October 2006 newsletter

Follow this link to view Oct. Newsletter in original formatting using Adobe Reader

OUR WEB SITE
UP AND RUNNING !!

Geoff Burgess

The Southeastern Vermont Audubon Society has revived its website to serve its membership and interested parties. And it has a new webmaster – Geoff Burgess. The site can be reached at http://www.sevtaudubon.org/

The updated site has much of the “look” of the previous one, but with emphasis on remaining current and relevant for members needs. In addition to the introductory homepage, the site includes sections about upcoming Events hosted by SVAS, including details about the monthly meetings, Membership options, and local and national resources. By using blogs (web logs), the quarterly Newsletter will be on line. Frequent updates will be characterize the Sightings page.(Al Merritt’s Bird Notes mailings).

The site is not only intended for our local birding community, but for possible visitors to our area seeking to learn more about its natural resources. Some nearby favorite birding sites are presented. For those who seek more information about birding in general, we have links to, among others, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Recent Bird Sightings from Plum Island.

Please check out the revived website and refer others to it. Feedback is always welcome at gburgess@landmark.edu.

BIRDING THE RETREAT MEADOWS
by
Hector Galbraith & Whitney Nichols

Introduction

The Brattleboro Retreat Meadows lie between Vt. Rt. 30 and US Rt.5 near the confluence of the West River with the Connecticut Over the years, the area has consistently produced as many unusual and interesting birds as anywhere else in Southern Vermont. To take a few examples: there was a Green-tailed Towhee that wintered in 1989/90, a Pacific Loon in 1993, Tundra Swans in 2003 and 2004, and Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow and Cackling Goose in 2004.

The Meadows are named for the Brattleboro Retreat, a psychiatric facility founded in 1832. Prior to 1909, the Retreat Meadows were just that – fields where hay was grown and cattle were grazed. They must have been largely dry at that time because local fairs and other events were regularly held there. With the construction of the dam on the Connecticut River at Vernon to generate electricity for local industry, the water levels in the West and Connecticut rivers were raised high enough at Brattleboro to inundate the lower-lying pastures. For a time, the local townspeople and farmers fought against the rising water and attempted to reclaim the flooded land, but they soon gave up and let nature take its course. Vestiges of concrete retaining walls that were built to keep the river out (unsuccessfully) can still be seen. The flooding has resulted in an ecologically rich area of shrub, cattail, and sedge wetlands, riparian woodland, and open shallow water.

Access

There are three main access points to the Retreat Meadows. 1) to scan the most productive areas of open water, marsh fringe, and mudflats (exposed in the fall and at other times of low water and during draw-downs), the access points at the boat launch area on Rt. 30 and the Marina are best. 2) To gain access to the shrub and sedge meadows a surfaced single lane road, becoming a trail, leads along the southern perimeter of the Water Filtration Plant (WFP). If you plan to walk this trail you better have good waterproof footwear since the first few yards of it often floods after rains, and is usually very muddy. Caution, the gate to this lane is often closed, and the fence is electrified. If the gate is closed, stay out. 3) On the Marina side, you can drive down the lane that runs north from the Marina and park at the gravel parking area 100 yards further. This allows you to walk along the continuation of the lane scanning the fields to your right (often good for sparrows, shorebirds, and geese) and the open water, marsh, and mudflats to your left.

Birding in the migration seasons

For us, the wonderful thing about birding on the Retreat Meadows is the sense of uncertainty. Stepping out of your car during the migration seasons, you can never be sure just what you are about to see; if the birding history of the area over the last few decades teaches us anything it is that the wetlands of the Meadows are often a migrant hotspot. Of course, you can go there on any one day and see little; however, those days are more than made up for when something exciting and unexpected pops up.

Fall is often the best of the two migration seasons, especially during inclement weather when it is foggy, or when rain-bearing fronts are moving through. At such times, the diversity of species is much higher than in more settled or clearer conditions when the birds fly right over on their ways north or south

During the migration seasons it is best to scan the open water for waterfowl and shorebirds from the Rt. 30 or the Marina access points. These areas are where Tundra Swans, Pacific Loon, Cackling Goose, Mute Swans (rare in southern Vermont, believe it or not), and Lesser Black-backed Gull have been seen. During both migration seasons many waterfowl species use the Meadows. In the spring these are mainly dabbling ducks such as Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal. In the fall diving ducks, such as Common Goldeneye and Bufflehead, occur, together with Brant, and (occasionally) Black Scoter and Long-tailed Duck. Also in fall, up to 50 or more Hooded Mergansers have been recorded. Red-necked, Pied-billed and Horned Grebes and Common Loons have also been seen during migration, as have Glaucous, Iceland and Bonaparte’s Gull. If the water level is low enough to expose mudflats, Wilson’s Snipe, Least Sandpiper and Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs may occur in numbers, together with the occasional Pectoral Sandpiper. One tip that is worth bearing in mind is that combining kayaking with birding can be very productive and may allow a close approach to many of these species.

