Vermont State Parks

Looking through binoculars at a bird in the distance. Staying close to home during the COVID-19 pandemic makes any neighborhood feel small. My young daughter and I like to get out for daily adventures looking for new things to discover close to home, and it helps to have something new to focus on with each adventure, to refresh the experience even when we are visiting the same places each time.  These spring days are perfect for bird watching walks. Bird watching is exciting this time of year because all the migratory birds are returning to Vermont. Every day we see and hear a new arrival in our neighborhood. It is fun to keep track and watch for the arriving birds who spent their winter in the south.  I like making a big deal about this adventure by packing small backpacks with items we might need while birdwatching. I have a couple small bird field guides we like to carry, and we usually bring water bottles, snacks, and a notebook and pencil so we can docum...

Sit spots are great places to journal.  Doing your best to distantly socialize, but you’re tired of the same old thing? We’ve got your back. Our carefully curated list of activities can help you connect with nature and get ready for your next big adventure. These activities can be done within the comfort of your own home or backyard (just remember to follow current advice from the Vermont Department of Health ). Find a sit spot. Sit spots can be any area in your yard or a view from a window. This is a great way to take in the world around you and build mindfulness in an easy way. Step 1 - Pick a spot you like near a tree, in a field, or at a window with a good view. Step 2 - Sit, look, listen, and observe. What do you see, hear and smell? Step 3 - Repeat as often as necessary. Try different times of day. What changes? What stays the same? Birding.   Did you see a bird fly by or heard one sing, but you’re not sure what kind? The Cornell Lab of Ornitholo...

Looking to enjoy the VT State Parks in the Winter? With all of the birding activity at DAR we have plowed parking spaces and of course in the winter time there is no entrance fee. So head on out and go birding. Here is the latest information from VTBIRD on what's going on in the bird world in Southwestern Vermont!  With all the birders focusing on the Common Pochard near the southern end of open water in Lake Champlain over the last 10 days, Ron Payne and I thought it time to do another careful count of the most abundant waterfowl and gull species.  We viewed the region from four locations from the Champlain Bridge to DAR State Park. Lighting was good and waters with only minor ripples.  From our viewing locations we were able to count these same species in New York ice-margin waters as well.  Nearly all the counts were made utilizing clicker counters, and counted the birds by individuals. As anticipated, Common Goldeneyes have increased mightily in...

We have been eagerly following the news of these two ducks along with you.  Here at Vermont State Parks understand that DAR is probably now the best viewing location and that there's not enough room to park at the gate. We have asked one of our maintenance staff to go up to DAR early to open the gates and plow out some spaces for birders to park.  If you haven't heard the news Ron Payne went to the Lake Champlain Bridge, which crosses Lake Champlain between Chimney Point, VT and Crown Point, NY, for some New Year's Day birding. While there, he found a Glaucous Gull, White-winged Scoter, two Barrow's Goldeneyes, and a male Tufted Duck. After viewing Payne's photos, Jeremiah Trimble identified it instead as a Common Pochard, which like Tufted Duck, is a Code 3 species, though it is actually much more difficult to find in the ABA Area. Most sightings are from Alaska. There's only one previous record from the East, a bird in Quebec in the spring of 2008,...