Snowy Owl Update No. 5
The central Champlain Valley continues to be the epicenter for Snowy Owl sightings in Vermont. This is partly due to its general attraction for winter birding. Snowy Owls are no doubt elsewhere in Vermont — and across much of the northern United States. All we need to do is find them. Even if you don’t, winter birding has its rewards. For me, yesterday, those included Northern Harriers patrolling fields in the angled light of December. Busy flocks of Snow Buntings and Horned Larks. And a Peregrine Falcon, first toying with a Northern Harrier, then taking a Mourning Dove. The Snowy Owl that Pat Folsom and Pat Allen discovered on Slang Road in Panton wasn’t in evidence on Saturday. But not far away, Jennifer Brown found one in a plowed field at 6168 Goodrich Corner Road in Addison. I got a lousy digi-scoped shot (over there to the left). Thanks, Jen!
Snowy Owl Update No. 4
The ghosts of winter have been a bit more predictable in the past few days. Here in Vermont, dedicated Snowy Owl watchers have found them:
- In Panton in the area of Slang and West Road on December 23. (Thanks, Pat Folsom and Pat Allen.)
- In Panton at Spaulding Bay at the end of Turkey Lane on December 22. (Thanks, Jim Mead.)
- In Shoreham at the junction of Whiting-Shoreham Road and Webster Road on December 22. (Thanks, Shelagh Smith.)
There’s certainly a hot-spot of sightings in the central Champlain Valley (my little map to the right) of Vermont and New York. And the Massachusetts coast has been fairly reliable as well. Here’s the interactive eBird Snowy Owl map. When you get to the map, click on the “Show Points Sooner” box to the right for the best view of locations. You’ll find a list of all my Snowy Owl updates here.
A Winter Moth
My Vermont Public Radio commentary on the physics and love life of a winter moth aired yesterday. But you can listen to me here on the blog or on the VPR web site. I’ve blogged here about this moth, Bruce Spanworm (Operophtera bruceata). You may still find a few. But a relative, Fall Cankerworm (Alsophila pometaria), should be still flying in southern New England and points south.
Snowy Owl Update No. 3
The arctic ghosts have been a bit more predictable here in Vermont during the past few days. New sightings include Snowy Owls that stayed put for a day or more. Debbie Lazar sends photos of a Snowy Owl on the New England Youth Theatre building’s chimney at 100 Flat Street in Brattleboro on December 11. I like Debbie’s photo below from a distance because it gives you a sense of your search-image when you’re out looking for these birds.
Another Snowy at Button Island was visible with a scope from around Button Bay State Park in Ferrisburg. It was last seen on December 10, when Ian Worley reported: “It has been in a tree at the north end of the island and on a rock on the shore beneath the tree. It can be seen from the fishing access parking lot area, but for better looks walk down to the hub of the park and view from the overlook or somewhere on the shore.” Note that you can walk into state parks while they’re closed for the winter, but don’t block the gates when you park.
Finally, I also have a report from December 9, as of yet unconfirmed, from Taylor Hill Road and Rte 14, in the town of Brookfield.
You can find all my Snowy Owl blog posts here. Onward!
Mid-Priced Spotting Scopes
It must be tough being a bank executive or hedge fund manager. So many spotting scopes; so little time. Swarovski, Leica or Kowa? How does the one percent decide? Life is so unfair for them.
But if you’re among the great-unwashed, your choice among inexpensive spotting scopes is tragically simple. That’s because good, inexpensive scopes are as rare as warblers in winter. It’s a fact of life. Great optics cost great sums. But birders without benefactors do have a few options. So here’s my review of relatively affordable spotting scopes. read more…
The Gift of Birds
Here’s your chance to give someone you love the gift of birds and a better life. I now have available gift certificates for birdwatching, photography and various other activities with me and my nature touring company, Vermont Bird Tours. You can buy them in denominations of $25, $35, $100 and $500. They’re good for as long as I’m guiding outside or giving workshops inside, which should be a very long time. I can also personalize any gift certificate for any amount or outing, and add any message you might like to include. I can even email you the certificate so that you can print it on your own. Contact me for details.
