Category: Observed at the Museum

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January Feeder Birds

Hairy Woodpecker via our FeederCam
Hairy Woodpecker via our FeederCam

At lunch, we like to eat while gazing out of the Viewing Window at the museum.  We keep an unofficial list of birds (mostly) seen at that time, jotting them down on a nearby whiteboard.  Here’s who we saw in January:

  • Downy Woodpeckers
  • Hairy Woodpeckers
  • Black-capped Chickadees
  • Blue Jays
  • White-breasted Nuthatches
  • Red-Breasted Nuthatches
  • Northern Cardinal
  • Mourning Doves
  • Wild Turkeys
  • Tufted Titmice
  • Red Squirrels
  • Gray Squirrels

You can see some of what we see with our FeederCam, too. We also participate in in Project FeederWatch, a more formal way to  collect and record bird data.

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Big Sit! 2009

On Sunday,  October 11, the Museum participated in yet another Big Sit! We recorded a record 31 species! Thanks to Jim for coordinating the event, and all the volunteers who joined in.

the “official”  TIME SHEET for the 2009 “BIG SIT” (Notables inBOLD): Continue reading “Big Sit! 2009”

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Bear v. Feeders. Bear wins.

A 300 pound bear came by last week; only Bob saw it. It shook the bird feeder pole so hard that all the feeders fell down, and the bear destroyed them.

Today Bob dug a hole around the pole and we helped pour cement down the hole, two bags worth, and as soon as it sets up in a day or so, we will be able to leave the feeders out at night again.

Bob also made new hooks for the new feeders so that they are secure against vibration, in case the bear tries it again!

I just finished re-greasing the pole, so squirrels, raccoons, and bears beware!

—from a letter by Ingrid Riga, Curator,  to a sponsor of several of the carving exhibits

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puzzlePalooza puzzle piece finished

BOVM puzzle piece

Ingrid Riga, Museum Curator, has finished painting the puzzle piece for puzzlePalooza. For more infromation about puzzlePalooza see http://vermontartscouncil.org/ProgramsInitiatives/ArtFitsVermont/tabid/67/Default.aspx.

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June 14, 2009 bird walk

Walking on the managed side of the road two birders went for an early morning bird walk and saw Blue Jays (4), Great-crested Flycatcher(2), Downy Woodpecker (3), Song Sparrow(1), House Wren (10), American Crow (2), Evening Grosbeak (2), Eastern Phoebe (1), Hairy Woodpecker(4), Rose-breasted Grosbeak (3), Brown-headed Cowbird (2), Eastern Bluebird (2), White-breasted Nuthatch (1), Brown Creeper (2), Yellow-bellied Sapsucker(3), Eastern Wood Peewee (1), Ovenbird (6), Winter Wren (2), Least Flycatcher(1), American Robin (3), Veery (1), Louisiana Waterthrush (1), Blue0head Vireo(1), TWO WOODCOCK CHICKS!!, Black-throated Blue Warbler (1), Black-throated Green Warbler (1), Red-eyed Vireo(1), Barred Owl (1), Mourning Dove(1), Chipping Sparrow (1), White-throated Sparrow (1), Black-capped Chickadee (3), and a Baltimore Oriole(1).

Our next scheduled bird walks are on June 21 and June 28 at 7:00 am. We will meet in the Museum parking lot, 900 Sherman Hollow Road, Huntington, VT 05462. See http://www.birdsofvermont.org/map.php for directions. Please join is after the walk for bird-friendly coffee.

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May 31st bird walk

On May 31, 2009, a beautiful Sunday morning, we walked on both sides of the road. Our group saw and heard (*heard only) Blue Jay, Eastern Phoebe, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Evening Grosbeak, *Brown Creeper, Scarlet Tanager,*Great-crested Flycatcher,
Hairy Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker,*Belted Kingfisher, Louisiana Waterthrush, *Baltimore Oriole, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, White-breasted Nuthatch, American Crow, *Ovenbird, Wood Thrush, *Black-and-white Warbler, *Veery, Red-eyed Vireo, *Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Black-capped Chickadee, Blackburnian Warbler, Northern Goshawk, Blue-headed Vireo, Tufted Titmouse, Common Grackle, and Ruby-throated Hummingbird.

