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| LakeChamplainVermont.Com |
Spring is one of the most
exciting times of year to bird across the Adirondacks, and the Lake Champlain Vermont
Valley is a great place to explore as the weather begins to warm. Spring
birding along the Lake Champlain Vermont Valley begins as the numbers of ducks
and other waterfowl start to move north along the lake towards their breeding
grounds. Birders can look for the same species they can find in the valley
during fall and winter, but during the spring migration of waterfowl in March
and early April, they can find thousands and thousands of ducks moving north
along the lake. Some of the species of ducks include the following:
·
Wood
Duck
·
Mallard
·
Black
Duck
·
Gadwall
·
American
Wigeon
·
Northern
Pintail
·
Blue-winged
Teal
·
Green-winged
Teal
·
Canvasback
·
Redhead
·
Ring-necked
Duck
·
Lesser
Scaup
·
Greater
Scaup
·
Common
Goldeneye
·
Barrow's
Goldeneye
·
Bufflehead
·
Hooded
Merganser
·
Common
Merganser
The early spring is also marked
by the first movements of raptors along the Lake Champlain Vermont Valley as
wintering birds move out and migratory birds from the south move into and
through the valley on their way north. Many species are possible including:
·
Rough-legged
Hawk
·
Red-tailed
Hawk
·
Red-shouldered
Hawk
·
Broad-winged
Hawk
·
Cooper's
Hawk
·
Sharp-shinned
Hawk
·
Northern
Harrier
·
Kestrel
·
Merlin
·
Peregrine
Falcon
·
Bald
Eagle
·
Osprey
And, while great-horned,
barred, and eastern screech owls are year-round residents in the valley, they
are often more active and vocal in the spring, meaning that they may be easier
for birders to find. After all, owls nest early and start calling more
frequently in late winter and early spring as a result. In addition birders
should not forget to head up into the bogs and forests of the park to look for
breeding saw-whet owls in April as well.
The songbird migration can be
equally impressive across the region, and the Lake Champlain Vermont Valley is
the best migratory funnel the region has to offer. Songbird migration begins in
March when the first arrivals such as red-winged blackbirds and song sparrows
come from the south. It steadily picks up steam across the entire region with
blackbirds and a variety of sparrow species, and blue-headed vireos in April,
and then the growing influx of warblers in May. It is truly a magical time, and
Lake Champlain Vermont can concentrate flocks of migratory songbirds along its
shores as these birds move north. For instance, birders should check out the
bird banding station at Crown Point State Historic Site where about 100 species
and over 25 species of warblers have been banded since 1976! That means on a
spring birding day in the Champlain Valley or Adirondacks, birders can find a
huge number of birds!
Of course, many of these birds
stay to breed in the Adirondacks, and woodlots in the Lake Champlain Vermont Valley
provide breeding habitat for them. Look for birds such as
·
Great-Crested
Flycatcher
·
Eastern
Kingbird
·
Eastern
Bluebird
·
Scarlet
Tanager
·
Rose-breasted
Grosbeak
·
Indigo
Bunting
·
Field
Sparrow
·
White-crowned
sparrow (a migrant which passes through)
·
Baltimore
Oriole
And many more!
And a spring day in the valley
or further inside the park can find 15-20 species of warblers! Migration along
the Lake Champlain Vermont Valley can be tremendous. Birders should note that
the wooded breeding habitats of the Adirondacks generally support more species
of breeding warblers than does the Lake Champlain Vermont Valley, so they
should make sure to check out some of those areas. And the valley's brushy
edges make it great for species such as common yellowthroat and yellow warbler,
and there have even been records of breeding prairie warbler and golden-winged
warbler, two species which are very difficult to find in the region.
With so many species to see in
such a short period of time, the spring is a great time to go birding in the Lake
Champlain Vermont Valley.