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Early Birders’ Observations for June 30
The June 30th Early Birders Morning Walk was the last of the season. Thanks to Shirley Johnson, who led the walk, and Mae Mayville, who eBirded the results.No more walks in this series this year, although our trails are open sunrise to sunset, and we’re working on some additional field trips as well. Check our calendar!
Here’s their report:
Birds of Vermont Museum, Chittenden, US-VT Jun 30, 2013 7:15 AM - 9:30 AM Protocol: Traveling 2.0 kilometer(s) Comments: Early morning bird walk led by Shirley Johnson. 34 species Turkey Vulture 1 over museum Mourning Dove 4 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2 Downy Woodpecker 1 Pileated Woodpecker 1 Eastern Wood-Pewee 6 Eastern Phoebe 2 Great Crested Flycatcher 2 Red-eyed Vireo 2 Blue Jay 7 American Crow 3 Black-capped Chickadee 6 Tufted Titmouse 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch 2 Brown Creeper 2 Winter Wren 3 Veery 2 Hermit Thrush 3 Wood Thrush 2 American Robin 2 Cedar Waxwing 4 Ovenbird 5 Common Yellowthroat 2 Blackburnian Warbler 4 Chestnut-sided Warbler 3 Pine Warbler 4 Song Sparrow 3 Scarlet Tanager 1 Northern Cardinal 1 Indigo Bunting 1 Red-winged Blackbird 2 Common Grackle 4 American Goldfinch 2 View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14536890
Early Birders’ Observations for June 23
The June 23rd Early Birders Morning Walk focused on birding by ear a bit more than usual—sometimes the birds (and habitats) are just like that! It was very well attended as well. Once again, our Board President Shirley Johnson led the walk, and Mae Mayville (another great volunteer and Board member) eBirded the results. Thank you!
Here’s their report:
Birds of Vermont Museum, Chittenden, US-VT Jun 23, 2013 7:20 AM - 9:10 AM Protocol: Traveling 1.0 kilometer(s) Comments: Early morning bird walk led by Shirley Johnson 37 species Mourning Dove 2 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 4 Downy Woodpecker 1 Hairy Woodpecker 2 Northern Flicker 1 Eastern Wood-Pewee 2 Great Crested Flycatcher 2 Blue-headed Vireo 2 Red-eyed Vireo 3 Blue Jay 4 American Crow 2 Common Raven 1 Black-capped Chickadee 3 Tufted Titmouse 2 Red-breasted Nuthatch 1 White-breasted Nuthatch 1 Brown Creeper 1 Winter Wren 2 Veery 2 Hermit Thrush 2 American Robin 1 Gray Catbird 1 Cedar Waxwing X Ovenbird 4 Common Yellowthroat 2 American Redstart 1 Blackburnian Warbler 1 Black-throated Green Warbler 2 Song Sparrow 2 Northern Cardinal 2 Rose-breasted Grosbeak 3 Indigo Bunting 1 Red-winged Blackbird 2 Common Grackle 2 Baltimore Oriole 1 American Goldfinch 2 View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14482501
Join us for one last early morning ramble on June 30! Enjoy the start of the day with us, birds, and other woodland inhabitants. Walks are led by experienced birders familiar with Vermont birds—and we welcome additional possible leaders! Let us know if you’re interested in volunteering.
Finish the walk with bird-friendly coffee at the viewing window inside the Museum.
Bring binoculars and good walking shoes. Park at 900 Sherman Hollow Road, in the Museum parking lot.
Appropriate for: Adults and older children • Free, donations welcome.
Pre-registration is helpful but not required. Call 802 434-2167 or email museum@birdsofvermont.org
The Second Atlas of Breeding Birds of Vermont
Guest post by Kir Talmage, Outreach and IT Coordinator for the Birds of Vermont Museum. This article also appeared in the Vermont Great Outdoor Magazine.
