Early birds will be making their way back to Vermont just as the buds are bursting open on the trees. Join us as we find out if the Woodcocks, Vireos, Tree Sparrows, or Red-winged Blackbirds have returned and established their nesting territories. This is a great time of year to be able to see the birds before the trees get their leaves.

Following our regular monitor route, we will search for birds in various habitats at the Audubon Center. We will identify as many as possible of the birds we see or hear, and record counts of their population numbers. We typically finish our monitoring route by about 10 am, but you can leave earlier if necessary.

The long-term data we gather contributes to the eBird database, which is available to a global community of educators, land managers, ornithologists, conservation biologists, and the public. Explore bird sightings from Audubon Vermont's Green Mountain Audubon Center.

This program is free and open to the public. No registration needed. Donations to support our education and conservation work are appreciated.
vt.audubon.org/donate

Regarding the weather: Normally with light snow/rain forecasted, we will go ahead with the walk. If strong winds or heavy snow/rain are expected, we will reschedule the walk. Please check our website if in doubt about the weather. We'll post an update if we need to cancel/reschedule.

Trail/accessibility information: Our walk will be at a slow (birding) pace and will cover approximately 1.5 miles. The trail is unpaved and there are two short sections of stairs on the route. Wheelchair-accessible bathroom facilities are located in the office, our meeting place. If you require accommodations or have questions about accessibility, please contact Audubon Vermont at 802/434-3068.

COVID Safety: We are committed to our community's health & safety.  

We have developed safety protocols for our Audubon Center and our programs based on guidance from the Vermont State Health Department and the CDC. Given the rapidly changing situation with the highly contagious Covid-19 Delta variant, Audubon Vermont is currently requiring all visitors to our Center to wear a mask when indoors. Masks are not required outdoors when people can be socially distanced, however they are encouraged for those who are unvaccinated. Please bring a mask to this event. If you do not have one, please reach out to staff and we will provide one for you.  Please see the Covid Data Tracker for more information about Covid-19 transmission rates by county in Vermont.  

We understand that some people - even those who are vaccinated, or those who have health concerns, or those who might just feel more comfortable - may choose to continue to wear a mask even when outdoors and distanced. We wholeheartedly support their decision and ask all program participants to be respectful of their choice. We recognize that the decision to wear a mask and comfort levels could change for individuals, even over the course of an event. Program participants should feel comfortable to ask others to physically distance. 

 Please do not attend if you are sick or symptomatic (with fever, cough, and/or shortness of breath), if you have received a positive COVID-19 test result within the last 14 days, or if you have had contact with any other person who is diagnosed with COVID-19 within the last 14 days.   

 We will be collecting COVID-19 contact tracing information from everyone when you attend the event. This information will be kept confidential and will be used only for COVID-19 tracing.  

Photo: Red-winged Blackbird. Credit: Rajan Desai/Audubon Photography Awards