Through the Window: August 2012 : A rainbow of feathers

Did we get every color of the rainbow, Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo Violet?
Here’s the month’s list, more or less in the order observed. You can compare it to last month’s if you like.

  • American Goldfinch
  • Red-winged Blackbird
  • Mourning Dove
  • Hairy Woodpecker
  • Downy Woodpecker
  • House Finch (female)
  • Black-capped Chickadee
  • Common Grackle
  • Ruby-throated Hummingbird
  • Blue Jay
  • Northern Goshawk
  • Purple Finch
  • Black-billed Cuckoo (near mailbox)
  • Northern Cardinal
  • White-throated Sparrow (on the ground)
  • Rose-breasted Grosbeaks (male and female)
  • Tufted Titmouse
  • Common Yellowthroat (female, at the tiny frog pond in the feeder area)
  • Red-breasted Nuthatch
  • Evening Grosbeak
  • Sharp-shinned Hawk

The Cuckoo and Yellowthroat were a treat to see! Common Yellowthroats are usually on the other side of the Museum or across the road near our meadow.  The Cuckoos are more rarely seen or heard altogether.

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, and several feeders outside on a single, bear-resistant pole, as well as a small pond, flowers and water plants, shrubs and trees. You can sometimes see what we see via our webcam.

Through the Window: June 2012 Goshawks, Sapsuckers, and Skunks Oh My!

Did you know we just list them in the order we see them? Usually the first several are from the first day of the month. We put the ones not seen last month in bold.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (male). Carved by Bob Spear in 1985.
  • American Crow (6/4/12 fly – over, 6/22/12 juveniles under feeder)
  • Blue Jay
  • Black-capped Chickadee
  • Evening Grosbeak
  • Wild Turkey
  • American Robin
  • Mourning Dove
  • Common Grackle
  • Rose-breasted Grosbeak
  • Brown-headed Cowbird
  • Red-winged Blackbird
  • Purple Finch
  • Tufted Titmouse
  • Downy Woodpecker (6/27/12 downy with young feeding)
  • Hairy Woodpecker
  • Baltimore Oriole (6/22/12)
  • Ruby-throated Hummingbird (5/5/12 FOY male)
  • Northern Cardinal (male & female)
  • Goshawk (6/13/12 chasing 3 crows, 6/21/12 perched in the tree above picnic table)
  • Sapsucker (6/21/12 & 6/22/12 nestlings calling for food, nest hole visible from picnic tables)
  • Black Bear (6/14/12 @ 12:30 pm stayed about 3 minutes until the sound of the door scared it off)
  • Skunk (6/29/12)
  • Gray Squirrels
  • Red Squirrels
  • Chipmunks

*FOY stands for First Of Year.

Skunk visiting bird feeders on June 29, 2012
Skunk visiting bird feeders on June 29, 2012

You can always compare this list to other months, or check out sightings in the area on eBird.

Through the Window: May 2012 is rich in color

Did you know we just list them in the order we see them? Usually the first several are from the first day of the month.Our board looks like this:

Through the Window (May 2012)
A white board, a window, some feeders and some staff and volunteers: put ’em together and you have a loose record of birds

We put the ones not seen last month in bold.

  • Black-capped chickadee
  • Blue Jay
  • American Goldfinch
  • Red-winged Blackbird
  • Pine Siskin
  • Hairy Woodpecker
  • Mourning Dove
  • Common Grackle
  • Rose-breasted Grosbeak
  • Brown-headed Cowbird
  • Red-breasted Nuthatch
  • Chipping Sparrow
  • Tufted Titmouse
  • Evening Grosbeak
  • Downy Woodpecker
  • Red-tailed Hawk (flew over May 4)
  • White-crowned Sparrow
  • Ruby-throated Hummingbird (FOY* 5/5/12 male; female on 5/9/12. Also seen in E. Dorset 5/3/12)
  • Sharp-shinned Hawk (5/5/12 Caught a bird!)
  • Black-throated Green Warbler (in parking lot 5/3/12)
  • American Robin
  • House Finch
  • Northern Oriole (5/11/12)
  • Northern Cardinal
  • Purple Finch
  • Starling
  • Red squirrel
  • Gray Squirrel
  • Chipmunks

* FOY stands for First of Year.

You can always compare this list to other months, or check out sightings in the area on eBird.

Check out birds between tastes of syrup

Sugaring Time?

In honor of Vermont’s annual Maple Open House Weekend and Audubon Vermont’s Maple Sugar on Snow Parties, the Birds of Vermont Museum will be open on March 25, 25 and the 31st (Saturday, Sunday, and Saturday).

Take a break between sampling one of Vermont’s best sweet treats and come learn about the birds that nest on maple trees and use the sugarbush to raise their young.

We will be open from 10 – 4 each day. Continue reading “Check out birds between tastes of syrup”

the Big Sit! results 2011

On Sunday,  October 9, the Museum hosted the Loonatics and their Big Sit! circle.  Thanks to all the volunteers who Shared the watch!  Several people contributed excellent (and warm!) food to keep us going.

We identified 21 species, and recorded them with the Big Sit! website.

Loonatics – Birds of Vermont Museum

Captain: Erin Talmage
Location: Huntington, Vermont (United States)

Team Checklist

  1. Barred Owl Strix varia
  2. Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens
  3. Hairy Woodpecker Picoides villosus
  4. Pileated Woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus
  5. Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata
  6. American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos
  7. Common Raven Corvus corax
  8. Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus
  9. Tufted Titmouse Baeolophus bicolor
  10. White-breasted Nuthatch Sitta carolinensis
  11. Brown Creeper Certhia americana
  12. Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula
  13. Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis
  14. American Robin Turdus migratorius
  15. Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata
  16. White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis
  17. Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis
  18. Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus
  19. American Goldfinch Spinus tristis
  20. Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis
  21. Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura