What’s in Our Feeders?

Visitors often ask us what we feed the birds. We currently have several feeding locations: the ground (including up on some rocks), crabapple trees, and elevated seed and suet feeders. We also hang oriole and hummingbird feeders in summer.

On the ground, we sprinkle kernel corn and mixed seeds, to attract turkeys, sparrows, juncos, blackbirds, and others. Not only do we sprinkle this by the viewing area, but in the summer Bob scatters corn by the pond for resident and visiting waterfowl (although the turkeys appreciate it too).

The crabapple tree produces small, cheery-sized apples, which attracts grouse and many of the smaller birds who also visit our feeders. This tree is visible in the photo below, in the background behind the feeders. There are other crabapples and feral apples on the property (that’s another post, someday).

The hummingbird feeders are hung just outside the viewing window and another outside the front door, but those are removed for the winter. We usually see hummingbirds during the first week of May, and they typically leave the first week in September. We do keep the feeders up through most of September, to support those migrating from points north.

Our upper feeders hold (generally) black oil sunflower seed, sunflower chips, mixed seeds, thistle, and suet. These attract a wide variety of birds, from doves to jays, grosbeaks to finches, woodpeckers, nuthatches, and many more. We hang a jelly feeder for orioles in the summer also. Check out our birds at the feeder posts for records of what we’ve seen when (a click on those post titles will take you to the posts and any pictures as well).

Our webcam shows a few of our upper feeders; this image is from a sunny morning in November 2010.

Four Feeders (visible with web cam), food types labelled
Four Feeders (visible with web cam), food types labeled. The crabapple tree is the red-dotted one in the background behind the mixed seed feeder.

Our elevated feeders–the ones in the photo–are mounted on a 4″-diameter steel pole, 8 feet above the ground. The pole is set in concrete, and has a baffle beneath. We grease the pole every now and then. Most feeders are hung above the cross-bar part of the pole, although occasionally we will hang a feeder below.

Why all the elevated infrastructure? In a word, bears.

It is recommended that people in bear country not feed birds when bears are awake, especially early in the year when they are just awakening and are hungry after hibernation. For us in Vermont, this is roughly April 1 through November 1. However, as a Bird Museum, we also want to attract birds so visitors can enjoy them as we do, not to mention learning about and from them. Thus: tall, greased poles than black bears can’t knock over. (They have tried…)

Through the Window: November Feeder Birds – and Others

What a lovely month! We started this winter’s Feeder Watch, and had a few notable visitors. Here’s the month’s list, more or less in the order spotted.

Black-capped Chickadee Carving
Black-capped Chickadee
  • Black-capped Chickadee
  • Blue Jay
  • Fox Sparrow
  • White-throated Sparrow
  • Tufted Titmouse
  • Hairy Woodpecker
  • Dark-eyed Junco
  • White-breasted Nuthatch
  • Ruffed Grouse
  • Downy Woodpecker
  • Mourning Dove
  • Evening Grosbeak
  • American Goldfinch
  • Red-breasted nuthatch
  • Wild Turkey
  • Northern Cardinal
  • Rusty Blackbird
  • American Tree Sparrow

And of course, both the Gray and Red squirrels “assisted” with the corn and seed on the ground…

Thanksgiving Special Open Days & Gift Shop Sale

Bring your visiting family members to the Museum for an enjoyable outing, from 10 am–4 pm, November 26- 27 (Friday and Saturday).  Start (or finish) your holiday shopping in the Museum gift shop. Great discounts!

Fee: Admission (free for members!)

Most fun for: Friends, family, out-of-town visitors, shoppers, carvers, artists, and turkeys. OK, maybe not the turkeys.

Thanksgiving Special Open Days & Sale at the Birds of Vermont Museum

Identify the bird: Carving

Can you guess what bird Bob Spear will make from this block?  Hints may follow in later posts or comments, but please don’t let that keep you from sharing your ideas.

the Uncarved Block
the Uncarved Block

Identify the bird: Rusty Blackbird? Common Grackle?

possible a Rusty Blackbird (but not in fall plumage?) or Common Grackle (but that tail is too short)
Possibly a Rusty Blackbird (but not in fall plumage?) or Common Grackle (but that tail is too short?)

Can you help with this bird? It has features of a Rusty Blackbird and of a Common Grackle according to our research in Sibley’s and the National Geographic field guides, and our experienced birders Bob Spear and Gale Lawrence.

