American Robin with nesting materialThe Eastern Wood-Pewee shuts the door behind him and the flood of migrants comes to a halt. Rutland County ended May with 199 species. Since that time we have added exactly two more species – an Orchard Oriole in Benson, thanks to Jean Roberts and Daphne Bartholomew, and a Bicknell’s Thrush on Okemo, courtesy of Nancy Brown.
So here we are with 202 species for the year-long County Quest challenge, still in fourth place. Now what? Unless a rarity shows up, not much until the migration reverses itself later in the year.
Killdeer performing 'broken wing' act
In the meantime, there is still plenty of bird action. Many of the young are off the nest and parents are busy feeding them. If you see an adult with its mouth jammed with worms or bugs, chances are young are nearby. Others are defending a nest or newly fledged birds. You may witness a distraction display in your birding travels such as the broken wing act performed by Killdeer. Still other birds are engaged in a second, or even third, round of nesting, such as the American Robin.
Common Loon with chick on Kent PondOne nesting success story this year is the Common Loon chick at Kent Pond. After failed attempts over the past several years, the parents have apparently gotten it right. Other successful loon pairs this year are at Chittenden Reservoir and Spring Lake.
If you haven’t done so already, check out the new improved eBird! Click here to learn how to make your eBird reporting more meaningful. Besides reducing the number of entry steps to three, you now have the option of reporting breeding codes. So now when you witness evidence of breeding, such as a bird carrying nesting material or a distraction display, you can include that information as well. If you are unfamiliar with breeding codes and when to use them, click here for more details.