Our Blog

Posted on

Christmas Bird Count: Randolph, 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.

Randolph, Vermont

The third Randolph CBC was conducted on Dec. 19, tallying 34 species/2094 individuals. Temperature at sunrise was -12[°F], only warming to -7 by 10:30 AM on Braintree Hill, eventually rising to a balmy +17. Numbers would have likely been lower this year without the addition of several new feeder watchers. The single new species for the count was a Carolina Wren which showed up at my feeder 3 days before the count, and is still present. (Luckily I [the poster] have the bird on video, negating the need for me to ask myself for a rare bird documentation form).
Continue reading “Christmas Bird Count: Randolph, Vermont (preliminary)”

Posted on

Christmas Bird Count: Ferrisburgh, Vermont (preliminary)

We’ll be reposting several preliminary Christmas Bird Count results from our 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.

Ferrisburgh, Preliminary Results

posted to VTBIRD on December 23, 2009
The 50th Ferrisburgh Christmas Bird Count took place on Sat. Dec. 19th. About 45 people participated in field or at feeders, yielding a preliminary total of 71 species (listed below), plus a count period Osprey.

Highlights included:

VEERY
 REDHEAD
 LONG-EARED OWL

Data are still subject to verification and may change, and [the poster hasn’t] yet had a chance to add up numbers.

SPECIES LIST:

Continue reading “Christmas Bird Count: Ferrisburgh, Vermont (preliminary)”

Posted on

Art Contest 2009 Results

Some of our terrific entries on display in the Museum
Some of our terrific entries on display in the Museum

We’ve created a FaceBook Album to show the winning entries from our 2009 Art Contest. Many thanks to all artists, and to their parents and teachers who supported and encouraged them.

Our 2009 wining artists are:

Age 0-5:  Clayton M, Natalia G, and Kate J
Ages 6-8: Syd F, Brandon B, Joanna W, Connor O, Daniel C, Jessica B, Jonah J, Josh D, Logan W, Olivia C, Olivia V, Owen Z
Ages 9-13: Clarisse H, Georgia W, Ashley M, Austin B, and Hannah M
Ages 14-18: Madeline D, Bridget F, Leighsha J, Chiara E, Emmy T

And some special categories:

3-Dimensional: Austin V, Esme C, Hannah M and Jason H
Foil Art: Haley T, Olivia R, Kristina T, Dania A, Jordan A and Justine M

We had a few additional artists deserving mention:

Morgan B for the “Best Bird Part” (a beak); Cadence B for “Best Indigo Bunting”, Kelly W for “Funniest Penguin” and Yasmine N for the “Hummingbird Award”.

More great entries in our 2009 Art Contest
More great entries in our 2009 Art Contest
Posted on

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”

Posted on

Not the eagle you might have expected

Bob and about 40 friends and members of the Museum celebrated his upcoming 90th birthday with a boat cruise on Lake Champlain. It was wonderful, and many said to me afterwards that this would be a fun thing to do annually.

Our carload arrived really early and we were involved with a rescue operation. Someone saw an eagle land in the water and flap around unable to fly away. The skipper and 4 of us went out looking for this bird, and we searched and searched. We had a net and 4 blankets for the rescue. All we found was a large juvenile gull sitting on a huge dead fish floating on the surface, and he flew off when we came near and then returned as we left. So much for eagles in distress! We had a good laugh.

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

Posted on

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

Posted on

Bug Walk: July 5th

This Sunday, July 5, 2009, the Vermont Entomological Society will hold its FREE annual Bug Walk at the Birds of Vermont Museum, 10:30 – 12. Join Vermont naturalists and entomologists in a first-hand experience of seeing Vermont’s butterflies and other insects up close.

Participants will have free admission to the Museum that day, so come join us on the only day this week guaranteed (er, highly likely) to be sunny! The fields across the road will be swept with butterfly nets to find all kinds of miniscule critters and butterflies, and maybe some surprises. Feel free to bring binoculars and an insect net if you have one.

Bring a picnic lunch and make a day of it. There are picnic tables by the Museum and one more at the pond–where you can see tadpoles, frogs and salamanders (maybe a turtle), not to mention all sorts of water insects.

Should be loads of fun! If it is raining on the day of the walk, call the Museum (802)-434-2167 to see if we’ve rescheduled.

Posted on

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.

Posted on

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.

Posted on

Museum paints puzzle piece as part of Puzzle Palooza

A partially finished puzzle piece for Puzzle Palooza!
A partially finished puzzle piece for Puzzle Palooza!

The Birds of Vermont is working on a puzzle piece for Puzzle Palooza!

See www.vermontartscouncil.org for more information.

The puzzle piece is under construction and is being painted by Museum Curator, Ingrid Riga!

Privacy Policy