Our next scheduled bird walks are on June 7, June 21, and June 28 at 7:00 am. We will meet in the Museum parking lot, 900 Sherman Hollow Road, Huntington, VT 05462. See http://www.birdsofvermont.org/map.php for directions. Please join is after the walk for bird-friendly coffee.

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Turkeys continue to visit

 

Wild Turkeys at Feeder
Wild Turkeys at Feeder

In the winter we put insulation on all the Museum windows (to conserve heat). Ingrid cut a small hole in the insulation so we can see what is outside the window before we go out to feed birds. Almost every day there is a flock of Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) enjoying the scattered corn. On January 3rd we counted 19!

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Sharp-shinned Hawk

I heard the blue jays squawking while I was working at the Museum’s website today. I got up and went over to the viewing window, just in time to see a sharp-shinned hawk swoop by! I saw it again later.

What a stroke of luck!

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The Big Sit 2008

from Jim Osborne’s emailed notes:

the “official” TIME SHEET for the 2008 “BIG SIT” (Notables in BOLD):

  1. Eastern Screech-Owl (6:09) – Heard calling from the Green Mountain Audubon Property
  2. Barred Owl (6:09) – 3 birds around from 6:09 through around 6:45. 1 Bird Seen
  3. Dark-eyed Junco (6:39) – Species seen only 5 of 12 hours
  4. Blue Jay (6:39) – Species SEEN ALL 12 hours
  5. American Robin (6:40) – Species SEEN ALL 12 hours
  6. Hermit Thrush (6:40) – Species SEEN ALL 12 hours
  7. Winter Wren (6:42) – Bird seen and heard in the bushes behind the Count Circle
  8. Black-capped Chickadee (6:45) – Species SEEN ALL 12 hours
  9. Mourning Dove (6:51) – Species SEEN 11 out of 12 hours
  10. Hairy Woodpecker (6:53) – Species SEEN ALL 12 hours
  11. Purple Finch (6:55) – Species SEEN 11 out of 12 hours
  12. Common Raven (6:57) – Species SEEN/HEARD only during 4 hours of Count
  13. Red-breasted Nuthatch (6:57) – Species SEEN 9 out of 12 hours
  14. White-breasted Nuthatch (6:58) – Species SEEN 10 out of 12 hours
  15. American Goldfinch (7:04) – Species SEEN 11 out of 12 hours
  16. Pileated Woodpecker (7:05) – Species HEARD ONLY during 3 hours of Count
  17. Tufted Titmouse (7:07) – Species SEEN 10 out of 12 hours
  18. Downy Woodpecker (7:34) – Species SEEN 11 out of 12 hours
  19. SWAINSON’S THRUSH (7:45) – Species in area until around 8:20 A.M.
  20. Golden-crowned Kinglet (7:54) – Species seen only 3 hours during Count
  21. Canada Goose (8:04) – Species SEEN/HEARD during 6 hours of the Count
  22. American Crow (8:28) – Species seen only 5 hours during Count
  23. Ruby-crowned Kinglet (8:46) – Species SEEN only 3 hours during Count
  24. European Starling (9:20) – Small flock flying over was only sighting for the day
  25. INGRID HAWK (9:57) – Officially “Red-tailed“. Seen 3 hours during the Count
  26. Blue-headed Vireo (10:47) – Only 1 bird seen during the 12 hour event
  27. PINE SISKIN (3:57 P.M.) – Small flock stayed around until about 5:30 P.M.
  28. Hooded Merganser (4:44 P.M.) – Pair flew over headed WEST. A good find here.
  29. Brown Creeper (4:51 P.M.) – Pair around Count circle for about 35 minutes
  30. WOOD DUCK (5:01 P.M.) – First time the Count has ever reached the 30 species mark.

Well, we SET A NEW RECORD yesterday. Several NEW species for the Count were added.

Count by HOUR:

  1. 6:00 to 7:00 14 species
  2. 7:00 to 8:00 16 species
  3. 8:00 to 9:00 18 species
  4. 9:00 to 10:00 17 species
  5. 10:00 to 11:00 11 species
  6. 11:00 to 12:00 13 species
  7. 12:00 to 1:00 14 species
  8. 1:00 to 2:00 13 species
  9. 2:00 to 3:00 12 species
  10. 3:00 to 4:00 16 species
  11. 4:00 to 5:00 16 species
  12. 5:00 to 6:00 19 species

SO, the HIGH HOURLY COUNT came at the last minute. Great way to end the day.

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