Through the Window: May 2019

[Great Crested Flycatcher on office window netting. May 2019]
Great Crested Flycatcher on office window netting, May 2019
We started off our opening month with fantastic birds and birders and bird walks.! Even some surprising observations, like this one:

It seems to be nesting nearby, as it has returned to the window several times—for nesting material? Territory? Foraging? We don’t know yet…

As for other May birds, seen by more people through the bigger window: read on!

 

  • Rose-breasted Grosbeak (It’s great fun to draw the shapes of the males’ bibs in an effort to identify individuals. There seem to be at least 5 and possibly 7 regular and frequent visitors to our feeders. Perhaps we’ll try to ID individual Blue Jays by their “necklaces” next…)
  • Dark-eyed Junco
  • Brown-headed Cowbird
  • Mourning Dove
  • Blue Jay
  • Song Sparrow
  • White-throated sparrow
  • Black-capped Chickadee
  • American Goldfinch
  • White-breasted Nuthatch
  • Hairy Woodpecker
  • Red-winged Blackbird
  • Tufted Titmouse
  • Pine Siskin (Two of them. Slightly unusual to have here at the Viewing Window.)
  • Northern Cardinal
  • Red-bellied Woodpecker
  • Red-breasted Nuthatch
  • Downy Woodpecker
  • Common Grackle
  • American Robin (on bridge railing)
  • Purple Finch
  • Yellow-rumped warbler (through the little window on the side)
  • Ruby-throated Hummingbird (FOY 5/6/19—Welcome back!)
  • Baltimore Oriole (FOY 5/7/2019—glorious.)
  • Louisiana Waterthrush (Heard regularly when at the Museum doors, although not seen through the window)
  • Chipping Sparrow
  • Catbird (FOY 5/14/2019—not always easy to spot)
  • Northern Parula (5/18/2019, near pond)
  • Great Crested Flycatcher (5/19/2019, from another window looking out to the feeder area)
  • Broad-winged hawk (seen overhead from the picnic area)

Other creatures seen around the feeders included Eastern Chipmunk, Gray Squirrel, Red Squirrel, and a Bobcat (seen Friday May 24).

(Bold items in this list are those species not recorded in April 2019.)


We’re open daily now (it’s May!). Drop in between 10 and 4 to  check out the viewing window, explore the exhibits, discover this year’s art show, Pollinate This! For more special events, try a bird walk, a kids program, or other activities listed on our events page.

Volunteers, we have opportunities for you!

If you follow us on Facebook, Twitter , tumblr, and/or Instagram, you’ll find us talking about bird news, sharing photos, suggesting events, and more. Check us out!

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, 8′ steel 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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