Date: 11/6/24 3:24 am From: david merker <buteojamaica...> Subject: Re: [VTBIRD] VTBIRD Digest - 4 Nov 2024 to 5 Nov 2024 (#2024-101)
"AND the birds have plenty of seeds to forage. They really don't "need" us to provide food for them, especially now!"
Truth betold, the birds don't need our feed AT ALL! They would do just fine without our supplemental feed. Bird feeding is for us, not them... enjoy it! The big winner in feeding birds is the Sharpie and coopers hawks.
David Merker
Etna, New Hampshire
Cape May Raptor Banding Project Inc.
________________________________
From: Vermont Birds <VTBIRD...> on behalf of VTBIRD automatic digest system <LISTSERV...>
Sent: Wednesday, November 6, 2024 12:00 AM
To: <VTBIRD...> <VTBIRD...>
Subject: VTBIRD Digest - 4 Nov 2024 to 5 Nov 2024 (#2024-101)
There are 13 messages totaling 715 lines in this issue.
Topics of the day:
1. Fred Pratt @ Porter Medical Center (2)
2. Feeders (9)
3. Terra Tracking stations
4. Free loon slideshow Wed Nov 6 Hartland, VT, library
Date: Tue, 5 Nov 2024 05:11:02 -0500
From: alison wagner <alikatofvt...>
Subject: Fred Pratt @ Porter Medical Center
Fellow Birders of VT:
Yesterday I heard from Martha Adams that Fred has suffered another medical challenge and is currently at Porter Medical Center in Middlebury. Her last update to Mad Birders last night was that he is still undergoing tests to determine the exact cause for his condition. Those of you that know Fred know he is a tough old bird. I am sure he'd love to feel the support from the birding community as no doubt this is a very lonely time for him. If you're inclined to send a card, the hospital address is:
115 Porter Drive, Middlebury, VT 05753
Home address: Residence at Otter Creek 350 Lodge Road, Apt 410
I am sorry we do not have more information.
Ali Wagner
Huntington
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 5 Nov 2024 05:50:56 -0600
From: Nancy Riggs <nancyriggs1217...>
Subject: Re: Fred Pratt @ Porter Medical Center
šš»šš»šš»
Thanks,
Nancy
> On Nov 5, 2024, at 04:11, alison wagner <alikatofvt...> wrote:
>
> ļ»æFellow Birders of VT:
>
> Yesterday I heard from Martha Adams that Fred has suffered another medical challenge and is currently at Porter Medical Center in Middlebury. Her last update to Mad Birders last night was that he is still undergoing tests to determine the exact cause for his condition. Those of you that know Fred know he is a tough old bird. I am sure he'd love to feel the support from the birding community as no doubt this is a very lonely time for him. If you're inclined to send a card, the hospital address is:
>
> 115 Porter Drive, Middlebury, VT 05753
>
> Home address: Residence at Otter Creek 350 Lodge Road, Apt 410
>
> I am sorry we do not have more information.
>
> Ali Wagner
> Huntington
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 5 Nov 2024 08:41:21 -0500
From: Martha & Bill McClintock <mbmcclintock...>
Subject: Feeders
Hi. Bill and I put up our feeders for the winter. We have two stations,
each with a platform for black oil sunflower seed, a hopper for a white
millet mix, and a suet cake. Just a few days and the birds (times when 14
blue jays are feeding at once!) have eaten through $60 dollars of seeds.
Bill asked, a yearly question, if we can afford to continue through the
winter. 1. Thoughts? 2. Cheapest place to buy seed near Essex, VT?
Please do not put feeders out until bears enter their dens which is later this month/early December. Theyāre in a feeding frenzy now (hyperphagia) and black oil sunflower seeds are their favorite. We are putting their lives at risk by drawing them into residential areas with high value food sources.
Sent from my iPhone, which has been known to mess with me.
> On Nov 5, 2024, at 8:42āÆAM, Martha & Bill McClintock <mbmcclintock...> wrote:
>
> ļ»æHi. Bill and I put up our feeders for the winter. We have two stations,
> each with a platform for black oil sunflower seed, a hopper for a white
> millet mix, and a suet cake. Just a few days and the birds (times when 14
> blue jays are feeding at once!) have eaten through $60 dollars of seeds.
> Bill asked, a yearly question, if we can afford to continue through the
> winter. 1. Thoughts? 2. Cheapest place to buy seed near Essex, VT?
