Through the Window: April 2018

It’s April! Forget showers (there was a good bit of snow). And flowers? Pshaw, not yet. But birds! Bird list expansion (compared to last month, that is). Huzzah!

Louisiana Waterthrush (photo by E. Talmage)
Louisiana Waterthrush (photo by E. Talmage)
  • American Goldfinch (going yellow at last! April 15) (Also, we don’t know why we didn’t record them last month, but …we didn’t.)
  • Mourning Dove
  • Blue Jay
  • Downy Woodpecker
  • Black-capped chickadee
  • Common Grackle
  • Red-winged Blackbird
  • American Crow
  • Hairy Woodpecker
  • Dark-eyed Junco (on April 4, noted that one had a leucistic crown)
  • American Tree Sparrow
  • Song Sparrow (April 4)
  • Tufted Titmouse
  • Red-bellied Woodpecker
  • Northern Cardinal
  • Purple Finch
  • Red-breasted Nuthatch
  • Eastern Phoebe (First of Year —FOY — April 13)
  • Canada Geese (overhead while filling the feeders)
  • Fox Sparrow (April 15)
  • American Robin
  • Merlin (April 21)
  • Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (April 21)
  • Louisiana Waterthrush (April 28)
  • Ruby-crowned Kinglet (April 28)

(Bold items in this list are those species not recorded in March 2018.)

It’s time for More Than Mammals, too! Wood Frogs are having a fine ol’ time in the mini-pond in the bird feeder area (April 13 and for several days after that, whenever it was Not Snowing warm enough!). The Cottontail, Gray Squirrels, Red Squirrels and Chipmunks made their appearances…and their big cousin the Woodchuck woke up and has been noshing on grass and collecting leaves for its (her?) den.

By the time you see this, it’s May! And we have returned to our Open Daily hours. Drop by between 10am and 4pm—see the feeder birds yourself (and add to these monthly lists). View our amazing new art exhibit, Common Grounds: art inspired by 100 years of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Volunteers, we have opportunities for you!

We continue to host walks, classes, and more. These are 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.

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