March often feels like everything is hurtling towards change. Welcome to spring…even if if it often doesn’t feel like spring at all.
Through the Window: March 2024
Through the Window: February 2024
One of the neat things about February is that both Feederwatch and the Great Backyard Bird Count happen that month. People come into the museum to watch from our windows (it’s usually warmer than outside) and to learn about birds from the carvings. (The birds don’t fly away! So helpful!)
What would you like to learn next about birds?
February Bird List
Through the Window: January 2024
Fun to see a Pine Siskin this month! And thirteen other species…fifteen if you look at all the observations records around the Museum (we’re such a hot spot!). Nice set of winter birds.
January Bird List
Museum Open for Great Backyard Bird Count
Visit us February 17th, 2024, to see what birds we’re counting for the Great Backyard Bird Count!
- Learn to ID birds — what do we look / listen for?
- Go birding with a friend — twice the fun
- Find out more about –and record observations for–this great citizen science project!
We’re open from 10-4 on Saturday for the GBBC
Members admission: Free!
About the GBBC:
Friday – Monday, February 16-19, 2024 • All Over the World
From the Great Backyard Bird Count website:
Launched in 1998 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, the Great Backyard Bird Count was the first online citizen-science project to collect data on wild birds and to display results in near real-time.
Since then, more than 100,000 people of all ages and walks of life have joined the four-day count each February to create an annual snapshot of the distribution and abundance of birds.
For more info visit Great Backyard Bird Count website
The Great Backyard Bird Count
Friday – Monday, February 16-19, 2024 • All Over the World
With a friend or one your own, watching one bird or counting hundreds, join a worldwide community-science and conservation project! All you have to do is observe for 15 minutes and submit your observation(s). Here are few details from https://www.birdcount.org/participate/ :
Step 1 – Decide where you will watch birds. [Suggestion: at the Museum on Saturday!]
Step 2 – Watch birds for 15 minutes or more, at least once over the four days, February 16-19, 2024.
Step 3 – Count all the birds you see or hear within your planned time/location and use the best tool for sharing your bird sightings:
- If you are a beginning bird admirer and new to the count, try using the Merlin Bird ID app.
- If you have participated in the count before, try eBird Mobile app or enter your bird list on the eBird website (desktop/laptop).
- If you are participating as a group, see instructions for Group Counting.
For more info: https://www.birdcount.org/
Through the Window: December 2023
December was a bit wet this year. We were fine (still watching how the streams flow around and under our various bridges, of course). People seemed to be enjoying staying in Gale’s Retreat, and we certainly have enjoyed our walks in the woods to check on it before and after the guests.
One heavy wet snowfall took out more main branches from the crabapple tree. We’ll see how the Ruffed Grouse adapt to that.
December Bird List
Through the Window: November 2023
November is often pretty quiet; we get wrapped up in the Race, with working indoors with our Annual Appeal, with staff getting some breaks for holidays. The birds don’t care!
It’s an amusing treat to watch the Ruffed Grouse reach for each small decorative crabapple fruit, dried and frozen though they may be.
November Bird List
Through the Window: October 2023
The viewing window is only part of the October picture. We also had the Big Sit! Such a great day to be birding … chilly, rainy, but with friends.
October Bird Lists
Through the Window: September 2023
It’s the last month for the Hummingbirds (for the year). Nevertheless, they delighted those who sat at the Viewing Window this month, as the “Hummers” continued to defend “their” feeders!
Not only that, but we saw some unusual-for-the-feeder-area birds as well. Read on to find out what species they were…
September Bird List
Through the Window: August 2023
It’s so delightful to be outside and have birds in the trees around you. As you know, though, some days we’re busy with our wonderful visitors. So we observe from inside, through our viewing window. And create these lists!