Through the Window: July 2023

The museum was fortunate to have been missed by the flooding this year. The brook below the museum rose, and there’s signs of erosion on trails, but we escaped the damage that our fellow Vermonters are working through. We hope you also have been free from floods, and if not, that you have the help and support you need.

We can offer a refuge if you need to come and take a break: visit, sit, watch birds, walk trails… We thank the Vermont Community Foundation for their support of non-profits, flood survivors, and more.

Male cerulean warbler feeding female. Cerulean Warblers carved by Bob Spear at the Birds of Vermont Museum, Huntington, Vermont. Photograph copyright Caleb Kenna and used by permission.
Male Cerulean Warbler’s offering of food being accepted by female. Birds carved by Bob Spear at the Birds of Vermont Museum, Huntington, Vermont. Photograph copyright Caleb Kenna and used by permission.

July Bird List

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Through the Window: June 2023

Adult Common Grackle tends its juvenile while a Rose-breasted Grosbeak looks on.
Adult Common Grackle tends its juvenile while a Rose-breasted Grosbeak looks on.

Sadly, yes, we are missing the May list. Somehow we managed to neither transcribe nor photograph the list before wiping the board for June. It was amazing, but you don’t have to trust my word for it. Check out the eBird checklists for the May walks.

But time flows on and the birds do their things, so here’s the …

June Bird List

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Through the Window: April 2023

Blue-headed Vireos carved by Bob Spear in the mid 1990s.
Blue-headed Vireos are returning to Vermont. This carving was done by Bob Spear in the mid 1990s.

Funny thing about our April bird list: two common species were not recorded (and one somewhat less frequently seen at from the viewing window, but definitely around). Does that mean they weren’t seen (and if so, where were they)? Or did they really busy themselves elsewhere in the woods?

Do you know which they were? the two I’m thinking of were recorded during our April Bird Monitoring Walk

April Bird List

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Through the Window: March 2023

A Mourning Dove and a Blue Jay face each other across of platform containing black oil sunflower seeds.
A Mourning Dove and a Blue Jay face each other across of platform containing black oil sunflower seeds.

March is all about the this-way-and-that-way dance of winter, spring, and mud seasons. Watch for migrants returning and spring behaviors in, well, everyone. Two things we especially like:

The “Oh sweetie” song of the Black-capped Chickadee.
And those Mourning Dove males who keep getting distracted from eating—instead, they puff up and pace after the females, begging for their attention.

March Bird List

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Through the Window: December 2022

Lifelike wood carving of a Black-capped chickadee, perched on the side of a rough-barked stump. Carved by Bob Spear.
Black-capped Chickadee, carved and painted by Bob Spear.

It’s the end of 2022, and a pretty good year it’s been. We hope the same is true for you.

Thank you for following us, supporting us, and being part of the museum community.

Enjoy the brief list of this month’s birds, consider donating to our annual appeal, and keep on birding!

Happy New Year!

December Bird List

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Through the Window: November 2022

Downy Woodpecker and Blue Jay on a rectangular suet feeder. Photo appears to be a digiscoped image through a binocular lens.
Digiscoping a Downy Woodpecker and Blue Jay sharing a suet feeder. Photo by E. Talmage, and used with permission.

Welcome to the first month of our by-appointment season! It’s sometimes extra quiet around here as we work to catch up on reports, projects, and prepare for our annual appeal. 

And Feederwatch began! We have some volunteers who are wonderfully dedicated to helping the Museum participate in this community science program, so thank you Michele, Megan and Debbie!

November Bird List

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