Through the Window: January 2018

From polar vortex to thaw to bare ground to new snow and back again. Nice bit of roller coastering weather!

Thank goodness for adaptations.

Birds noticed this past January, gobbling up seed and crabapples, leaving tracks and making noise:

• Ruffed Grouse
  
• Mourning Dove
• Downy Woodpecker
• Hairy Woodpecker
• Blue Jay
• Black-capped chickadee
• Tufted Titmouse
• Red-breasted Nuthatch
• White-breasted Nuthatch
• Dark-eyed Junco
• White-throated Sparrow
• Northern Cardinal
• Red-bellied Woodpecker
• Wild Turkey
• American Tree Sparrow

(Bold items in this list are those species not recorded in December 2017.)

The usual Squirrels (Gray and Red) enjoyed the seed on the ground, and we spotted a Cottontail Rabbit lurking under the forsythia. Eastern Chipmunks work up on January 18th, at least.

Although we’re “open by appointment”, we love having people call to visit! From November to April, please call or email to arrange a visit—this lets us adjust the heating to human comfort, among other things. If you are one of last year’s exhibiting artists, please come get your art. Volunteers, we have opportunities for you!

We continue to host walks, carving classes, and more through the winter, listed on our events page.  If you follow us on Facebook, Twitter , tumblr, and/or Instagram too, you’ll find more comments, links, and observations. See you soon!

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.