Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Hurricane Irene slams Vermont
My family and I weathered the storm on Sunday in our house in Dorset. From the window, we could see the flood of rain falling from the sky, from 7.30 pm Saturday until midnight on Sunday. There was no wind here until it got dark on Sunday and the rain subsided. We said, "phew, thank heavens that wasn't so bad."
The reality hit when we were watching the Weather channel that evening and saw that the worst reports of flooding and storm damage were coming from Vermont. We watched in shock and horror as the eyewitness videos and photos poured in from areas as close as 30 miles away--barns under water, streets turned into rivers, houses washing away in the stream, roads and train tracks disappearing.
The next day was comically beautiful--the sun was shining and the air was calm, as if Mother Nature was giving everyone the finger. We drove into town and up to my grandparents' house near Winhall to assess the damage. Thankfully we were safe, but a lot of others were not so lucky.
This has been an historic weekend that a lot of us wish we had not witnessed.
The reality hit when we were watching the Weather channel that evening and saw that the worst reports of flooding and storm damage were coming from Vermont. We watched in shock and horror as the eyewitness videos and photos poured in from areas as close as 30 miles away--barns under water, streets turned into rivers, houses washing away in the stream, roads and train tracks disappearing.
The next day was comically beautiful--the sun was shining and the air was calm, as if Mother Nature was giving everyone the finger. We drove into town and up to my grandparents' house near Winhall to assess the damage. Thankfully we were safe, but a lot of others were not so lucky.
This has been an historic weekend that a lot of us wish we had not witnessed.
Friday, July 8, 2011
What are those purple boxes?
Has anyone been wondering what those purple boxes hanging in trees are? At first glance, they look like oddly-placed birdhouses; however, these boxes have been proliferating along roads in Vermont, as well as in neighboring Massachusetts.
The purple boxes are traps designed to monitor the presence of the Emerald Ash Borer, an insect that attacks ash trees and that was introduced to the US from Asia in 2002. Emerald Ash Borers can devastate trees, especially ash trees. They have been found in the Northwest and Canada, the highest populations being in Michigan and Ohio.
For additional information about the Emerald Ash Borer, please visit the official prevention and control site at http://www.emeraldashborer.info/index.cfm
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Watch the Birds: Fox and Friends, 6/16/11
The rising of temperatures and of the grass levels can only mean one thing: that the long winter has finally melted away to reveal a radiant Vermont spring. After a few short days of high temperatures, the valley has burst into bloom and is ready to welcome our winged friends who have returned from more temperate climes.
Looking from my window, I was pleased to see not only the "old faithfuls"--from feisty chickadees and raucous blue-jays, to flocks of goldfinches, who have shed their dull winter feathers for a buttery yellow counterpart--but also some of my summer favorites. The rose-breasted grosbeaks have returned, as have the wrens who are busy building a nest in my wren house in the field. I was delighted to see my first hummingbird of the season last week, when he zipped over to investigate my red wheelbarrow as I was doing some gardening. In addition, the canada geese have started to parade their goslings over by the Dorset Pond, where I also had the luck to see a majestic great blue heron fishing.
One reader reported having spotted an indigo bunting, the sapphire-blue little birds that I love so and see rarely even during the summer months. I had another reader report from Marianne, who told me she spotted approximately ten great blue herons atop their nests in the marshes on the new Route 7 by the Arlington exit. Sure enough, on a trip to Bennington, i spotted the parents and their newly-hatched chicks standing as if on stilts atop the spindly trees.
My biggest surprise of the week, however, came very early one morning as I groggily looked out the window to see a grey fox munching on birdseeds below my feeder. Needless to say, all of the birds and chipmunks remained far away as the fox, about the size of a large cat, nonchalantly gorged himself. The fox returned in the evening that night to get another snack. I've seen foxes in the area before, but only in the winter and certainly not eating birdseed, so I was greatly surprised. I was even more surprised and confused when the fox brought a friend, another fox, to feast on seeds the next evening. The pair stayed for about 20 minutes, and I was able to observe these beautiful animals and get some excellent photos. Throughout this week, I have seen the foxes--both individually and in a pair--every day, usually in the morning and the early evening. Talk about an interesting surprise!