>
> Thanks,
> Martha
> (usually birding in) Westford
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 5 Nov 2024 08:55:21 -0500
From: Maeve Kim <maevekim7...>
Subject: Re: Feeders
There really isnāt an inexpensive place to buy bird seed - although some places are considerably more pricey than others. Some years Pet Food Warehouse (on Williston Road and Shelburne Road) is less expensive than some others, but some years Guyās is less. Iāve heard that thereās a feed store in Milton that can be worth the drive. In general, though, the price everywhere has skyrocketed over the past few years!
Feeders that exclude larger, heavier birds might stretch the seed a bit, while platform feeders can lead to a lot of seed being tossed onto the ground and wasted. Weāve been pleased with two Brome Squirrel Busters, one big and one small, that allow finches, chickadees, titmice, etc. to feast but make it tricky for blue jays to take several seeds at once. A friend loves his Droll Yankee Whipper (or maybe itās a Flipper, Tipper or Dipper - they all throw off larger birds).
In general, wild birds donāt really need the food we provide; they hang out in places where there is enough natural food. Feeding birds is really for us humans (except in uniquely awful winters or late springs) - and itās SO pleasing! Itās also educational and allows us to participate in citizen science projects such as Feederwatch.
We canāt put out our feeders quite yet because bears have decided that Jericho Center is theirvillage, but already titmice and chickadees have come to where the feeders will be and checked it out.
Maeve Kim, Jericho Center
> On Nov 5, 2024, at 8:41āÆAM, Martha & Bill McClintock <mbmcclintock...> wrote:
>
> Hi. Bill and I put up our feeders for the winter. We have two stations,
> each with a platform for black oil sunflower seed, a hopper for a white
> millet mix, and a suet cake. Just a few days and the birds (times when 14
> blue jays are feeding at once!) have eaten through $60 dollars of seeds.
> Bill asked, a yearly question, if we can afford to continue through the
> winter. 1. Thoughts? 2. Cheapest place to buy seed near Essex, VT?
>
> Thanks,
> Martha
> (usually birding in) Westford
I totally agree with Brenna! Even if you have a "bear safe" arrangement, their sense of smell will still draw them into areas where it would be best for them to stay clear of. I love seeing birds at my feeders, but please consider the wildlife over our pleasure! AND the birds have plenty of seeds to forage. They really don't "need" us to provide food for them, especially now!
I suggest waiting until we have a solid 10 days of freezing weather and the extended forecast is for more of the same!
Thanks!
Ali
----- Original Message -----
From: "Brenna" <dbgaldenzi...>
To: "Vermont Birds" <VTBIRD...>
Sent: Tuesday, November 5, 2024 8:46:03 AM
Subject: Re: [VTBIRD] Feeders
Please do not put feeders out until bears enter their dens which is later this month/early December. Theyāre in a feeding frenzy now (hyperphagia) and black oil sunflower seeds are their favorite. We are putting their lives at risk by drawing them into residential areas with high value food sources.
Sent from my iPhone, which has been known to mess with me.
> On Nov 5, 2024, at 8:42āÆAM, Martha & Bill McClintock <mbmcclintock...> wrote:
>
> ļ»æHi. Bill and I put up our feeders for the winter. We have two stations,
> each with a platform for black oil sunflower seed, a hopper for a white
> millet mix, and a suet cake. Just a few days and the birds (times when 14
> blue jays are feeding at once!) have eaten through $60 dollars of seeds.
> Bill asked, a yearly question, if we can afford to continue through the
> winter. 1. Thoughts? 2. Cheapest place to buy seed near Essex, VT?
>
> Thanks,
> Martha
> (usually birding in) Westford
I wanted to share a solution Iāve found for deterring squirrels, rodents,
and even our many bears from my bird feeders. I recently switched (three
months ago now) to using pepper-treated bird seed from Wild Birds
Unlimited, and itās made a huge difference. While itās a bit pricey
upfront, it actually costs less than a 50-lb bag of untreated shelled
sunflower seedsāand it lasts just as long, if not longer. I apologize for
mentioning a brand, but I tried others and even made my own mixes, and none
were effective. Just a heads-up: youāll want to avoid getting it on your
hands, as it is quite hot! They make both seed and suet.
At first, the chipmunks and squirrels gave it a try, but they quickly lost
interest. A bear did visit once, took a sniff, left the seed, and hasnāt
returned since. Iām very pleased to finally be able to feed the birds
without a herd of rotund squirrels and other critters in attendance.
