Bob Heitzman -- The 251 Town Birder
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123 Barre Town - Graniteville and the Rock of Ages quarries

6/19/2013

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Barre was built on granite and built by granite.  The area of Graniteville sits high on a granite mound overlooking the valley; the mound is the eroded remnant of the solidified magma chamber of Mesozoic volcano.

Several large quarries have been excavated over the years on the high ground of Graniteville; both the flooded, disused quarries, and the active ones, are massive holes in the earth.  Surrounding the pits are mounds of granite blocks, which pile into the back yards of many houses.  The granite in these mounds could certainly extend the life of the Rock of Ages Company by providing curbing for hundreds of miles of roads.

My survey area was on the lower slopes of the mound, where Graniteville Road descends from the Rock of Ages Visitor Center down to the town's cemetery and recreation area.  I have seen several cemeteries in Barre City and Town, and they are all completely done in granite.  Marble is totally absent, although it is equally prevalent in southwest of the State.

Checklist for Barre Town:
Red-eyed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
Black-capped Chickadee
Downy Woodpecker -- female entering an active nest hole
Brown Creeper
Ovenbird
Northern Parula
Black-throated Green Warbler
Pine Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Robin
Red-winged Blackbird
Song Sparrow
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    I've been a life-long 'naturalist' -- interested in every aspect of the natural world.  I began birding in the early 1990s, and have been a serious birder for over two decades.

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