Don’t neglect the area that you can access via the WFP: you might only get your lower half soaked in the long wet vegetation; on the other hand, if you get lucky and are patient and observant enough, you might hit the jackpot. This is where the Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow turned up in October, 2004. Also during passage seasons Peregrine Falcon, Merlin and Northern Harrier occur in the WFP area.

If you like being confused by little brown jobs, the sedge and scrub area beyond the WFP is the place! During fall it is possible to see up to 9 or 10 sparrow species over a day or two (more, if you sneakily include English Sparrow). Lincoln’s Sparrow are fairly common in the fall and two or three individuals in a day are not unusual. Field and Savanna Sparrows are quite common, with Vesper Sparrow an occasional visitor. Later in the fall the area is inundated with White-throated and White-crowned Sparrows. Swamp and Song Sparrows are abundant throughout the migration and breeding seasons. During migration, the scrub and sedge areas beyond the WFP can also be good for warblers: Wilson’s Warbler and Palm Warbler are regular in small numbers and all the other common warblers occur, as does Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Yellow-throated Vireo is occasional on migration. It is also worth checking out some of the damp muddy pools in the grass meadows at the WFP as up to six Solitary Sandpipers have been seen in a single day in the fall, and Pectoral Sandpipers show up from time to time.

Summer and Winter

Given the habitats that are available, you might expect the Retreat Meadows to support a richer breeding bird community than they actually do. Unfortunately, however, levels of human disturbance are high during the summer months. Numbers of fisherman, canoists and kayakers are usually present from dawn till dusk. This may be the reason that typical reed-bed breeders like the bitterns and rails are not usually present, although Marsh Wrens, Swamp Sparrows, and Wood Ducks do breed, and Great Egrets occur in late summer.

The scrub and sedge areas are, however, good during the breeding season for some species that are not too common in Vermont. Carolina Wren, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and Northern Mockingbird (attracted by lush multiflora roses), all southern species, are as abundant here as anywhere in Vermont. Other breeders and summer visitors include Great Blue Heron, Canada Goose,, Willow Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, Belted Kingfisher, and hordes of Red-winged Blackbirds.

Most winters, the open water and wetlands freeze over from about late December until March. Then they are frequented only by Ringed-billed Gulls or Great Black-backed Gulls (scavenging from the ice fisherman) and a few lingering Song and Swamp Sparrows, Northern Cardinals and Mockingbirds. At this season, you might want to watch out for Horned Larks, Snow Buntings and American Pipits in the open fields close to the marina. There is almost always a Red-tailed Hawk or Cooper’s Hawk wintering in the area and feeding on Brattleboro’s abundant pigeon population.

BOOK NOTES

Susan James

Scott Weidensaul, one of the finest writers on natural history and birds, undertook a very ambitious project when he decided to write his last book: Return to the Wild: a Yearlong Search for the Continent’s Natural Soul. Weidensaul emulated the legendary journey of Roger Tory Peterson and James Fisher. In 1953 Peterson and Fisher made a 30,000 mile trip around North America visiting ecologically significant sites. Their book, Wild America, has become a classic and has inspired many people, including Scott Weidensaul.

Weidensaul’s book will likely become a classic in its own right. The journey began in Newfoundland and ended in the Pribilof Islands. Between these two remote locations he visited sites down the Atlantic coast, in Mexico, in the southwest U.S., and along the Pacific coast. Weidensaul frequently cited the findings of Peterson and Fisher and compared it to what he found. He researched each location extensively and reviewed current conditions and issues. He met with scientists, naturalists, and volunteers in each location.

While he honestly discussed disturbing ecological concerns, he also expressed optimism over successful protection and restoration projects in many sites. Weidensaul’s book, Return to the Wild, is a captivating mixture of clearly presented factual information and wonderfully written descriptions from the heart.

(Return to Wild America, by Scott Weidensaul is published by North Point Books, 2005)

Have you read a good book on birds, birding, nature, the environment?

Please contribute to

BOOK NOTES.

