Post by Gianni Maffessanti, High School Intern, Spring 2023
Salamanders are a common sighting on the trails of the Birds of Vermont Museum. The Eastern Newt is a salamander that can be found throughout the Eastern United States. Continue reading “The Eastern Newt”
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?
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.
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!
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.
As the risk of avian flu declined, we looked at the information out from Vermont Fish & Wildlife and Cornell Lab of Ornithology. We had been using the hummingbird feeders (they’re so territorial!); then we put out just the cylinder feeder late this month. Right away some of our “usual suspects” were at it!
Of note this month was our Community Day and a sighting of a sandpiper up at our pond. That’s not too uncommon, although it doesn’t always get noted on the Viewing Window list!