NestWatch Season Wrap-Up 2019
I am often floored by how quickly the seasons go by, from our brief spring in Vermont, to the flurry of autumn colors. But what I find even more impressive is the speed of the full nesting cycle of our native songbirds.
Ogden’s Egg
It’s been a hectic spring at VINS. The Center for Wild Bird Rehabilitation’s ongoing renovations meant we have had to move some of our education birds from their accustomed aviaries to other enclosures temporarily. Change can be stressful, so we were closely monitoring the behavior of our oldest, most “entrenched” resident, a 38-year-old Turkey Vulture named Ogden.
Erie the Northern Harrier
VINS is excited to announce our newest raptor ambassador, “Erie,” a female Northern Harrier! Erie can be found on exhibit with our male harrier, “Freedom”. They are quite the pair and provide a great opportunity to see how strikingly different male and female harriers are from one another, as one of the few raptors with different plumages between the genders.
Project FeederWatch Season Summary
Another season of the citizen science program, Project FeederWatch is behind us, and it was a very big winter! Now in its 32nd year, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s winter bird-watching project aims to connect people with the wildlife in their backyards, and with the world of scientific research.
Winter of the Pine Grosbeak
By Anna MorrisLead Environmental Educator For many of us at VINS, this winter has been remarkable. In addition to the cold, snow, and ice, the Center for Wild Bird Rehabilitation has seen record-breaking numbers of patients. But one of the most interesting things about those patients was who they turned out to be. Last winter…
2018 in Wild Bird Rehabilitation
By Lauren Adams Lead Wildlife Keeper 2018 was a big year at VINS for a lot of reasons. Here in the Center for Wild Bird Rehabilitation, you may not have been able to tell from the outside, but we had a LOT going on inside our little building. Around the middle of the summer, it…
Year of the Bird – 7 Things to Be Thankful for About 2018
by Anna Morris 2018 marked the centennial of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the most powerful and important bird-protection law ever passed. In honor of this milestone, nature lovers around the world joined forces to celebrate 2018 as the “Year of the Bird.” Now that the year has come to a close, we at VINS…
In Memory of Louis, the Great Gray Owl
by Lauren AdamsLead Wildlife Keeper Louis, 1992-2018. Photo by Grae O’Toole. Saturday, December 8th marked the end of an era at VINS. We lost a very special member of the VINS family, Louis, our Great Gray Owl. Louis was a favorite of visitors to VINS for many years. He lived a long life, and passed…