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.

The 2010 Great Backyard Bird Count, February 12-15

Camel's Hump: view from the Birds of Vermont Museum's backyard
Camel's Hump: view from the Birds of Vermont Museum's backyard

Interested in yet another good reason to go birding? How about the Great Backyard Bird Count? It’s another Citizen Science project we do here, and it’s always open to more participants.

We’ll be open on February 13, Saturday, from 9-4. Come by to learn more about it, to count birds, or just visit.

Here’s a brief introduction from the Cornell Lab or Ornithology’s e-newsletter:

The next Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) takes place Friday, February 12 through Monday, February 15, 2010. The National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology are calling on everyone to “Count for Fun, Count for the Future!” During last year’s count, participants turned in more than 93,600 checklists online, creating the continent’s largest instantaneous snapshot of bird populations ever recorded. …[T]he success of the count depends on people tallying birds from as many locations as possible across the continent.

Spread the word …through our volunteer ambassador program. Volunteer ambassadors do a variety of things, including hanging up GBBC fliers, giving presentations in their community, and even talking to their local media. For more ideas on how to promote the GBBC, fill out the online ambassador sign-up form and specify the kinds of activities you’d like to do.

More info from the National Audubon Society: http://www.audubon.org/gbbc/
or from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/

Work for the Museum, too

We’re seeking two people for part-time jobs, as well. Are you interested? Know someone who is?

Program Coordinator: Assist with member and public communications. Develop, facilitate, and lead program activities.  Cover letter, resume due by February 15, 2010. Part-time (6 hours/week off-season, 12 hours/week from May-October). Starts immediately.
Full description: PDF

Museum Aid: Assist with guest services and daily operations of Museum. Cover letter and resume due by March 1, 2010. Part-time (26 hours/week), May-October.
Full description: PDF

About Project FeederWatch

The Christmas Bird Count isn’t the only citizen science activity that the Museum does. We do Project Feeder Watch, too. It makes for a very pleasant lunchtime: good food and a viewing window (today we saw our first Wild Turkey and Tufted Titmouse of the month). Many of you with feeders at home or work can participate. You can sign up at any time. Here’s an overview from a recent Cornell Lab of Ornithology‘s e-newsletter:

Project FeederWatch

The 2009-10 season of Project FeederWatch begins November 14, though you can sign up at any time. FeederWatchers keep track of their birds through the winter and report their tallies each week. This helps scientists track changes in winter bird populations from year to year.

To learn more and to sign up, visit the Project FeederWatch website. New participants receive a kit with a handbook, a bird-identification poster, calendar, and instruction booklet. There is a $15 fee ($12 for Lab members) to help cover the costs of materials and participant support. If you live in Canada, please visit our partner, Bird Studies Canada, or call (888) 448-2473.

Christmas Bird Count: Woodstock, Vermont

We’re reposting several Christmas Bird Count results from neighboring towns. Email us at museum@birdsofvermont.org if you want us to post yours, too. Final results may also become available on the VTBIRD mailing list and many final tallies are available through Audubon’s 110th Christmas Bird Count pages.

Woodstock, Vermont

Dark-eyed Junco
Dark-eyed Junco

from Sally Laughlin, via e-mail
The Woodstock Count was held on the coldest day of the count period no doubt, Tuesday 12/29….wind-chill to 30 below. Both numbers of individuals and of species suffered (as did us birders!). We had only 32 species and 2227 individuals. But we had some firsts for our 35 year old count!

Species unusual for our count were:

Cedar Waxwing, 230- located in front of the Woodstock Elementary School
Snow Bunting, 12 – seen in both Plymouth (3) and South Woodstock (9)
Green Winged Teal, 1 – a first for our count
Red-bellied Woodpecker, 1 – at a feeder on River Road, Killington
Pied-billed Grebe, 1 a first for our count, in an open pool in the Sherburne Marsh, Killington
Savannah Sparrow, 1 – in Woodstock

Species usually located on the Count, by numbers sighted:

Black-capped Chickadee, 608;
Blue Jay, 287;
European Starling, 229;
American Goldfinch, 188;
Mourning Dove, 130;
Dark-eyed Junco, 92;
Wild Turkey, 55;
American Crow, 52;
Mallard, 47;
White-breasted Nuthatch, 47;
Rock Pigeon, 45;
House Sparrow, 38;
Downy Woodpecker, 29;
Tufted Titmouse, 28;
Hairy Woodpecker, 22;
Northern Cardinal, 21;
American Tree Sparrow, 17;
House Finch, 14;
Raven, 11;
Purple Finch, 9;
Red-tailed Hawk, 3;
Ruffed Grouse, 3;
Black Duck, 2;
Brown Creeper, 2;
Red-breasted Nuthatch, 1;

accipiter sp., glimpsed by a feeder watcher catching a Mourning Dove,
unfortunately not identified to species.

