108 species tallied in Rutland County on May 30
Photo by Michael DeCorteRutland County Audubon had a very successful Century Count XIV with 22 participants and 108 species in Rutland County on May 30.Our record was 109 species in 2007. Thanks to Roy Pilcher for planning the productive route! Twenty-six checklists were submitted to eBird.
Highlights included: Great looks at Prairie Warbler, Eastern Towhee and Brown Thrasher at the Pleasant St. powerline in West Rutland. Field Sparrow was observed there as well.
One Sora and five Virginia Rails were observed at West Rutland Marsh along with two American Bitterns and a Green Heron.
Warblers at the Rte 4 rest area in Castleton/West Rutland were Blue-winged, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Black-throated Blue, Blackburnian, Black-and-white, American Redstart, Ovenbird and Common Yellowthroat.
Two Peregrine Falcons were observed flying near their nest site in Castleton. 
Photo by Michael DeCorte
A White-winged Scoter was observed on Lake Bomoseen, scoter being a first for the Century Count. Black-capped Chickadees entertained the group as they brought food to a nest in one of the fence posts.
The group had great looks at Golden-winged Warbler on Hollow Road and a Northern Mockingbird at the old training school site, both in Brandon.
Photo by Michael DeCorte
The day ended at Lefferts Pond in Chittenden with American Woodcock and Wilson's Snipe along with a Great Blue Heron silhouetted against the sunset sky.
Total Species List:
| Canada Goose 59 Wood Duck 16 Mallard 8 White-winged Scoter 1 Common Merganser 3 Wild Turkey 2 Common Loon 1 Double-crested Cormorant 1 American Bittern 2 Great Blue Heron 6 Green Heron 4 Turkey Vulture 4 Osprey 4 Northern Harrier 2 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 Red-tailed Hawk 6 American Kestrel 1 Peregrine Falcon 2 Virginia Rail 5 Sora 1 Killdeer 8 Spotted Sandpiper 2 Wilson’s Snipe 2 American Woodcock 3 Ring-billed Gull 2 Rock Pigeon 12 Mourning Dove 9 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1 Barred Owl 2 Chimney Swift 9 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 6 Belted Kingfisher 1 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 6 Downy Woodpecker 3 Hairy Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker 2 Pileated Woodpecker 1 |
Eastern Wood-Pewee 6 Alder Flycatcher 8 Willow Flycatcher 3 Least Flycatcher 4 Eastern Phoebe 7 Great Crested Flycatcher 5 Eastern Kingbird 9 Yellow-throated Vireo 3 Warbling Vireo 8 Red-eyed Vireo 18 Blue Jay 19 American Crow 25 Common Raven 4 Tree Swallow 7 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1 Bank Swallow 7 Cliff Swallow 5 Barn Swallow 16 Black-capped Chickadee 13 Tufted Titmouse 4 Red-breasted Nuthatch 1 White-breasted Nuthatch 1 Brown Creeper 1 House Wren 5 Marsh Wren 5 Eastern Bluebird 4 Veery 3 Hermit Thrush 2 Wood Thrush 4 American Robin 17 Gray Catbird 16 Northern Mockingbird 1 Brown Thrasher 2 European Starling 8 Cedar Waxwing 28 Blue-winged Warbler 4 |
Golden-winged Warbler 1 Yellow Warbler 14 Chestnut-sided Warbler 7 Magnolia Warbler 1 Black-throated Blue Warbler 1 Black-throated Green Warbler 2 Blackburnian Warbler 1 Prairie Warbler 3 Black-and-white Warbler 5 American Redstart 14 Ovenbird 14 Northern Waterthrush 2 Common Yellowthroat 21 Canada Warbler 2 Scarlet Tanager 2 Eastern Towhee 7 Chipping Sparrow 5 Field Sparrow 3 Savannah Sparrow 2 Song Sparrow 22 Swamp Sparrow 4 White-throated Sparrow 1 Dark-eyed Junco 2 Northern Cardinal 6 Rose-breasted Grosbeak 3 Indigo Bunting 8 Bobolink 8 Red-winged Blackbird 34 Eastern Meadowlark 4 Common Grackle 9 Brown-headed Cowbird 15 Baltimore Oriole 11 House Finch 4 American Goldfinch 10 House Sparrow 3 |