Through the Window: October 2022

Red-bellied woodpecker, carved by Bob Spear
Red-bellied woodpecker, carved by Bob Spear

October is glorious! We started the month with the Dead Creek Wildlife festival, continued birding during the Big Sit!,  admired pollinators on fall flowers like asters, explored and documented plants for the phenology project, and welcomed campers visiting through the Harvest Host program. We spent some time working on the Retreat, which we hope to open to overnighters sometime in the next year.

Of course, we have to sit down by the Viewing Window and just watch birds  to recover from all of this.

October Bird List

  • Black-capped Chickadee
  • Blue Jay
  • Tufted Titmouse
  • Red-breasted Nuthatch
  • White-breasted Nuthatch
  • Hairy Woodpecker
  • White-crowned Sparrow
  • Downy Woodpcker
  • Dark-eyed Junco 
  • Northern Cardinal
  • White-throated Sparrow
  • Purple Finch
  • American Goldfinch
  • Red-bellied Woodpecker
  • Mourning Dove

(Bold items in this list are those species not recorded in September 2022.)
We’ve of course seen a few mammals, but mostly just the Eastern Chipmunk and the Gray Squirrels.

And the Big Sit!

Twenty-six birds this year! Not a record, but a good year. Thanks to Jim O for all the organizing, and all the friends and neighbors who came, sat, watched, and shared observations.

  • White-throated Sparrow
  • Northern Cardinal
  • American Robin
  • Dark-eyed Junco
  • Black-capped Chickadee
  • Hermit Thrush
  • White-breasted Nuthatch
  • Blue Jay
  • Tufted Titmouse
  • Hairy Woodpecker
  • Pileated Woodpecker
  • Purple Finch
  • Downy Woodpecker
  • Red-breassted Nuthatch
  • Ruby-crowned Kinglet
  • Golden-crowned Kinglet
  • American Crow
  • Common Raven
  • Red-bellied Woodpecker
  • American Goldfinch
  • Red-tailed Hawk
  • Turkey Vulture
  • Mourning Dove
  • Song Sparrow
  • Brown Creeper
  • Barred Owl

Minimal Feeding Since May

We have been feeding in a much more limited way this year, due to avian influenza being present in the state. While we don’t see domestic fowl at our feeders, we do sometimes see wild turkeys, hawks or falcons, and sometimes have waterfowl on the nearby pond.

A few relevant links:

Avian Influenza Wildlife Health Bulletin from VT Fish and Wildlife Department: https://vtfishandwildlife.com/learn-more/living-with-wildlife/wildlife-diseases/avian-influenza-wildlife-health-bulletin

USDA Confirms Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Vermont from VT Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets: https://agriculture.vermont.gov/agency-agriculture-food-markets-news/usda-confirms-highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-vermont

Avian flu has been detected in Vermont. Here’s how to protect your flock from VPR: https://www.vpr.org/vpr-news/2022-04-12/avian-flu-has-been-detected-in-vermont-heres-how-to-protect-your-flock

 


Care to observe with us? Register for one of our upcoming events. See you soon!

Volunteers, we always have opportunities for you!

If you follow us on Facebook, Twitter, 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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