As always, spring brings an array of surprises to the Northshire area. Have you had any interesting sightings lately? Is there a question you're dying to ask? Feel free to email me your questions, sightings, and comments at watch.the.birds.vt@gmail.com!
Looking from my window, I was pleased to see not only the "old faithfuls"--from feisty chickadees and raucous blue-jays, to flocks of goldfinches, who have shed their dull winter feathers for a buttery yellow counterpart--but also some of my summer favorites. The rose-breasted grosbeaks have returned, as have the wrens who are busy building a nest in my wren house in the field. I was delighted to see my first hummingbird of the season last week, when he zipped over to investigate my red wheelbarrow as I was doing some gardening. In addition, the canada geese have started to parade their goslings over by the Dorset Pond, where I also had the luck to see a majestic great blue heron fishing.
One reader reported having spotted an indigo bunting, the sapphire-blue little birds that I love so and see rarely even during the summer months. I had another reader report from Marianne, who told me she spotted approximately ten great blue herons atop their nests in the marshes on the new Route 7 by the Arlington exit. Sure enough, on a trip to Bennington, i spotted the parents and their newly-hatched chicks standing as if on stilts atop the spindly trees.
My biggest surprise of the week, however, came very early one morning as I groggily looked out the window to see a grey fox munching on birdseeds below my feeder. Needless to say, all of the birds and chipmunks remained far away as the fox, about the size of a large cat, nonchalantly gorged himself. The fox returned in the evening that night to get another snack. I've seen foxes in the area before, but only in the winter and certainly not eating birdseed, so I was greatly surprised. I was even more surprised and confused when the fox brought a friend, another fox, to feast on seeds the next evening. The pair stayed for about 20 minutes, and I was able to observe these beautiful animals and get some excellent photos. Throughout this week, I have seen the foxes--both individually and in a pair--every day, usually in the morning and the early evening. Talk about an interesting surprise!
As always, spring brings an array of surprises to the Northshire area. Have you had any interesting sightings lately? Is there a question you're dying to ask? Feel free to email me your questions, sightings, and comments at watch.the.birds.vt@gmail.com!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Fox and Friends!
Mr. and Mrs. Fox pay a visit to my birdfeeder to munch on seeds. Perhaps they're on a vegan diet? The chipmunks aren't holding their breath.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Happy Easter!
In spite of the fact that Easter comes shockingly late this year, it's still rather doom-and-gloom outside. A strange cocktail of snow, sunshine, and rain has kept me guessing these past few days, and made me crave something, well, a little more Springy.
Melissa Clark's recipe for homemade Peeps in this week's New York Times hit the spot (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/20/dining/20appe.html). I don't really know anyone who likes the taste of Peeps (if they have a taste at all...), but they're just so cute that, once you realize that you're eating flavorless heaps of pure sugar, you've inevitably gone through half the box.
These funny little critters are not too tricky to make, and will definitely win you some brownie points among friends and guests. How many people can say they have *made* Peeps? Few, my friends. Very few.
In addition, these pastel candies have a taste--and a good one at that. I opted to make the Pomegranate flavor, which results in a rosy batch of bunnies and chicks. Though the pomegranate flavor was unfortunately lost, the delighftul undertone of honey remained, making these a sweet Easter treat.
*Pro-tip: Take the mound of extra marshmallow you have after cutting out the first batch of shapes and melt it back down. Set it and cut them again!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Happy Spring!
After the largest full moon in eighteen years shone in the sky last night, shedding a clear crisp light over the valley, we celebrate the arrival of Spring this evening. It looks like Punxsutawney Phil was right this year about spring coming early; if the sunshine and warmer temperatures continue, we're sure to be outside enjoying mild weather soon!
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Merry Christmas!
Christmas is a time for food and fun with friends and family, and, also, a time to make those special dishes that you make only once a year. There's gingerbread and plum cake, Christmas logs and peppermint cookies, and then, there are the things you make only once a year because your nervous system might collapse if you tried any more than that. I discovered one such recipe this Christmas, just in time for the Holidays and for the Winter Wonderland outside my window, not to mention this column and blog.