If anyone else is struggling with wildlife around their feeders, this might
be worth a try.
Best,
Coleen Lawlor
Rockingham, Vermont
On Tue, Nov 5, 2024 at 8:55āÆAM Maeve Kim <maevekim7...> wrote:
> There really isnāt an inexpensive place to buy bird seed - although some
> places are considerably more pricey than others. Some years Pet Food
> Warehouse (on Williston Road and Shelburne Road) is less expensive than
> some others, but some years Guyās is less. Iāve heard that thereās a feed
> store in Milton that can be worth the drive. In general, though, the price
> everywhere has skyrocketed over the past few years!
> Feeders that exclude larger, heavier birds might stretch the seed a bit,
> while platform feeders can lead to a lot of seed being tossed onto the
> ground and wasted. Weāve been pleased with two Brome Squirrel Busters, one
> big and one small, that allow finches, chickadees, titmice, etc. to feast
> but make it tricky for blue jays to take several seeds at once. A friend
> loves his Droll Yankee Whipper (or maybe itās a Flipper, Tipper or Dipper -
> they all throw off larger birds).
> In general, wild birds donāt really need the food we provide; they hang
> out in places where there is enough natural food. Feeding birds is really
> for us humans (except in uniquely awful winters or late springs) - and itās
> SO pleasing! Itās also educational and allows us to participate in citizen
> science projects such as Feederwatch.
> We canāt put out our feeders quite yet because bears have decided that
> Jericho Center is theirvillage, but already titmice and chickadees have
> come to where the feeders will be and checked it out.
> Maeve Kim, Jericho Center
>
>
>
> > On Nov 5, 2024, at 8:41āÆAM, Martha & Bill McClintock <
> <mbmcclintock...> wrote:
> >
> > Hi. Bill and I put up our feeders for the winter. We have two
> stations,
> > each with a platform for black oil sunflower seed, a hopper for a white
> > millet mix, and a suet cake. Just a few days and the birds (times when
> 14
> > blue jays are feeding at once!) have eaten through $60 dollars of seeds.
> > Bill asked, a yearly question, if we can afford to continue through the
> > winter. 1. Thoughts? 2. Cheapest place to buy seed near Essex, VT?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Martha
> > (usually birding in) Westford
>
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 5 Nov 2024 09:37:36 -0500
From: Martha & Bill McClintock <mbmcclintock...>
Subject: Re: Feeders
Thanks. I live close to bears and thought I was following rules....feed
Nov. 1 to April 1 but times, and temperatures, are changing. Thanks for
the update. Are there new guidelines for when to end feeding?
Martha
On Tue, Nov 5, 2024, 8:41āÆAM Martha & Bill McClintock <
<mbmcclintock...> wrote:
> Hi. Bill and I put up our feeders for the winter. We have two stations,
> each with a platform for black oil sunflower seed, a hopper for a white
> millet mix, and a suet cake. Just a few days and the birds (times when 14
> blue jays are feeding at once!) have eaten through $60 dollars of seeds.
> Bill asked, a yearly question, if we can afford to continue through the
> winter. 1. Thoughts? 2. Cheapest place to buy seed near Essex, VT?
>
> Thanks,
> Martha
> (usually birding in) Westford
>
Hi Martha,
As Ali suggested, Iād wait until we have a solid 10 days of freezing weather and the extended forecast is for more of the same. To be safe, Iād wait until Dec 1.
Sent from my iPhone, which has been known to mess with me.
> On Nov 5, 2024, at 9:38āÆAM, Martha & Bill McClintock <mbmcclintock...> wrote:
>
> ļ»æThanks. I live close to bears and thought I was following rules....feed
> Nov. 1 to April 1 but times, and temperatures, are changing. Thanks for
> the update. Are there new guidelines for when to end feeding?
> Martha
>
>> On Tue, Nov 5, 2024, 8:41āÆAM Martha & Bill McClintock <
>> <mbmcclintock...> wrote:
>>
>> Hi. Bill and I put up our feeders for the winter. We have two stations,
>> each with a platform for black oil sunflower seed, a hopper for a white
>> millet mix, and a suet cake. Just a few days and the birds (times when 14
>> blue jays are feeding at once!) have eaten through $60 dollars of seeds.