BRATTLEBORO AREA
CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT

December 16, 2006

To participate on one of the seven teams which will count birds in defined areas, contact Chris Petrak:

Phone:348-6301

E-mail: chrsptrk@svcable.net

To take part as a “Feeder Counter,” watch you feeder off and on during the day. Record the number of each species which you see each time to watch. At the end of the day, report the highest number you saw at one time. For example, suppose you count the birds at your feeder four times during the day. The number of chickadees you see is 2, 7, 4, 3. The number you report is “7.” Call Hollie Bowen, 254-9087, with your results or E-mail Chris Petrak.

After the Count:

Compilation Pot Luck at

Hollie Bowen’s home,
19 Whipple Street.
Good Food. Good Fun.
Good Stories. Good People.

SURPRISE!
Some good news from the EPA

There has been little good news on the environment from the current administration, so we should note it when it does occur. The EPA has decided to ban carbofuran, a heavily used insecticide. Carbofuran’s extreme toxicity to birds, other wildlife, and people make it a severe environmental hazard.

BirdWire News Bulletin from the American Bird Conservancy reported that the EPA resisted the manufacturers pressure after it received thousands of comments supporting the ban in little more than 24 hours.

“The cancellation will also likely have a broader effect internationally, as other countries frequently follow EPA’s lead ... This is a victory for science and the environment.”

Connecticut River Birding Trail
Southern Section

Maps are free. Send a self-addressed stamped business envelope ($0.63 for 1 map, $1.11 for 2 maps) to Bill Shepard, Project Coordinator, 104 Railroad Row, White River Junction, VT 05001. (Donations to support this project are welcomed!)

AUDUBON PROGRAMS
Brooks Memorial Library, Brattleboro

Tuesday, October 17, 7pm

“Learning from Loons”

Dr. Mark Pokras, is Director of the Wildlife Clinic & Center for Conservation Medicine at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine.

In 1987 a biologist brought a dead common loon to the Clinic asking if it could figure out why the loon died. This program will explain how the question was answered, and the major study which resulted, assisted by dozens of students, scientists and members of the public. After nearly 20 years several thousand loons have been examined, investigating diseases, parasites, pollution and impacts from fishing gear. The program will also address loons as sentinel species which can alert us to the health threats associated with many environmental problems.

Tuesday, November 21, 7pm

“Olympic National Park”

Jeff Nugent will do a slide show highlighting the glaciers, coastline, and magnificent trees and old growth forests of this park in the northwestern corner of Washington State. The talk will also feature a hike on the Bailey Range, a backcountry trip crossing the Olympic Mountains.

July 2006 newsletter

Local Botanical Illustrator Receives International Award by Jennifer Lann

Marlboro resident and botanical illustrator Bobbi Angell received the prestigious Jill Smythies Award this May from the Linnean Society of London. Bobbi is the first American to receive this award, established in 1986 for “published illustrations, such as drawings or paintings, in aid of plant identification, with an emphasis on botanical accuracy and the accurate portrayal of diagnostic characteristics.”

Two of Bobbi’s colleagues from the New York Botanical Garden nominated her work: Dr. Jacquelyn Kallunki, Associate Director and Curator at the Herbarium, and Susan Fraser, Director of the Mertz Library. Bobbi works primarily from home, with occasional trips to New York to discuss projects with colleagues. Bobbi has provided scientific illustrations for botanists of not only the New York Botanical Garden, but also the Smithsonian Institution, Harvard University, and other academic institutions since 1978. These illustrations focus on tropical plants of the Caribbean and Central and South America, including many new to science. Over the course of her career, she has thus far illustrated over 2,000 botanical species, from the common to uncommon, published in academic texts such as Flowering Plants of the Neotropics (Princeton University Press, 2003).

You already may have seen some of Bobbi’s illustrations of more familiar plants in the New York Times Garden Q&A column, authored by Leslie Land, in each Thursday’s House and Home section since 1995. Hundreds of the column’s illustrations can be found in the compilations, 1000 Gardening Questions and Answers (Workman, 2003) and The Gardener’s Essential Companion (Simon & Schuster, 2000). She has illustrated vegetables for the popular John Scheepers Kitchen Garden seed catalog and their colorful seed packets. Although she works primarily in pen and ink, the Center for Plant Conservation commissioned Bobbi to create 75 watercolor portraits of the US National Collection of Endangered Plants. In September, Bobbi’s illustrations of both flora and fauna will be available in the book Sippewissett: Or, Life in a Swamp Marsh (Chelsea Green, 2006), by Vermont author Tim Traver.

The American Society of Botanical Artists made note of Bobbi’s receipt of the Jill Smythies award with an article that celebrates the quality of her work:

“In addition to being accurately and meticulously executed, her drawings have always displayed an artfulness that transcends strictly scientific rendering. Even though working from the barest of materials in conditions from which others might shrink, Bobbi transforms these raw materials into vital and graceful renderings. She brings them to life, and preserves them for generations to come, delineated and beautifully conveyed.”

