November eNews from VCE

eNews | November 2021

The sun sets on a chilly, November evening in Washington, VT. © Emily Anderson

A Field Guide to November

As the days shorten and the temperatures drop, wildlife scramble to use their remaining fall food sources before winter sets in. From hibernacula to gut microbiota, a chilly change is in the air. Read all about it in this month's Field Guide.

A Tiny, Displaced Vireo Makes a First-ever Vermont Appearance

A vagrant Bell's Vireo, observed by many birders between 15-23 October 2021 in Woodstock, VT.

A small, yellowish vireo spotted by Kyle Jones in Woodstock, VT, had veteran birders temporarily stumped until VCE's Nathaniel Sharp was able to confirm its identification. Soon, birders from across the state were flocking to the site, hoping for a glimpse of Vermont's first-ever Bell's Vireo. Read the details of this exhilarating find on the VCE blog.

A Poorly-known Bee Hiding in Plain Sight

One of the mysterious dark-haired bees in the Subgenus Cnemidandrena.

The Vermont Wild Bee Survey is no stranger to remarkable discoveries and unprecedented state records. The past three years alone have seen 50 new species added to the Vermont bee list. However, one recent find is especially noteworthy in several ways—even if its exact identity isn't known yet. Read more on the VAL blog.

Vermont eBird Helps Inform Meadowlark Conservation Status

An Eastern Meadowlark pauses among bare branches. © Nick Tepper

Using new field data collected by a host of Vermont birders who participated in VCE’s 2021 Eastern Meadowlark Blitz, the Endangered Species Committee is considering listing this declining species as state-Threatened. This past spring and summer, more than 800 meadowlark records were amassed from almost 40,000 eBird checklists; for comparison, over 17,000 checklists contained Black-capped Chickadees. While that’s a very small number of meadowlark reports relative to all checklists, it nearly tripled 2020's number of meadowlark eBird reports. For this increasingly rare bird, and many other species experiencing declines, every sighting can provide vital data that may benefit conservation efforts.

You can read more about Eastern Meadowlark conservation in Vermont on the VCE website.

If you want to learn more about meadowlarks and other species currently recommended for Threatened or Endangered species designation in Vermont, check out this article from VTDigger.

Through Vermont Atlas of Life projects such as Vermont eBird and VAL on iNaturalist, there are opportunities to contribute data on your own schedule for the species that interest you most. Stay tuned for future updates on the status of Eastern Meadowlarks in Vermont and how you can contribute to the conservation of grassland birds!

With Gratitude

Late fall in Vermont. © Kent McFarland

Thank you

for being curious about the natural world,

for making conservation a priority in your life,

for participating in our projects and programs,

for contributing to conservation research and action in so many ways.

For all of this, and more, we thank you.

We are grateful that you are part of VCE's family!

Birder Broker 2021 Update

A feat of avian architecture, this Ovenbird nest was discovered by Kent McFarland and Ethel Weinberger on a Birder Broker survey in Windsor, VT. © Kent McFarland

After a COVID-canceled field season in the summer of 2020, Birder Broker volunteers were eager to get together for their three bird monitoring walks this past June and July. With 100 species documented—including more than 50 confirmed or probable breeders—the season was ripe with exciting encounters. Read highlights on the VCE blog.

Join the Giant Silk Moth Cocoon Watch

(November 1-30)!

Stick Season can sometimes feel like a slow month for nature exploration. So, it's a great time to participate in VAL's latest mission—the Giant Silk Moth Cocoon Watch! Throughout November, the VAL team is asking community naturalists across Vermont to find and document silk moth cocoons in an effort to better understand the ranges and population trends of these stunning insects. Taking part in this mission is as easy as find, photograph, and share!

You can learn more about giant silk moths on the VAL website and contribute any cocoon sightings to the Giant Silk Moth Cocoon Watch on iNaturalist.

Photo-observation of the Month

Hairy Woodpecker

by Craig Hunt

Congratulations to Craig Hunt for winning the October 2021 Photo-observation of the Month for the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist! His photo of a Hairy Woodpecker with a bill deformity appearing to ponder her reflection in a pane of glass received the most faves of any iNaturalist observation in Vermont during the past month. Visit the VCE Blog for more info and view fantastic images of the runners-up in the October 2021 Photo-observation of the Month!

Visit the Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist, where you can vote for the winner this month by clicking 'fav' on your favorite photo-observation. Make sure you get outdoors and record the biodiversity around you, then submit your discoveries—and you could be a winner!

The Vermont Center for Ecostudies promotes wildlife conservation across the Americas using the combined strength of scientific research and citizen engagement. Find us online at: vtecostudies.org