>> Bill asked, a yearly question, if we can afford to continue through the
>> winter. 1. Thoughts? 2. Cheapest place to buy seed near Essex, VT?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Martha
>> (usually birding in) Westford
>>
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 5 Nov 2024 09:42:35 -0500
From: Martha & Bill McClintock <mbmcclintock...>
Subject: Re: Feeders
Brenna, I wondered when to stop feeding. Is April 1 okay or is there a
remperature guideline?
On Tue, Nov 5, 2024, 9:41āÆAM Brenna <dbgaldenzi...> wrote:
> Hi Martha,
> As Ali suggested, Iād wait until we have a solid 10 days of freezing
> weather and the extended forecast is for more of the same. To be safe, Iād
> wait until Dec 1.
>
> Brenna
> www.ProtectOurWildlifeVT.org<http://www.ProtectOurWildlifeVT.org> >
> Sent from my iPhone, which has been known to mess with me.
>
> > On Nov 5, 2024, at 9:38āÆAM, Martha & Bill McClintock <
> <mbmcclintock...> wrote:
> >
> > ļ»æThanks. I live close to bears and thought I was following rules....feed
> > Nov. 1 to April 1 but times, and temperatures, are changing. Thanks for
> > the update. Are there new guidelines for when to end feeding?
> > Martha
> >
> >> On Tue, Nov 5, 2024, 8:41āÆAM Martha & Bill McClintock <
> >> <mbmcclintock...> wrote:
> >>
> >> Hi. Bill and I put up our feeders for the winter. We have two
> stations,
> >> each with a platform for black oil sunflower seed, a hopper for a white
> >> millet mix, and a suet cake. Just a few days and the birds (times when
> 14
> >> blue jays are feeding at once!) have eaten through $60 dollars of seeds.
> >> Bill asked, a yearly question, if we can afford to continue through the
> >> winter. 1. Thoughts? 2. Cheapest place to buy seed near Essex, VT?
> >>
> >> Thanks,
> >> Martha
> >> (usually birding in) Westford
> >>
>
Sheās the VT bear biologist and is the best to advise. Its tricky now these wonky temperatures. Bears exit winter dens very hungry as early as mid-March so Id think bird feeders are ok Dec - March 1.
Sent from my iPhone, which has been known to mess with me.
> On Nov 5, 2024, at 9:42āÆAM, Martha & Bill McClintock <mbmcclintock...> wrote:
>
> ļ»æBrenna, I wondered when to stop feeding. Is April 1 okay or is there a
> remperature guideline?
>
>> On Tue, Nov 5, 2024, 9:41āÆAM Brenna <dbgaldenzi...> wrote:
>>
>> Hi Martha,
>> As Ali suggested, Iād wait until we have a solid 10 days of freezing
>> weather and the extended forecast is for more of the same. To be safe, Iād
>> wait until Dec 1.
>>
>> Brenna
>> www.ProtectOurWildlifeVT.org<http://www.ProtectOurWildlifeVT.org> >>
>> Sent from my iPhone, which has been known to mess with me.
>>
>>> On Nov 5, 2024, at 9:38āÆAM, Martha & Bill McClintock <
>> <mbmcclintock...> wrote:
>>>
>>> ļ»æThanks. I live close to bears and thought I was following rules....feed
>>> Nov. 1 to April 1 but times, and temperatures, are changing. Thanks for
>>> the update. Are there new guidelines for when to end feeding?
>>> Martha
>>>
>>>> On Tue, Nov 5, 2024, 8:41āÆAM Martha & Bill McClintock <
>>>> <mbmcclintock...> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Hi. Bill and I put up our feeders for the winter. We have two
>> stations,
>>>> each with a platform for black oil sunflower seed, a hopper for a white
>>>> millet mix, and a suet cake. Just a few days and the birds (times when
>> 14
>>>> blue jays are feeding at once!) have eaten through $60 dollars of seeds.
>>>> Bill asked, a yearly question, if we can afford to continue through the
>>>> winter. 1. Thoughts? 2. Cheapest place to buy seed near Essex, VT?
>>>>
>>>> Thanks,
>>>> Martha
>>>> (usually birding in) Westford
>>>>
>>
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 5 Nov 2024 10:40:05 -0500
From: Robert Provost <ropro222...>
Subject: Re: Terra Tracking stations
This sounds great. I've had the Birdsong PUC for about a year now and it's
very good.
Tracks the bird calls in my back yard. I love looking at the daily activity
every night when I'm going to bed to see who's been active. Fun to see the
Juncos show a couple of weeks ago. Have to check the Terra out though too.
