Hero's Welcome

I do a lot of my birding in South Hero. Throughout the year there is always something to see and somewhere to go. The South Hero marsh trail is one of my favorite spots from April until October when the duck hunters move in and the birds move out. Round Pond on East Shore Road has nice habitat, including meadows, wetlands, brushy early succession forest, and, after a short walk through the forest, a nice view of Mallett's Bay. And the approach to South Hero passing by the Sandbar WMA is a hot spot for migrating ducks and geese right now. But my favorite spot at this time of year is the Colchester-South Hero Causeway at Allen Point.

Why? For some reason this spot is a magnet for winter waterfowl, especially Greater and Lesser Scaup. Some years the lake side of the Causeway stays open throughout the winter and the ducks are here in huge numbers if you can get out to the Point. This year, though, the lake froze from shore-to-shore. Only in the past few weeks has there been enough open water to attract waterfowl. Stimulated by a recent posting on the VTBird list that reported Scaup, Common Goldeneyes, American Wigeon, Northern Pintails, and a few Tufted Ducks at Allen Point, I made my way out to the Causeway. Sure enough the large raft of Scaup was swimming far off shore-too far to distinguish between Greater and Lesser Scaup or to pick out Tufted Ducks, even with my spotting scope. A smaller flock of Common Goldeneyes and a few Common Mergansers showed up, too, but the big surprise was a group of three Double-crested Cormorants heading north-a dubious distinction at best. Walking the path out to the "cut", I spotted a small flock of Cedar Waxwings eating buckthorn berries-a pleasant surpise.

Despite the meager results, I enjoyed visiting the Causeway for the first time this year and look forward to regular birding visits to South Hero for the next six months. Call it Hero's welcome.

Spring Forward

I've been house-bound for the past week after a nasty episode of persistent vertigo. No driving, no walking, no birding. Ugh! Still I am able to look out my kitchen window and-hurray-I see signs of Spring. Specifically, today I saw my first Brown-headed Cowbird of the season. Some folks might think that the Brown-headed Cowbird is a pest, a problem, a parasite. There is some truth to this point of view. Cowbirds parasitize the nests of other songbirds, competing with their offspring for food, and, in some cases, threatening their very existence. For example, nest parasitism by cowbirds has been implicated in the sharp decline of Kirtland Warbler and Black-capped Vireo populations. In fact, it is likely that brood parasitism by cowbirds is a contributory factor to the decline of many Eastern songbirds, especially the ground-nesters like Ovenbirds and Eastern Meadowlarks. For a description of Brown-headed Cowbirds take a look at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Bird Guide at:
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide.

So, I should not be thrilled to see a Brown-headed Cowbird in my yard. But I am. He looks so stylish with his glossy black body and brown head. All dressed up for Spring. And he seems to be alone, though he may be scouting the territory. Whatever. He is the first bird heralding Spring as far as I am concerned and at the moment he is not causing trouble. That comes later.

March Madness!

What's not to like about March? The days are longer, the weather is milder, and the migratory birds are returning. March is an excellent month for ducks. The winter ducks are still with us-Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Common Mergansers, and Scaup-and the migratory ducks are slowly coming back. For example, this week I saw my first Gadwall of the year at Converse Bay, swimming with a large flock of goldeneye. Included in the goldeneye flock was a Barrow's Goldeneye male, one of several that have turned up this winter. To see a photo of a Barrow's Goldeneye compared to a Common Goldeneye go to Julie Water's website at http://juliesmagiclightshow.com/4242.php.

At the moment there is also a nice group of Ring-necked Ducks at the Shelburne Town Beach as well as a small number of Hooded Mergansers at Converse Bay, Charlotte Town Beach, and Shelburne Town Beach. At the Muddy Brook marsh open water is beginning to appear and today I spotted a pair of male Wood Ducks and three handsome Hooded Mergansers (2 males; 1 female). I have seen reports on the VTBird list of Green-winged Teal, Pintail, and Wigeon, though I have seen none of these species myself. That's the duck story.

Otherwise, the South Burlington Snowy Owl is still present and devouring rodents. And an adult Bald Eagle has taken up residence in the Intervale. And I saw my first Brown Creeper of the season at the Intervale today. And Bohemian Waxwings are everywhere. Whew!

And let's not forget about ice fishing. Last Thursday I caught a gigantic Largemouth Bass through the ice at Keeler's Bay-my first ever caught by ice fishing. As I brought this bass through the ice hole, the hook pulled out of its mouth. But the fish was so large that it couldn't turn around. So I reached down and lifted it out by its jaw, took a cell phone photo of the fish, and returned it to its native habitat. I am sure that this fish is still wondering what the hell happened.

I love March!

The Great White Owl

Vermonters have been blessed this winter with an influx of Snowy Owls. From Whiting, Vermont to the south to West Charleston, Vermont in the northeast Snowy Owls have turned up regularly. And here in Chittenden County we have seen Snowies, too. I have spotted them at Delta Park, the Burlington waterfront, and right here in South Burlington, most recently this evening. A Snowy Owl has been a regular visitor to the roof tops of the houses behind the Chittenden Cider Mill on Dorset St. At times a flock of Snow Buntings in the nearby fields has added to the fun.

What gives? First of all, these birds appear to be well fed, unlike the Barred Owls that turned up everywhere last year. Apparently, the lemming season in northern Canada was unusually robust, resulting in a highly successful breeding season for Snowies. Young males, in particular, have been forced to go south to find a productive source of food. No problem. These birds may prefer mice, voles, moles, and lemmings in their diet, but apparently will attack even larger game such as ducks. The persistence of the South Burlington Snowy in one location this winter suggests to me that he (she?) has found a reliable food source, possibly prompted by the new construction in this development. Who-o-o-o knows.

Vermont is not the only beneficiary of the Snowy Owl irruption. In Massachusetts, a large number of Snowies have turned up at Logan Airport, where the terrain in winter apparently resembles the Arctic tundra, the Snowy Owl's breeding grounds. And mice and rats are abundant there. Perfect! Except for the air traffic. Massachusetts Audubon has been busily capturing these birds (17 so far) and transporting them to the more hospitable digs at Plum Island in Newburyport.

This evening, a beautiful Vermont winter evening, I basked in the glow of the sunset with a Snowy Owl in my sights. Does it get any better than this? I doubt it. Here is a photo of the South Burlington Snowy Owl courtesy of Judy Brook.