For more information about Bobbi and her work, you can visit her elegant website at www.bobbiangell.com

Travel Birds by Lani Wright

I am a person who notices the comings and goings of birds. When I hear one singing, I stop and listen to it with the attention of a concertgoer. I am also a traveler. Put these two things together and it comes as no surprise that my list of favorite places is strongly linked with a list of favorite birding moments. I didn’t go trekking in Khumbu to see birds per se. I didn’t carry a bird guide to Nepal or even heft a pair of binoculars. But once I was there, I spent many a happy morning following the colorful flocks of ground birds, the danphe and the Himalayan snow cock, and admiring their bright plumage.

I go to places which inspire me, which fill me with a wild, electric longing, and once I’m there in that strange and wondrous place, I do what I do with my spare time at home. I walk. I explore inviting byways. I look at the plants, the clouds. I keep an eye on the sun’s daily migration across the sky. And I notice the everyday coming and going of birds. I keep an ear out for their songs. The birds always show up. They are everywhere.

So as the flamingoes, avocets, and yellow shanks in the saltpans were part of the weave of the Greek island of Lesvos, the enormous lammergeyer, which bombed my head, was part of the village of Bragga on the Anapurna Circuit. Every place that wormed its way into my heart to stay has its birds somewhere in the picture.

Some of these are forever in the sky, like the great flocks of Himalayan snow pigeons that startled up and shawled around in a circle with their white bellies white against the deep blue sky at precisely the same moment. Or the coal-black choughs that rose from the ground in their screaming flocks and stand out in my photos like great black splats of paint.

Others stick to the trees. The bellbirds, for instance, which filled my ears with their melodious song from dawn to dusk on all my South Island New Zealand hikes. In the Katmandu Valley, it was the blue cuckoo that filled the soundtrack. I’ll never forget the afternoon I was sitting on the side of the trail with my eyes shut listening to them and a little ragged boy came along. He passed me and then came back when his curiosity got the better of him. “What are you doing?” he wanted to know. “I’m listening to the cuckoos,” and I sang their little four-note descending call to him: “cuckoo, cuckoo.” He looked at me suspiciously, and raced away. I don’t think he believed me.

Freycinet National Park in Tasmania will always be remembered for the kookaburra, which startled me awake at dawn with their shouts of raucous laughter. And eastern Australia, with its tall eucalyptus trees full of gigantic white cockatoos as common there as the drab English sparrow here. Those cockatoos will be there forever waiting to be noticed by even the most unobservant, uninterested tour-bus tourist. Birds are like that, available for immediate consumption. Look up. Listen.

Another stand-out New Zealand bird was the large green-and-orange parrot, the kea: the smartest bird I’ve ever witnessed and perhaps the most playful. I watched them play games. One flew up high and dropped a small stone from its beak while the others, resting in the trees below or along the ridgeline of the camp hut, burst into the air and raced to catch it. Then that bird, the winner, flew high and dropped the stone.

The keas woke the hikers every morning by sliding down the metal roof of the hut. They seemed to enjoy this immensely, like kids in a park. To the hikers sleeping under it, this sounded like the pitter-patter of many little feet going up to the ridgeline, followed by the screeching downward slide. If you put your pack down for a minute, some nosy kea would be sticking its head into it, looking to steal your lunch. There were no flies on those birds.

Birds and place. Place and birds. They link up this way at home, too. I go to the Adirondack Mountains to hear the loons call across the lake at night. I go into the woods at dawn and dusk in June to hear the dueling thrushes compete for male vocalist of the year. You won’t see the astounding patterns and colors of ducks at your backyard feeder; you have to go to the river when the ice melts in March.

In Greece on the island of Lesvos, I looked out the bus window and saw flamingoes in Lake Manyara when I was barely of age. Later, I found others in the lakes of southern Chile and Argentina. You only have to know where to look and there they’ll be — wading around as elegant and art nouveau as a bright pink bird can possibly be. And if you’re like me, for the rest of your life you’ll never forget either the bird or the place.

