![Downy Woodpecker and Blue Jay on a rectangular suet feeder. Photo appears to be a digiscoped image through a binocular lens.](https://cpanel3.neonova.net/~wwwbirdsofvt/wpsite2017/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Digitscoping-EKT-Nov2020-300x300.jpg)
It seems like it would be a good month for turkeys, but somehow we didn’t see them…
where natural history meets art
It seems like it would be a good month for turkeys, but somehow we didn’t see them…
October is one of our favorite months. It’s not that there’s a larger diversity of birds (that’s June), but it’s the month with the Big Sit! For us that means birders, friends (some of course are both!), birding, relaxing, bird-friendly coffee, conversation, and probably too many cider doughnuts.
Continue reading “Through the Window: October 2021 (and Big Sit)”
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We’re saying farewell to the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds this month…like we do to the autumn leaves. These photos were taken by Erin Talmage of a Ruby-throated Hummingbird male’s neck and back feathers, using different angles of light.
We continued to be light on the feeding this month, as we tried to do our bit to reduce or limit the spread of the mysterious disease we’d heard of—encouraging the equivalent of “social distancing” for birds. This disease had not been reported in Vermont. By the end of the month, we had resumed a very limiting feeding schedule. Continue reading “Through the Window: August 2021”
We stopped feeding birds this month, as we waited to hear more about a mysterious disease affecting eyes (at least) in birds in the mid-west/mid-Atlantic regions. However, we did see rather a good selection of birds as usual until then!
Continue reading “Through the Window: July 2021”
So many birds. So little time.
We went out on the trails, watched from the windows, kept filling the bird feeders…
We had quite a bit of fun online and in the woods this month. Still, it’s always pleasant to sit and watch birds at the window, over staff lunch or morning coffee with some fellow birders. And April is always kinda wowza!
We had rather a good number of visitors (by appointment) as we worked away on the behind-the-scenes things we do (preparing for opening in spring, if all goes well). One of our month’s highlights wasn’t birds at all, but lady beetles! You can read more about them here: https://birdsofvermont.org/2021/03/12/lady-beetles-in-vermont-j-pupko/
But back to birds… quite the exciting mix!
Aside from about a gazillion redpolls (I’m sure that’s a technical measure), not too much unusual for winter birds at the Museum this month. Our list is below!
One thing we love about January is the potential for surprises. Irruptions, mutli-species flocks, or interesting marks in the snow can all happen. Which bird might we get to see this month? Will we be lucky enough to see it from the window? Will there be many? Which ones would we expect and not see after all? Each possibility is a delight.