Vermont Rare Bird Reports 2021

Celestron Nature DX 8x42 binoculars and Bushnell Spacemaster 15-45 x 60mm spotting scope.

Frequently observed this species during late summer and fall of 2020 on nearby Sodom Pond. Also observed juveniles and an adult on this pond during the fall of 2020.

Adamant Pond is approximately 60 acres and includes portions of open water, potions supporting emergent and submerged aquatic vegetation, and immediately adjacent wetland habitats (occurring primarily on the western and northern edges of the pond). It is a relatively shallow water body and during the summer floating leaved aquatic vegetation covers extensive portions of the pond, to the point of inhibiting exploration by watercraft. Historically, granite quarrying took place immediately adjacent to the pond and piles of grout, left behind, spill into the pond in places, particularly on the northern and western edges. This pond is the result of both a beaver dam and a human-constructed dam occurring at its southern terminus.
Adamant Village lies at the southern terminus of the pond and this where the majority of buildings and houses (a church, private residences, the Adamant Cooperative, and the Adamant Music School), associated with the pond, are located. Quarry Road runs along the eastern edge of the pond, but a forest buffer between the pond and road exists and the small houses and cabins located along the road are primarily buildings owned by the music school and see only seasonal use, although the Covid pandemic has resulted in the school being closed the past couple of years. Land immediately adjacent to the western and northern portions of the pond is generally undeveloped and forested. A private landowner with a maintained lawn area at the southern terminus of the pond allows the public to stop and enjoy both the wild and human-sculpted environment that exists here, on the grounds of the music school. This lawn area also provides a vantage point from which to observe grebes on the pond.

Adult on nest.

Using a spotting scope from the southern terminus of the pond, the breeding pied-billed grebes were originally observed on the nest on July 17th. I returned on July 22nd and hiked back in along the eastern edge of the pond to obtain the image of the adult, on the nest, included with this record.

Distinctive black stripe running perpendicular to the long axis of the relatively short, compact, gray-colored mandibles used to identify the adult of this species on the nest and to rule out other similar waterfowl that might occur (e.g. female hooded mergansers).

The nesting pied-billed grebes produced 5 chicks on this pond in 2020. Chicks were first observed on July 30th, while they and the adults were still utilizing the nest. Adults and juveniles were observed throughout the summer and well into the fall.