The Second Atlas of Breeding Birds of Vermont is out! As you likely know, an Atlas is
a : a bound collection of maps often including illustrations, informative tables, or textual matter b : a bound collection of tables, charts, or plates (Merriam-Webster)
This meager definition masks the huge intention and effort that goes into the creation and revision of an Atlas. This particular Atlas is the product of a state-wide breeding birds research project that has spanned ten years, brought together some 57,000 observations, and drew on 350 volunteers. It epitomizes a successful citizen science project. The data (observations) were pulled together by Vermont Center for Ecostudies into one beautiful reference book, which was published in April of this year. The completed Atlas—with maps, individual species accounts, discussions of Vermont’s habitat and land use changes, and analyses of the data—has already helped scientists and policy makers decide how best to work and plan for avian conservation. Continue reading “The Second Atlas of Breeding Birds of Vermont”
Early Birders’ Observations for June 16
The June 16th Early Birders Morning Walk walk left the Museum about 7 am. led by our amazing Shirley Johnson. A great group of friendly birders! They were out until almost 10, because it was such a lovely day. Here’s their list:
- Mourning Dove
- Barred Owl
- Chimney Swift
- Ruby-throated Hmmingbird
- Yellow-bellied Sapasucker
- Downy Woodpecker
- Hairy Woodpecker
- Northern Flicker
- Eastern Wood Pewee
- Least Flycatcher
- Eastern Phoebe
- Great-crested Flycatcher
- Red-eyed Vireo
- Blue Jay
- American Crow
- Black-capped Chickadee
- White-breasted Nuthatch
- Brown Creeper
- Winter Wren
- American Robin
- Veery
- Hermit Thrush
- Cedar Waxwing
- Chestnut-sided Warbler
- Blackburnian Warbler
- Black-throated Green Warbler
- Pine Warbler
- Common Yellow-throat
- Scarlet Tanager
- Northern Cardinal
- Rose-breasted Grosbeak
- Indigo Bunting
- Song Sparrow
- White-throated Sparrow
- Red-winged Blackbird
- Common Grackle
- Baltimore Oriole
- American Goldfinch
Join us next time, for an early morning ramble! We’re out in the Birds of Vermont Museum‘s forest and meadows every Sunday from May 12 through June 30. Enjoy the start of the day with us, birds, and other woodland inhabitants. Walks are led by experienced birders familiar with Vermont birds—and we welcome additional possible leaders! Let us know if you’re interested in volunteering.
Finish the walk with bird-friendly coffee at the viewing window inside the Museum.
Bring binoculars and good walking shoes. Park at 900 Sherman Hollow Road, in the Museum parking lot.
Appropriate for: Adults and older children • Free, donations welcome.
Pre-registration is helpful but not required. Call 802 434-2167 or email museum@birdsofvermont.org
Early Birders’ Observations for June 9
The June 9th Early Birders Morning Walk walk left the Museum about 7 am. led by Shirley Johnson. I was out of town, but she left me a lovely long list to share with you. I’m quite envious!
- Wood Duck
- Wild Turkey
- Mourning Dove
- Ruby-throated Hummingbird
- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
- Downy Woodpecker
- Hairy Woodpecker
- Great-crested Flycatcher
- Eastern Phoebe
- Blue-Headed Vireo
- Red-eyed Vireo
- Blue Jay
- American Crow
- Black-capped Chickadee
- Tufted Titmouse
- White-breasted Nuthatch
- House Wren
- Winter Wren
- Veery
- American Robin
- Gray Catbird
- Cedar Waxwing
- Chestnut-sided Warbler
- Black-throated Blue Warbler
- Black-throated Green Warbler
- Pine Warbler
- American Redstart
- Common Yellowthroat
- Ovenbird
- Scarlet Tanager
- Rose-breasted Grosbeak
- Indigo Bunting
- Song Sparrow
- White-throated Sparrow
- Red-winged Blackbird
- Common Grackle
- Brown-headed Cowbird
Her note adds: Really great views of Blue-headed and Red-eyed Vireos to compare. Great views of Indigo Bunting, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Veery, and Great-crested Flycatcher.