My roommate sent me a recipe for Penguin truffles, which she found at "2 Stews," a cooking blog by a former flight attendant. They were too cute--not to mention, too delicious--to resist: a chocolate truffle sculpted to look like a penguin, dipped in white chocolate, and finished with a coat of dark chocolate.
I made two batches of these little critters this week (and that's enough for one year). They were ridiculously time consuming and labor-intensive, but, hey, it's Christmas and they sure were worth the effort for the "oohs and ahs" and the delicious result.
Being a child at heart and having an excuse to play with food, I posed my penguins in various situations: attacking the Christmas tree, staring at the Christmas turkey, huddling around a chocolate egg, and marching in the snow.
Check out the recipe from 2Stews (http://www.2stews.com/2009/12/penguin-truffles.html) and make your own on a snowy day!
Merry Christmas!
My roommate sent me a recipe for Penguin truffles, which she found at "2 Stews," a cooking blog by a former flight attendant. They were too cute--not to mention, too delicious--to resist: a chocolate truffle sculpted to look like a penguin, dipped in white chocolate, and finished with a coat of dark chocolate.
I made two batches of these little critters this week (and that's enough for one year). They were ridiculously time consuming and labor-intensive, but, hey, it's Christmas and they sure were worth the effort for the "oohs and ahs" and the delicious result.
Being a child at heart and having an excuse to play with food, I posed my penguins in various situations: attacking the Christmas tree, staring at the Christmas turkey, huddling around a chocolate egg, and marching in the snow.
Check out the recipe from 2Stews (http://www.2stews.com/2009/12/penguin-truffles.html) and make your own on a snowy day!
Merry Christmas!
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Black, White, and Tan--09/23/10
This week has proved to be fairly quiet on the birding scene. While hordes of hungry goldfinches, chickadees, titmice, and rose- and white-breasted nuthatches continue to vacuum up any and every seed they can find with stunning speed, the garden has quieted down.
Mealtime is always busy, but there's a late-summer stillness in the air, accompanied by cooler nights, ripening pumpkins, and shyly turning leaves. I did have some fairly interesting sightings this week, which inspired the name for this column: white, black, and tan.
No, I have not discovered an improvement of the Black and Tan cocktail while lazily looking out my window. I was, instead, pleased to see interesting activity.
Driving on Route 30 between Manchester and Bennington, I saw several white figures perched in the swampy waters near the Arlington exit, best known for their 10 or so Blue Heron nests precariously perched atop tree skeletons.
This time, however, I saw four or five snow white Great Egrets. The largest white egret in its range, the Great Egret is easily distinguished from its Great Blue counterpart by stunning pure white plumage, making it easy to spot as it fishes and feeds in the water.
The birds, which were once common, became scarce due to plume-hunting at the end of the 19th century; however, due to conservation efforts, numbers have increased and the birds' range has continued to extend northward.
I also spotted a Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker in my backyard, poking around at one of our conifers. I know they're nothing too special, but I have always has a soft spot for these black-and-white birds with streaky yellow underparts and a red cap and throat for the males. They're larger than either the Downy or the Hairy Woodpecker and are easily recognized by their distinctive plumage and their horizontal rows of tiny holes, made when they search for sap. Finally, I have seen more and more Cedar Waxwings as the weeks have passed.
At first I spotted a few of the pretty little tan birds zipping around my garden, searching for berries to fill their insatiable hunger for fruit.
On a walk by the Dorset Pond, I spotted hundreds of them dramatically swooping over the water as they decimated the local mosquito population. In spite of their efforts, I got some nice bites on my legs.
Guess they're not working hard enough.
Has migration season thrown some strange birds into your backyard?
Feel free to send all questions and comments to my (new!) e-mail at watch.the.birds.vt@gmail .com and check us out online at www.watchthebirdsvermont.blogspot.com for additional sightings and birding stories.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Late Summer Surprises--09/03/10
Late summer can either be thrilling or terrifically dull for birding. The only thing you can be sure of is that you never know which of those two it will be. Just when you think that Summer is winding down, Nature always throws you a curve ball.
