Through the Window: June 2016

June is when almost everyone is busy with nests, eggs, and sometimes already fledglings. We get busy too.

• Rose-breasted Grosbeak
• Common Grackle
  
• Hairy Woodpecker
• White-breasted Nuthatch
• American Crow
  
• Mourning Dove
• Blue Jay
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Downy Woodpecker
• Ruby-throated Hummingbird
• Wild Turkey
• Brown-headed Cowbird
• American Goldfinch 
• Northern Cardinal
• Kingfisher
• Turkey Vulture (2 seen through gap of trees, over the roof of Museum 06/14/2016)
• Catbird
  

Bold indicates those we didn’t see last month. The surprising gap here is the Black-capped chickadee; it is likely around but the those writing on the board happened to not see it.

For more precise records, you can also see eBird data for recent years at the Museum.

As always, other critters visited. The Hummingbird-mimic, the Clearwing Sphinx Moth, was spotted on June 7. We note again Red Squirrels, Gray Squirrels, and Eastern Chipmunks. The Woodchuck (a.k.a. Groundhog) is still around. Our night-time cam suggests we also have mice and young rabbits, but the image is too indistinct to be sure (the eyes glow and move in delightfully eerie ways, however). We did record a chewed head of a rabbit under a picnic table, so we can be sure of at least one predator species as well.

All observers can add their sightings to our whiteboard list! The viewing window is open daily May 1- October 31, except for the July 4th Holiday. Visit between 10am and 4pm. For extra happenings, check out our events page. You can see that we start with birds but don’t stop there!  Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram too, for even more comments, links, and observations!

The “Through the Window” series is an informal record of observations made by staff, volunteers, and visitors. Anyone at the Museum may add to this list. Observations are usually through our viewing window: a large window with a film covering that helps hide watchers from the birds. We have chairs and binoculars to try, a white board, and many identification guides. Outdoors, several feeders are attached on a single, bear-resistant pole. A small pond, flowers and water plants, shrubs and trees add cover and (seasonally) other food choices . You can sometimes see what we see via our webcam.