The Hermit Thrush Newsletter
On the first Saturday in March, a large contingent of 30 birders ventured out from the Ethan Allen Homestead on the surrounding Intervale trails. This walk, which had been postponed due to frigid temperatures the previous Saturday, began with inauspicious conditions due to strong winds, cloudy skies, and cool temperatures. Some felt that they would be fortunate to see a few bird species, but it seemed that the birds had other ideas.
GMAS welcomed three accomplished new board members at its January meeting, filling vacancies left by the retirement of several long-term board members. The two women and one man represent a diversity of backgrounds and ages, and they are already hard at work attending outings and serving on committees.
I previously wrote about the decision of the National Audubon Society to keep “Audubon” in their name. Since that decision was made this spring, some related events have unfolded.
On November 1, the American Ornithological Society (AOS) announced its decision to remove the name of any person from the recognized names of all birds occurring within their territory. The AOC declined to judge “good people's names” and “bad people's names.” They simply decided: no people names. I agree that a bird's name should be about the bird. When I am looking for a Ruby-throated Hummingbird, the name gives me a clue in the field. If I were looking for an Anna’s Hummingbird, the name provides no such clue.
On a beautiful fall morning, GMAS members met with Larry Orvis and Matt Leonard for a stroll in the southernmost portion of Camels Hump State Forest. Spanning 3 towns in as many counties (Buells Gore, Starksboro, and Fayston), this 625-acre parcel has been known by locals as The Morrison Place for over a century. Granted to the state in 1936 by Alvah Stevens, the state refers to it as The Stevens Block. By any name, it is a rare gem for birding high in the foothills of the Green Mountains.
Birders were given a rare opportunity to learn personal and “recent” historical accounts from Larry. He is a direct descendant of families who lived here, working small farms and a mill in the 1800s. The group visited apple orchards, haying fields, cellar holes, and a mill where forestry products such as butter bowls were produced (in 1870 by Buell, Thompson & Co.).
GMAS outings continue to be well attended and are spread out geographically among the three counties to make it easy for as many people as possible to participate. Below are some of the highlights from recent fall and early winter outings:
Twenty-four people covered more than three miles on Shelburne Farms on a mild October day that yielded 26 species, including the usual gulls, loons, and woodpeckers, a few Common Mergansers, some Eastern Bluebirds, and several dozen White-throated Sparrows.
On a mild but cloudy day in December, 75 birders braved gusty winds to count birds in the greater Burlington area for the 76th annual Winter Bird Count (known nationally as the Christmas Bird Count – the name change only applies locally, but follows several other Vermont counts in embracing a more inclusive moniker). Two teams also contributed to the count’s owling effort, and a team of 11 birders took on the behemoth task of counting the Burlington area crow roost. In addition to several record-high bird counts, this year we were excited to set a record for the number of volunteers! In total, volunteers documented 68 species and 15,042 individual birds!
Trish O’Kane used her quiet but powerful voice in service of many causes in her distinguished career as a journalist and activist. Whether it was documenting human rights abuses in Central America or working to fight racial and economic injustice in the American South, O’Kane, now a Senior Lecturer at the University of Vermont’s Rubenstein School for the Environment and Natural Resources, was a fearless chronicler of wrongs big and small. But what she didn’t do, she admits, was pay “any attention to environmental issues,” which she saw as separate from the global problems she worked on.
Centennial Woods Natural Area is a 65-acre natural area owned by the University of Vermont and managed by the Vermont Land Trust. It contains many different types of plants, trees, and wildlife, including 152 reported bird species. It has a network of trails that covers about 2.5 miles, crossing over conifer stands, mixed hardwoods, fields, rocky ledges, packed dirt, boardwalks, marshes, and ponds. Located on the densely populated Burlington/South Burlington boundary, it offers a reprieve from the nearby hustle and bustle.
