Vermont Rare Bird Reports 2024

It was a while ago now, but if I recall correctly there was some mixed precipitation in the morning (rain at lower elevations where this sighting occurred) but had cleared at this time. Was overall warm leading to an abundance of lingering species. Weather data is available in my Rutland CBC report (can obtain if necessary).

Vortex 8x42 binoculars (bird was seen in optics, but ID was made easily without by sight & sound)

Very familiar with this species - have seen and heard hundreds of times before (per eBird this was 214th observation)

Deciduous forest with some understory, part of a feeding flock dominated by BCCH, along with some TUTI, RBNU, WBNU, BRCR if I recall correctly.

Bird was very jumpy, seen hopping from branch to branch and flicking wings pretty constantly (my favorite RCKI field mark that has always been very helpful). Recognized the bird very quickly so I didn't spend all that long watching it.

First detected by unique quick "jit-jit" call. First time I heard it I sort of dismissed it, assumed I was making it up and continued walking, but I heard it again at least once and was able to get eyes on it.

After hearing the bird a second time I looked up to find a tiny little (smaller than BCCH) jumpy passerine, gray overall with an eyering/arcs and wing bars. I watched for a couple of seconds to confirm all of the necessary field marks (pretty much what I listed above) and moved on to continue sorting through the flock. Didn't really think much of it since this isn't an rare sighting in midwinter for where I'm from (NJ), but I suppose it makes sense here. It also didn't surprise me at all since it was a pretty legendary CBC day for me with loads of lingering birds.

Tiny, noticeably smaller than BCCH when seen silhouetted against gray sky.

Overall grayish with a white eye ring/arcs

Wasn't really looking - not great RCKI marks

Uniformly gray

Uniformly gray

Uniformly gray with striking white wing bars visible even with slightly silhouetted against sky.

Paler grayish though this was hard to see in the silhouette and wasn't my main focus in confirming the ID

Didn't pay much attention, proportionally lengthen and small as the rest of the bird

A relatively unique bird - I suppose vocals-wise it could be mistaken for BCCH which was why I dismissed it the first time but I heard it will subsequently. Once I heard the sounds I knew the small bird I was looking at must have been a RCKI and not GCKI (only other bird that could be that size). Also did not have facial markings to be a GCKI, was not a BGGN (which would be ridiculously late anyway - but is the only thing small enough to be confusable). Too small and markings obviously not BCCH or TUTI. Marks were seen well and bird was not a warbler, vireo, or other small arboreal passerine that could have been traveling in a mixed flock.

age/sex not determined