On Mon, Nov 4, 2024 at 6:50āÆPM R Stewart <2cnewbirds...> wrote:
> Sales of the Terra (or pickups for those who had pre-ordered) were just
> happening at the festival in Oct. I hope those of you who pre-ordered have
> gotten yours. I would definitely call the company to check. Thank you,
> Lewis, for your first hand input. I know this system is still in its
> 'infancy', but it's exciting, and a long way to go.... remember when the
> Internet started?!!
>
> On Mon, Nov 4, 2024 at 12:50āÆPM Lewis Grove <zugunlew...> wrote:
>
> > Hi Ruth and all,
> >
> > I purchased a Terra unit on release day a few weeks back and have been
> > running it in my yard in Waterbury since then. The automatic ID feature
> is
> > roughly equivalent to Merlin; it makes some mistakes, but it also does
> well
> > to alert me to potential rarer or less-conspicuous visitors to the yard
> > that I had not yet noticed. I generally work from home and have enjoyed
> > piping the audio through my speakers or headphones to listen to my yard
> > during the day. My understanding is that Terra's plan is to eventually
> > incorporate Benjamin Van Doren's automated Nighthawk algorithm too, for
> > automated nocturnal flight call ID (no more sorting through detections!).
> > The units are also built with stereo mics so they can roughly
> > identify individuals spatially; the long-term dream is to be able to
> > conduct simultaneous, robust point counts across huge geographic areas,
> all
> > at the push of a button.
> >
> > As noted, the units also include the ability to detect organisms carrying
> > certain kinds of transmitter tags, meaning that you can significantly
> > contribute to wildlife research by adding a backyard Terra. These
> generally
> > work on the Motus network (https://motus.org/); even just the pre-orders
> > for Terras are expected to have roughly doubled the size of the Motus
> > network in the US overnight! You can also buy stronger antennas which
> > expand the range of detection for tags. The Motus network has
> > revolutionized the study of migratory birds; the audio features of Terra
> > are fantastic, but I'm most excited that I can contribute to high-level,
> > globally important bird conservation datasets from my own backyard.
> >
> > One slight caveat is that Terra is an offshoot of Cellular Tracking
> > Technology (CTT), so the units only work with CTT tags (though this is an
> > awful lot of the tags out there). As noted, CTT's tags have even recently
> > been deployed on monarch butterflies (the tags are about 0.050 grams!).
> > Project Monarch is still in its infancy (
> > https://www.capemaypointsciencecenter.org/project-monarch), but
> eventually
> > the tags and Terras could help us unlock longtime mysteries around insect
> > and bat migrations.
> >
> > In short, if it was not clear, I can't recommend Terras enough! (As this
> is
> > a glowing review of a commercial product on a listserv, I will just also
> > say that I have no financial stake in the company whatsoever.)
> >
> > Good birding,
> > Lewis Grove
> > Waterbury
> >
> > On Sat, Nov 2, 2024 at 2:36āÆPM R Stewart <2cnewbirds...> wrote:
> >
> > > Do you know about this tracking technology?
> > >
> > > When attending the recent Cape May Birding Festival, we were introduced
> > to
> > > the product of a local Cape May company, the Terra (sound) tracking
> > > system. It has the ability to recognize sounds going over/near its
> > > location... birds, animals, insects... and even tagged butterflies
> using
> > > radio transmissions. The database of sounds is their own collection,
> not
> > > those at McCaulay Lib at Cornell.
> > > The AI programming has the ability to record and archive an unfamiliar
> > > sound and wait for more of the same sound and ID it later.
> > >
> > > Here's a link to the work that is going on in this company. The terra
> > > stations are being sold through NJ Audubon. At the Festival, I was
> told
> > > there are 3-5 'listeners' in VT. (Not me, yet). Know what's
> happening
> > in
> > > the skies without freezing or roasting or being attached by insects....
> > š
> > >
> > > https://www.terralistens.com/ > > >
> > > https://featheredgeoptics.org/terra-station/ > > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Ruth Stewart
> > > E. Dorset VT
> > >
> >
>
>
> --
> Ruth Stewart
> E. Dorset VT
>
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 5 Nov 2024 14:52:32 -0500
From: Ian Clark <ian...>
Subject: Free loon slideshow Wed Nov 6 Hartland, VT, library
The Hartland, VT, Public Library will host me to present my slideshow on
loons, An Uncommon Look at the Common Loon on Wednesday, November 6 at 6:00
p.m. Free and everyone welcome.