The photos were taken on a rainy day (October 29) through our viewing window, so they are a bit low-light and there are occasional water drops.

You can click on the images in the slideshow below to see five different pictures (including a bigger version of the one to the left).

[slideshow]

Northern Cardinal Carving Class

We are really looking forward to this coming Saturday’s carving class.  David Tuttle of the Green Mountain Woodcarvers will be teaching it, which means a great combination of experience and fun. He’ll provide the cardinal wood blank and eyes; the Museum will offer snacks and coffee. Northern Cardinal Carving Class at the Birds of Vermont MuseumThe cardinal can stand alone or become a holiday ornament (as in the picture). There’s still some time to pre-register! Call (802) 434-2167 or email us at museum@birdsofvermont.org; you can bring payment to the class or pay by phone. (Aside: do you think we should we enable PayPal?)

If you take this class, please bring your lunch and your own carving tools. Some carving tools may be for sale–let us know when you register. The fee is $25 for Birds of Vermont Museum members / $35 non-members.

Class starts at 9:00am and goes until 4:00pm. Best for older kids and adults, and beginners are welcome.

Through the Window: October Birds at the Feeders

If you’ve been to see us, you know that we record these birds on a whiteboard by the viewing window. The handwriting on the board is varied, as staff, volunteers, and even visitors will jot down the common name of birds they see. This month, against the final changes in foliage, we noted:

Brown Creeper, carved by Robert N. Spear, Jr.
Brown Creeper, wood carving by Robert N. Spear, Jr.
  • Red-breasted Nuthatch
  • Dark-eyed Junco
  • Blue Jay
  • Evening Grosbeak
  • Black-capped chickadee
  • American Goldfinch
  • White-crowned sparrow
  • Cooper’s Hawk
  • Purple Finch (male)
  • American Crow
  • Mourning Dove
  • Downy Woodpecker
  • White-throated Sparrow
  • Tufted Titmouse
  • Brown Creeper
  • Fox Sparrow
  • Ruffed Grouse
  • Song Sparrow
  • Rusty Blackbirds (unless they were Common Grackles?)

Birding the Basin: Results from October 24

The weather on October 24th was rain, rain, and then some more rain. And chilly! But 9 intrepid birders traveled the Champlain Valley Basin, checking the skies, fields, and puddles for birds (migrating and otherwise). It was lots of fun and there was a lot of laughter. Thank you, Shirley, for providing us this list! Birds are listed in the order seen.

  • American Crow
  • European Starling
  • House Sparrow
  • Canada Goose
  • American Kestrel
  • Mourning Dove
  • Rock Pigeons
  • Northern Harrier
  • Song Sparrow
  • Blue Jay
  • American Robin
  • Snow Goose
  • White-crowned Sparrow
  • Northern Cardinal
  • White-breasted nuthatch
  • Black-capped Chickadee
  • Dark-eyed Junco
  • Ring-billed Gull
  • Black-crowned night heron
  • Wood Duck
  • American Goldfinch
  • Red-winged Blackbird
  • Mallard
  • American Black Duck
  • Green-winged Teal
  • Northern Pintail
  • White-throated Sparrow
  • Blue-winged Teal
  • Red-tailed Hawk
  • Surf Scoter
  • Horned Grevbe
  • Common Loon
  • Cooper’s Hawk
  • Great Black-backed Gull (not a Black Duck as I’d earlier mis-read the note –Kir)
  • Downy Woodpecker
  • Wild Turkey
  • Great Blue Heron
  • Northern Flicker

If you are on FaceBook, and you have photos, feel free to post them on the event Wall (Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=148202475222276 ). We’re also happy to link any online photos to this post if you send us the link.

Letter to Young Artists

Guest post by Lori Hinrichsen, Artist, Photographer, and Judge of the 2010 Art Contest

When I walked into the Museum the other day I was thrilled to be surrounded by so much creativity, imagery, and enthusiasm of all the artwork entries. From abstract to representational, from humor, composition, color and form, to a range of creative interpretation, the Birds of Vermont Museum Art contest was a delight for the eyes.

I want to congratulate all of you who participated in the event and I genuinely wish I could have given each of you a ribbon for all your wonderful entries. I would like to encourage you to keep making art and sharing it with others. I would like to extend gratitude to your teachers, parents, neighbors, friends and family for keeping the arts alive, every day.

Wishing you a warm lingering autumn. Vermont is a very special place in all seasons.

Lori Hinrichson

Lori’s WebsitePhotographs