Seven of us spent a morning in Addison, first looking for Snow Geese and then enjoying demonstrations at the Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area Visitor Center.
We lucked into a spectacular day! The famous Addison County wind made it feel a lot cooler than the actual temperatures (in the 50s for most of the day), but sun, blue sky, puffy clouds, brilliant fall foliage, and camaraderie made up for the chill. And when we arrived at the Goose Viewing Area on Route 17, we were welcomed by a big, beautiful rainbow, every one of the seven colors bright and distinct.
About 800 Snow Geese were feeding in a nearby field and then gave us all a thrill as the whole flock rose into the air, flew in front of us, and settled in a new location.
Sharp-eyed members of the group (an OLLI-UVM class) spotted a Great Blue Heron and two Bald Eagles, one an all-dark immature bird and one an adult with the iconic white head and white tail.
There were also Canada Geese, Turkey Vultures, many Green-winged Teal, American Black Ducks, a few late-to-migrate Red-winged Blackbirds, and many starlings, chickadees, robins, woodpeckers and sparrows.
We also saw all three common members of the corvid family: Blue Jays, crows and a raven.
Northern Harriers are frequently seen "dancing" over the open agricultural land of the area, their buoyant flight mirroring the contours of the ground below them. The cinnamon belly color identified this bird as immature.
The activities at the Visitor Center were an unexpected bonus. All morning long, there were several mist nets set up, with demonstrations of bird-banding. This little Black-capped Chickadee got a silver-colored "anklet".
Wildlife Biologist Amy Alfieri demonstrated a "rocket net", which is used to capture a large number of ducks for banding. The crowd was warned to turn off cell phones (to avoid accidental detonation of the rockets!) and to stand back. With a loud noise and puffs of smoke, the rockets were set off and the net was thrown out and over the imagined ducks.
A young Red-tailed Hawk (hatched this past summer) had also been caught, weighed, examined and banded.
We got to see the magnificent raptor up close.
The hawk hadn't yet developed the red tail of an adult although the rich colors showed hints of red.
When the hawk was gently laid on the ground, it stayed there, unmoving. A Fish and Wildlife official told us that this posture, with talons raised, is defensive and is sometimes used by hawks when they're not sure whether they're under attack.
After several seconds, the bander gently nudged the bird and it righted itself and immediately lifted into the air, soaring over the parked cars to a smattering of applause.
After the field trip ended, Bernie and Maeve had a great lunch at the wonderful Foote's Diner in Port Henry NY.
Right outside the diner, there's a great view of the Champlain Bridge.
Before heading home, we stopped in at the Farrell Access of Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area, one of the "back doors to the refuge". There we were excited to see some shorebirds and - amazingly! - a Sandhill Crane! Their range has been extending eastward over the past decade or so, but they're still a rare sight in Vermont. (The beautiful bird, with its deep red crown, was too far away for good photos.)
The following five photos were taken by Henry Swayze of Tunbridge VT. Thanks, Henry!
In this photo, the hawk's brand-new leg band is visible.
From beginning to end, this was a wonderful Vermont day, with many nice people and great natural beauty!
No comments:
Post a Comment