Join us next time, for an early morning ramble! We’re out in the Birds of Vermont Museum‘s forest and meadows every Sunday from May 12 through June 30. Enjoy the start of the day with us, birds, and other woodland inhabitants. Walks are led by experienced birders familiar with Vermont birds—and we welcome additional possible leaders! Come to several walks to hear the changes in who calls and when!
Finish the walk with bird-friendly coffee at the viewing window inside the Museum.
Bring binoculars and good walking shoes. Park at 900 Sherman Hollow Road, in the Museum parking lot.
Appropriate for: Adults and older children • Free, donations welcome.
Pre-registration is helpful but not required. Call 802 434-2167 or email museum@birdsofvermont.org
A BIRD’S EYE VIEW: Mapping the territory (Day Camp)
Kids! Dive into acres of fun and constructive activity as you become a field researcher, engineer, and map-maker! Join us for three days of exploration on the Museum grounds as we examine, record, and create maps of different parts of our bird-rich habitat. Open your eyes to new ways of looking at the terrain; see and think like a returning migratory songbird or hawk soaring high overhead. Learn how a scientist gathers and uses information to understand a bird’s eye view of the landscape.
Grown-ups! During this three-day summer session, we will explore, document, and model the rich habitats which attract and sustain our summer nesters. We will immerse ourselves in creating 2D and 3D maps, which will utilize and reinforce engineering and math skills, the use of technology, and the science supporting a bird’s selection of an appropriate nesting site as well as issues related to environmental sustainability. This program is designed to align with the newly developed Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for science educators and their students nationwide. A Bird’s Eye View: Mapping the Territory will appeal to both the creative and analytical thinker in each participant.
Experience a whole new outdoors.
For: Kids ages 8-12
Bring: your own water bottle, and lunch. Afternoon snack will be provided. Wear weather-ready clothing and shoes, bug repellent, and sunscreen.
When: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, July 1-3 at the Birds of Vermont Museum from 9:00 am to 3 pm.
Fee: $120 for members, $135 for non-members.
Pre-register at 434-2167 or museum@birdsofvermont.org. Limit: 10 (Still a few spaces!)
Early Birders’ Observations for June 2
Our Executive Director, Erin Talmage, led the Early Birders Morning Walk walk on Sunday June 2. Why, yes, we are a wee bit behind in posting these lists. Just a bit.
We had both new and experienced birders along this morning, a beautiful sunny day rising after a rainy night, so lots of dew and a smattering of fog. Our notes suggest we didn’t all see and hear exactly the same birds, but here’s what we were pretty sure about.
- Great-crested Flycatcher
- Wild Turkey
- Veery
- Black-capped Chicakdee
- Chestnut-sided Warbler
- Blue-headed Vireo
- Red-Eyed Vireo
- Ovenbird
- Black-throated Green Warbler
- American Robin
- American Goldfinch
- Winter Wren
- Common Yellowthroat
- Cedar Waxwing
- Red-winged Blackbird
- Blue Jay
- Hairy Woodpecker
- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
- Scarlet Tanager
- Northern Cardinal
- Eastern Phoebe
- American Crow
- Mourning Dove
- Duck spp (some discussion arose as to whether it was a Wood Duck or Mallard. Both were known to frequent the spot; our youngest birder—age 4—was sure it was Wood Duck and related some field marks, but older birders were less confident, and most had only caught a glimpse as it flew away.)
- Common Grackle
- Nest of Baltimore Oriole
Join us next time, for an early morning ramble! We’re out in the Birds of Vermont Museum‘s forest and meadows every Sunday from May 12 through June 30. Enjoy the start of the day with us, birds, and other woodland inhabitants. Walks are led by experienced birders familiar with Vermont birds—and we welcome additional possible leaders! Come to several walks to hear the changes in who calls and when!
