Musings from the Blind Birder: Surprises

Martha Steele

October 1, 2026 3 MIN READ Musings from the Blind Birder

Northern Hawk Owl. Photograph by Bob Stymeist.

It was late afternoon in early July when Bob and I were slowly making our way down one of our favored birding locations in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, Barton River Marshes, in Orleans and Coventry. The birdsong was much diminished from just a few weeks earlier, and we were resigned to seeing or hearing few species. Bob stopped the car, then backed up several yards to peer out his window. He put his binoculars up.

“Sandhill Crane!”

Surprised? Yes, most certainly very, very surprised. Although Sandhill Cranes have been extending their range in the Northeast, and a Sandhill Crane—seen once by one person—had been reported in the area a few weeks earlier, it was still a shock to see the bird casually grazing in a field slightly uphill from the marsh. It made no sound, so I could not count it, but Bob’s adrenaline was rushing with his excitement of seeing this splendid bird for the first time in Orleans County.

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