Snowy Owl Update No. 2
Like arctic ghosts, the Snowy Owls visiting Vermont have been ephemeral and elusive. A Snowy on the Colchester Causeway on November 24 escaped without additional observations. The Snowy first spotted in Brattleboro last week hasn’t been reported since December 2. And a Snowy Owl from Alburg on Monday was not relocated during searching Tuesday. We also have a promising report from the Lane Press area in South Burlington, although skilled birders searching on Tuesday found none. (Note to birders wandering there with binoculars: the Department of Homeland Security also has an office in the area). This just in (at 10:26am): See Alan Robertshaw’s comment below for a fresh report from Brattleboro. The image to the right is a link to an interactive map to Snowy Owl reports since October 1. When it comes up, enter your preferred location and then click on the “Show Points Sooner” box for a better view of Snowy Owl sites. Note that not all of these sightings have been confirmed in eBird.
In case you missed it, here’s my Vermont Public Radio interview on the Snowy situation. And here’s my initial Snowy Owl Alert about this winter’s invasion.
Chicken or Kale?
If you’re like Chick-fil-A, which means you can’t tell the difference between kale and a chicken sandwich, I’ve made a study aid that should help you in the supermarket or fast-food joint. I’m a nature guide; I do this sort of thing with birds all the time. Please pass along the study aid so that we can all help Chick-fil-A distinguish chicken from kale. Maybe then the fast-food giant will stop beating up on the little guy here in Vermont.
Snowy Owl Update No. 1
The Snowy Owl invasion continues. After my initial Snowy Owl Alert, one Snowy turned up here in Vermont at Retreat Meadows in Brattleboro. It hasn’t been seen since December 2. (Keep searching!) A belated report comes from the Colchester Causeway, out on Lake Champlain, from November 24. It’s a good spot for Snowy Owl and worthy of continued investigation.
I’ve got an unconfirmed report of a Snowy at the Lane Press industrial park in South Burlington on Saturday. Meanwhile, I’ll be talking about Snowy Owls today during Vermont Public Radio’s Vermont Edition broadcast.
Paul Wieczoreck and I searched from the Burlington Waterfront to Charlotte Town Beach on Saturday. Ron Payne and Ian Worley searched the lowlands of the central Champlain Valley, roughly from Shoreham to Weybridge. None of us found Snowy Owls (but Paul did find a couple of counter-calling Great Horned Owls on the way home). Paul and I did enjoy a Barrow’s Goldeneye off Blodgett’s Beach in Burlington and a very late Least Sandpiper at Shelburne Bay. Ron and Ian tallied 21 Red-tailed Hawks, six Northern Harriers, one American Kestrel, and surprisingly no Rough-legged Hawks.
The good folks at eBird have chimed in on the Snowy Owls. Here’s an eBird map of owl sightings from the continent. (Your best bet is to click the box to the right that says “Show Points Sooner.”) Finally, Hilke Breder and Chris Petrak got photos of the Brattleboro Snowy Owl. (I’m jealous!)
Eat More Birds Update
A few parting shots at the Chicken Man today. Yeah, fast-food giant Chick-fil-A is still threatening Vermonter Bo Muller-Moore over his Eat More Kale T-shirt business. In a fit of power capitalism and marketing insanity, the Chicken Man says Bo is trespassing on its Eat Mo Chikin campaign. But why isn’t the Chicken Man suing the US Department of Health and Human Services, Michelle Obama, doctors, nutritionists, dietitians and everyone else advising us for years to Eat More Fruits and Vegetables? The New York Times covered the story yesterday. And Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin holds a news conference today with Bo. I only hope I get to meet with the governor if the Chicken Man comes after me for my Eat More Birds campaign.
