace.

Turning left on Hinesburg Road I head for the pull off just south of Cheesefactory Road where Muddy Brook meanders under the road and forms a large cattail marsh. Turning slowly into the lot I hear Suzie gasp. "There's a Great Blue Heron standing right by the beaver dam." she exclaims, fumbling for her camera. I roll down the car window on her side and she gets a great shot. Click. A Green Heron takes off. Click. A Black-crowned Night Heron lurks in the bushes at the water's edge. Click. Tree Swallows swoop down picking off insects. Click. A female Wood Duck corrals her brood of ducklings into the reeds. Click. Click. In the field a pair of Canada Geese stand erect, watching us with suspicion. Click. I feel vindicated, but try to stay humble. As we drive off Suzanne is impressed. "What a great spot", she says, "And what dumb luck that you found it.".

Photograph courtesy of Suzanne Dupont.

Marsh Madness

May is my busy season-prime time in Vermont for birds and birding. Hence, my blog has been gathering dust recently while I canvas my favorite birding spots. And highest on my list of favorite spots is the South Hero marsh. The marsh is so good that I have tried to keep it secret with some success. Although I occasionally run into bikers, joggers, and wayward dogs on the trail, I seldom see birders there. Big mistake. From March through September the South Hero marsh is a superb site for finding birds.

Shirley Johnson and Chip Wright introduced me to the marsh a few years ago, though at the time neither of them had explored its full potential. I liked its accessibility and the variety of habitats it offered. Since then, I have visited the marsh dozens of times recording over 100 bird species on my eBird list. Mallards, Wood Ducks, and Canada Geese nest there regularly. Last year I spotted a pair of Northern Shovelers that visited the marsh throughout the breeding season. And this year I practically tripped over a female Hooded Merganser leading her newly-hatched brood of four out of harm's way. This year,too, a pair of Blue-winged Teal that has turned up regularly on my visits to the marsh. I am looking forward to meeting their offspring. Likewise, a pair of Gadwall has been acting suspiciously of late. Stay tuned for future birth announcements.

With all this waterfowl activity it would be easy to overlook the other birds that turn up regularly in the marsh. But no-Great Blue Herons, Black-crowned Night Herons, Green Herons, and American bitterns will not be ignored. Likewise, nesting Osprey, hunting Harriers, and soaring Red-tails will make their presence known. Topping off the menu is a nice selection of warblers enhanced by the occasional Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark. There's more, but you will have to make the discoveries yourself. Last week Shirley Johnson and I birded the marsh together and she discovered a bird that I had not seen there before-a handsome male Scarlet Tanager.Wow!

The birding at the South Hero marsh is tremendous until it ends abruptly during the first week of October. Bang! Duck season. End of casual birding for the year. Baseball fans know the feeling. In October the season is over. Wait until next year.

Falcon's Nest

Driving on the Bolton Notch Road in April is hazardous at best. It's mud season, you know. Still, Shirley Johnson seems to be in control of the vehicle and besides, I'm not looking. Finally, we reach the spot we've been searching for. Chip Wright and Larry Haugh are there already. And a few minutes later Margaret Fowle drives up. We are gathered at the foot of one of the many cliffs visible from the Bolton Notch Road. But this one is special. It has been the site of a Peregrine Falcon nest for the past several years. We are here to receive training from Margaret for the Peregrine Falcon Monitoring Project, the follow up to the Peregrine Falcon Recovery Program that concluded a few years ago.

Peregrine Falcons are amazing birds. They can dive through the air at a speed of more than 200 miles per hour to catch their prey. But not too many years ago the Peregrine Falcon population was decimated by the pesticide DDT. Peregrine Falcons are perched at the top of the food chain. As a result, when DDT seeped into the food chain, it accumulated over time in the flesh of the falcons. The result was a marked decrease in egg production. DDT caused the eggs to be thin-shelled, fragile, and often non-viable. As time went on the population of Peregrine Falcons dropped precipitously as older birds died and were not replaced by fledged chicks. In fact, the eastern population was entirely extirpated. In the west, fewer than 400 nesting pairs of falcons remained, roughly 10% of the number found in better times.

Enter the U.S. government. In the 1972 the use of DDT was banned and Peregrine Falcons were placed on the Endangered Species list. In the late 1970's the Peregrine Falcon Recovery Program was begun. Over the next 20 years the Peregrine Falcon population increased dramatically. Currently, there are over 1600 nesting pairs in North America, far exceeding the program's goal of 631 nesting pairs. A few years ago Peregrine Falcons were delisted, but until 2013, there is a continuing need to monitor the falcon population to be sure that this increase is sustained.

That's where we come in. Margaret tells us that last year there were 38 Peregrine Falcon nesting spots in Vermont. This is one of them. I stare at the face of the cliff. The cliff stares back. I see nothing. Suddenly, Margaret says, "I saw a feather move." Huh! "Up there. To the right of the bush at 1 o'clock halfway up the cliff." I look through her scope. Sure enough I see the tail of a bird moving up and down. A falcon? Yes! A majestic male falcon flies into view and lands on a snag 25 yards from the nest site. A few minutes later he flies to the nest site. The female immediatey flies off. This is what passes for courtship behavior among falcons. For the next few hours we watch the pair fly back and forth putting on a nice aerial show. Margaret patiently educates us on falcon lore, the recovery project, and our role in the monitoring program. We watch and listen.

By 1:30 P.M. it's over. One of the birds has left the site and the other is hidden in a cranny. Peregrine Falcons spend a lot of time conserving energy, Margaret assures us. No matter. We have learned what we need to know. Next week we will meet at Snake Mountain to begin our own monitoring, watching the falcons nest.

Photograph by Dave Kynor.