My first surprise this week came in the form of the honks of hundreds of migrating Canada Geese very early one morning last week. This, in itself, is not terribly interesting, but rather early, I think. Maybe? It seems to me that these geese have gotten a few weeks' head start from when they would usually begin their journey South.
More interestingly, as I was pulling up in my driveway and getting out of the car, I spotted a thoroughly unfamiliar bird blinking at me from a nearby bush. I immediately recognized that it was a warbler of some sort—bright yellow underbelly, with a blueish or slate-coloured top, and some black spotting on the breast. What was it, though? There are several hundred types of warblers, many which you can see right here in Vermont, especially during this, the beginning of the warbler migration South. Unfortunately, the startled bird vanished before I could make any more specific notes on its appearance. an
Turning to my field guide, I pored over the pages until I found a likely suspect: the Canada Warbler, which looks very much like my little mystery friend. Canada Warblers favour dense forest undergrowth, and are some of the earliest warbler migrants. Sure enough, the Canada Warbler's summer range extends into Southern New England, and they are said to be fairly common. I, however, had never seen or heard of a Canada Warbler and wanted to be as certain as possible that I had, indeed, spotted one. So, what did I do? I turned to the Internet, of course.
Clarke Comollo, a reader and local businessman, recommended eBird to me a few years back, as a great source of birding information from the field. The site, which you can find at www.ebird.com, has vast and intricate records of local bird sightings from all over the country. Members post times and exact locations of sightings, in addition to species and bird counts, that are specific to your area. Some quick research informed me that, yes!, Canada Warblers had frequented Bennington County, and the Dorset area. More specifically, all reported sightings were from mid-August, some the very day I has my sighting! Oh, the Internet. How we loathe and love thee.
So, with some traditional field guide snooping and a little help from Cyberspace, I think it's safe to say that I did see a little Canada Warbler.
Has Nature thrown you any curve balls lately? Has migration season thrown some strange birds into your backyard? Feel free to send all questions and comments to my (new!) e-mail at watch.the.birds.vt@gmail.com and please check us out online at www.watchthebirdsvermont.blogspot.com for additional sightings and birding stories. Happy birding!
My first surprise this week came in the form of the honks of hundreds of migrating Canada Geese very early one morning last week. This, in itself, is not terribly interesting, but rather early, I think. Maybe? It seems to me that these geese have gotten a few weeks' head start from when they would usually begin their journey South.
More interestingly, as I was pulling up in my driveway and getting out of the car, I spotted a thoroughly unfamiliar bird blinking at me from a nearby bush. I immediately recognized that it was a warbler of some sort—bright yellow underbelly, with a blueish or slate-coloured top, and some black spotting on the breast. What was it, though? There are several hundred types of warblers, many which you can see right here in Vermont, especially during this, the beginning of the warbler migration South. Unfortunately, the startled bird vanished before I could make any more specific notes on its appearance. an
Turning to my field guide, I pored over the pages until I found a likely suspect: the Canada Warbler, which looks very much like my little mystery friend. Canada Warblers favour dense forest undergrowth, and are some of the earliest warbler migrants. Sure enough, the Canada Warbler's summer range extends into Southern New England, and they are said to be fairly common. I, however, had never seen or heard of a Canada Warbler and wanted to be as certain as possible that I had, indeed, spotted one. So, what did I do? I turned to the Internet, of course.
Clarke Comollo, a reader and local businessman, recommended eBird to me a few years back, as a great source of birding information from the field. The site, which you can find at www.ebird.com, has vast and intricate records of local bird sightings from all over the country. Members post times and exact locations of sightings, in addition to species and bird counts, that are specific to your area. Some quick research informed me that, yes!, Canada Warblers had frequented Bennington County, and the Dorset area. More specifically, all reported sightings were from mid-August, some the very day I has my sighting! Oh, the Internet. How we loathe and love thee.
So, with some traditional field guide snooping and a little help from Cyberspace, I think it's safe to say that I did see a little Canada Warbler.