Avian Influenza Update: Results of EU Surveillance in Wild Birds

Brussels, 31 May 2006 press release
From EUROPA, the European Union’s online press room
http://europa.eu/press_room/index_en.htm

The European Commission and the Community Reference Laboratory (CRL) for Avian Influenza in Weybridge have published the results of the surveillance for avian influenza in wild birds carried out in the EU over the past 10 months. The extensive epidemiological data was presented today at the FAO/OIE International Scientific Conference on Avian Influenza and Wild Birds, which is taking place in Rome this week. Although final figures are still being collected for February-May 2006, it is estimated that around 60 000 wild birds were tested for avian influenza in the EU during that period. This, combined with the 39 000 wild birds tested between July 2005-January 2006, means that almost 100 000 tests for the H5N1 virus have been carried out on wild birds over the past 10 months. Since February 2006, over 700 wild birds across 13 Member States have been found to be infected with the H5N1 “Asian strain” of avian influenza. However, a positive decline in the incidence of the disease in wild birds in Europe has also been noted over the past weeks.

Markos Kyprianou, Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, said “Extensive surveillance for avian influenza in wild birds and poultry has been one of the key tools used by the EU to fend off the virus over the past months. It is a fundamental component in minimising the introduction and spread of this disease which poses a serious threat to animal and public health. The Commission and the Member States are continually working to improve the preventive measures already in place against avian influenza, so as to ensure that we have the tightest possible defences against it. We cannot let down our guard when it comes to avian influenza, as it is likely to remain a threat for Europe and the rest of the world for many months to come.”

Between February 2006 and 21 May 2006, 741 cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (most of them confirmed as H5N1) have been detected in wild birds in 13 Member States – Greece, Italy, Slovenia, Hungary, Austria, Germany, France, Slovakia, Sweden, Poland, Denmark, Czech Republic and UK. There have been only four outbreaks of H5N1 avian influenza in poultry in the EU, and all of these were swiftly eradicated following detection. No human case of the H5N1 virus has occurred in the EU.

There is considerable variation in the number of cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild birds, ranging from 326 in Germany to 1 in the UK. The peak in terms of the number of cases in wild birds was reached in March with 362 cases (compared to 200 in February), with cases declining to 162 in April and 17 in May (until 21 May). The most commonly affected wild birds have been swans, representing 62,8% of the total, followed by ducks (16,3%), geese (4,5%), birds of prey (3,9%) and others (13%).

Following the major geographical spread of the H5N1 avian influenza virus from South-East Asia in 2005, the EU has intensified its programmes for the surveillance and early detection of avian influenza, both in wild birds and poultry. Almost €2.9 million has been made available by the Commission to co-finance Member States’ surveillance programmes for the period July 2005-December 2006 (see IP/06/172 ). Guidelines on enhanced surveillance for avian influenza in wild birds were also issued by the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health. The intensified surveillance has enabled the Commission and Member States to gain a clearer view of the avian influenza situation in the EU, and to rapidly detect and respond to any outbreak.

For the Commission and CRL presentations and the surveillance results, see:
http://ec.europa.eu/comm/food/animal/diseases/controlmeasures/avian/ai_addmeasures_en.htm

Results for the AI surveillance in wild birds from 1 July 2005 to 31 January 2006:
http://ec.europa.eu/comm/food/animal/diseases/controlmeasures/avian/index_en.htm

Audubon Programs

Third Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m.

Brooks Memorial Library, Brattleboro

Southeastern Vermont Audubon Programs are free and open to the public.

July

There is no program in July.

August 15

Wildlife Underpasses

Mark Bellis, masters’ candidate in wildlife biology at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, describes his project of monitoring wildlife use of two special underpasses in VT Route 279 (the Bennington Bypass Western Segment) designed for safe wildlife crossing.

September 19

Hiking in Arizona

Mark Mikolas, avid hiker and author of Nature Walks in Southern Vermont (Appalacian Mountain Club Books, 1995), presents highlights of his hikes in various Arizona locations, including the Grand Canyon.

Help Us Reach You Better

For calendar updates and other late-breaking news, please send SVAS membership coordinator, Chris Petrak, your email address. We value your privacy, and thus your address will be kept strictly confidential. Because we also value being able to contact you in a timely manner, we would prefer to be able to reach you by email if possible. Please email Chris Petrak with your name: chrsptrk@svcable.net

Thanks in advance for helping us to reach you better!

Volunteer Needed

SVAS is seeking a volunteer for one of two roles:

SVAS news newsletter editor: Collects articles and calendar events for this quarterly newsletter. Provides page layout and editing. Attends bimonthly SVAS Board meetings.

SVAS membership coordinator: Maintains membership list and coordinates membership-oriented mailings. Attends bimonthly SVAS Board meetings.

Our current newsletter editor, Jennifer Lann, is retiring after four enjoyable years of editing the SVAS news. Membership coordinator Chris Petrak would like to volunteer his time to either but not both of these roles. Please contact Chris: 348-6301 or chrsptrk@svcable.net with your questions about or interest in either role.