Christmas Bird Count: Barnet, Northeast Kingdom, Vermont

Blue Jay
Blue Jay

We’re reposting several Christmas Bird Count results from neighboring towns. Email us at museum@birdsofvermont.org if you want us to post yours, too. Final results may also become available on the VTBIRD mailing list and/or at Audubon’s 110th Christmas Bird Count pages.

Barnet, Vermont

from Thomas Berriman, via e-mail
Barnet CBC, New Year’s Day:  A record high 23 participants helped count the birds of the Northeast Kingdom on New Year’s day. Absolutely gorgeous weather, 25 degrees [F] with light snow falling and no winds throughout the day, aided the counters to find 41 species with an additional 2 species during count week. 338 miles of roads in the NEK were traveled with another 13 ¾ miles on foot.

Highlights

Among some of the highlights were: 1 Common Goldeneye, 3 Adult Bald Eagles, 2 Cooper’s Hawks, 2 Great black-backed Gulls, 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker, 5 American Robins, 2 Northern Shrikes and 1 White-throated Sparrow. A complete list of birds seen or heard follows.

Count Results

Continue reading “Christmas Bird Count: Barnet, Northeast Kingdom, Vermont”

Christmas Bird Count: Rutland County, Vermont

We’re reposting several Christmas Bird Count results from neighboring towns. Email us at museum@birdsofvermont.org if you want us to post yours, too. Final results may become available on the VTBIRD mailing list and/or at Audubon’s 110th Christmas Bird Count pages. We’ll be happy to post final tallies when we receive them.

Rutland County, Vermont

from Roy Pilcher, via e-mail
RUTLAND COUNTY AUDUBON COUNT # 110/36
Boxing Day proved to be an unfortunate choice of date for our 36th annual Christmas Bird Count. Observer participation was negatively impacted. The traditional 8 field teams was reduced to 7, and their own. The anticipated sleet and rain did not materialize but winds of from 10-15 mph with gusts of 30-35 mph appeared to depress avian activity.

6333 individual birds were recorded, considerably less than the ten year running average of 9103. The species count of 43 (with 5 on Count Week) was well below the ten year running average of 49.5. Mallard and Common Merganser numbers set new highs.

White-breasted Nuthatch on suet
White-breasted Nuthatch

Species

Continue reading “Christmas Bird Count: Rutland County, Vermont”

Christmas Bird Count: Huntington, Hinesburg and Starksboro, Vermont (preliminary)

We’re reposting several preliminary Christmas Bird Count results from neighboring towns. Email us at museum@birdsofvermont.org if you want us to post yours, too. Final results may become available on the VTBIRD mailing list and/or at Audubon’s 110th Christmas Bird Count pages. We’ll be happy to post final tallies when we receive them.

Huntington, Hinesburg and Starksboro, Vermont (preliminary)

Red-breasted Nuthatch, turning to look at photographer
Red-breasted Nuthatch, turning to look at photographer

from Erin Talmage (Museum Executive Director) and Alison Wagner, via e-mail. Our group was in parts of Huntington, Hinesburg and Starksboro, and we conducted our count on Saturday, January 2, 2010.

Species

Continue reading “Christmas Bird Count: Huntington, Hinesburg and Starksboro, Vermont (preliminary)”

Christmas Bird Count: Lake Champlain/St. Albans (VTCS Count Circle), Vermont (preliminary)

Black-capped Chickadee
Black-capped Chickadee

We’re reposting several preliminary Christmas Bird Count results from neighboring towns. Email us at museum@birdsofvermont.org if you want us to post yours, too. Final results may become available on the VTBIRD mailing list and/or at Audubon’s 110th Christmas Bird Count pages. We’ll be happy to post final tallies when we receive them.

Lake Champlain/St. Albans, Vermont (preliminary)

from Ken Copenhaver, via e-mail
Here are preliminary results from the Lake Champlain/St. Albans CBC held on Dec. 20. Counts from several groups, including feeder-watchers, are not yet available. The VTCS count circle includes North Hero, Isle La Motte, and parts of Alburgh, Swanton, St. Albans, Georgia, Grand Isle, and Point Au Roche (NY).

Species

Continue reading “Christmas Bird Count: Lake Champlain/St. Albans (VTCS Count Circle), Vermont (preliminary)”