Finish the walk with bird-friendly coffee at the viewing window inside the Museum.
Bring binoculars and good walking shoes. Park at 900 Sherman Hollow Road, in the Museum parking lot.
Appropriate for: Adults and older children • Free, donations welcome.
Pre-registration is helpful but not required. Call 802 434-2167 or email museum@birdsofvermont.org
Early Birders’ Observations for May 26
Shirley led our Early Birder Morning Walk walk on Sunday May 26. One of our volunteers also posted the list on eBird and emailed it to us. Have you used eBird yet? You can list and generate reports of what you’ve seen there, and the data contributes to a long-running, large citizen science project. Our emailed report looks something like this:
Birds of Vermont Museum, Chittenden, US-VT May 26, 2013 7:15 AM - 8:15 AM Protocol: Traveling 1.0 kilometer(s) Comments: Early morning walk led by Shirley Johnson. Cold and rainy! 23 species (+1 other taxa) Wild Turkey 1 Mourning Dove 2 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1 Downy Woodpecker 2 Hairy Woodpecker 1 Empidonax sp. 1 Eastern Phoebe 2 Red-eyed Vireo 1 Blue Jay 5 American Crow 1 Black-capped Chickadee 1 American Robin 1 Ovenbird 2 Common Yellowthroat 1 Song Sparrow 1 Scarlet Tanager 1 Rose-breasted Grosbeak 2 Red-winged Blackbird 3 Common Grackle 2 Brown-headed Cowbird 1 Baltimore Oriole 2 American Goldfinch 2 Evening Grosbeak 2 View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14245937 This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)
Birders were out from 7:15 through 8:15 a.m., as it was very chilly and damp. Another birder’s list records both Least and Great-crested Flycatchesr (instead of Empidonax spp.), which may have been a combination of luck, songs heard, or different birding experience.
Join us next time, for an early morning ramble in the Birds of Vermont Museum‘s forest and meadows every Sunday from May 12 through June 30. Enjoy the start of the day with us, birds, and other woodland inhabitants. Walks are led by experienced birders familiar with Vermont birds—and we welcome additional possible leaders! Come to several walks to hear the changes in who calls and when!
Finish the walk with bird-friendly coffee at the viewing window inside the Museum.
Bring binoculars and good walking shoes. Park at 900 Sherman Hollow Road, in the Museum parking lot.
Appropriate for: Adults and older children • Free, donations welcome.
Pre-registration is helpful but not required. Call 802 434-2167 or email museum@birdsofvermont.org
Through the Window: May 2013 gets exciting
Nesting time! And the list grows on. Bold ones are those we didn’t see last month!
- Northern Cardinal
- American Goldfinch
- White-throated Sparrow
- Black-capped Chickadee
- Mourning Dove
- Common Grackle
- Red-winged Blackbird
- Hairy Woodpecker
- White-breasted Nuthatch
- Eastern Phoebe
- Blue Jay
- Brown-headed Cowbird
- Evening Grosbeak
- Song Sparrow
- Dark-eyed Junco
- American Robin
- Purple Finch
- Northern Goshawk
- Wild Turkey (One male, 3 females on 5/15)
- Rose-breasted Grosbeak
- White-crowned Sparrow (5/6/13, 5/18/13)
- Winter Wren (heard)
- Ruby-throated Hummingbird (5/8/13)
- Red-breasted Nuthatch (5/12/13)
- American Crow
- Great-Crested Flycatcher (5/15/13)
- Gray Catbird (5/17/13)
- Cooper’s Hawk (5/20/13)
- Baltimore Oriole
- Tufted Titmouse
If you want to get involved with NestWatch, let us know how we can help you!
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 to make it more difficult for birds to see the watchers. We have chairs and binoculars to try there, 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 other food choices. You can sometimes see what we see via our webcam.