Has Nature thrown you any curve balls lately? Has migration season thrown some strange birds into your backyard? Feel free to send all questions and comments to my (new!) e-mail at watch.the.birds.vt@gmail.com and please check us out online at www.watchthebirdsvermont.blogspot.com for additional sightings and birding stories. Happy birding!
Friday, August 20, 2010
A Hint of Autumn?--08/20/2010
I hate to say it, but I’m afraid that summer will soon start to wind down to a close, though that’s hard to believe on account of all of the hot and lazy summer days we have had of late. The other day, however, to my disbelief, I spotted a few trees whose leaves have already begun to turn from their dark green to a barely-noticeable orange.
Even the birds seem to sense a change; I have seen a significant spike in hummingbird activity since my last column. Instead of the customary single hummer, multiple hummers have visited my feeders and my flowers, often at the same time, which usually leads to a hummingbird showdown. They also seem to be putting on weight—strange to say about a creature the weight of a paper clip—that will eventually aid in their long journey down to Mexico.
In addition, I have also seen some other special visitors that generally only appear near the end of the summer: the Cedar Waxwings, some of my favourite birds, have made their customary yearly appearance in my yard, heralded by their customary high-pitched “zees”. Though I have only spotted a few, I’m sure that, in the weeks ahead, more and more will flock to my backyard.
In other news, I have some important updates on the Watch the Birds blog and e-mail. As of this week, I am happy to inaugurate the completely-refurbished and brand-spanking-new Watch the Birds website. Make sure to check us out on the web at www.watchthebirdsvermont.blogspot.com for additional birding tips, tricks, and photos! Perhaps more importantly, my e-mail and contact information has changed. My former e-mail address will no longer function; please send all questions and comments to watch.the.birds.vt@gmail.com, and I will be sure to send a prompt reply! Happy Birding, and enjoy the last few weeks of summer!
Even the birds seem to sense a change; I have seen a significant spike in hummingbird activity since my last column. Instead of the customary single hummer, multiple hummers have visited my feeders and my flowers, often at the same time, which usually leads to a hummingbird showdown. They also seem to be putting on weight—strange to say about a creature the weight of a paper clip—that will eventually aid in their long journey down to Mexico.
In addition, I have also seen some other special visitors that generally only appear near the end of the summer: the Cedar Waxwings, some of my favourite birds, have made their customary yearly appearance in my yard, heralded by their customary high-pitched “zees”. Though I have only spotted a few, I’m sure that, in the weeks ahead, more and more will flock to my backyard.
In other news, I have some important updates on the Watch the Birds blog and e-mail. As of this week, I am happy to inaugurate the completely-refurbished and brand-spanking-new Watch the Birds website. Make sure to check us out on the web at www.watchthebirdsvermont.blogspot.com for additional birding tips, tricks, and photos! Perhaps more importantly, my e-mail and contact information has changed. My former e-mail address will no longer function; please send all questions and comments to watch.the.birds.vt@gmail.com, and I will be sure to send a prompt reply! Happy Birding, and enjoy the last few weeks of summer!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Some lovely Nature photography
One thing I always wish I could do is to capture the beauty of Nature on film: to preserve the moment a hummingbird alights from a branch, a goldfinch harvesting seeds from a flower, or, in this case, a cheeky chipmunk bringing home the bacon.
Naturally, with the right equipment, a great deal of patience, and some creativity and skill, you can get some fantastic shots like this one.
My good friend and a talented photographer, Alex Golec, took this great picture of one of my chipmunks feasting away on sunflower seeds on my porch steps.
Make sure to take a look at some of Alex's other photographs at Think Twice Photography:
http://thinktwicephotography.tumblr.com/archive
Naturally, with the right equipment, a great deal of patience, and some creativity and skill, you can get some fantastic shots like this one.
My good friend and a talented photographer, Alex Golec, took this great picture of one of my chipmunks feasting away on sunflower seeds on my porch steps.
Make sure to take a look at some of Alex's other photographs at Think Twice Photography:
http://thinktwicephotography.tumblr.com/archive
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