April 2024 events

Explore mixed art, follow the progression of early spring wildflowers, try a sketching program, let a kid be Eggstatic, or enjoy a bird monitoring walk. We’re selecting art for “the Power of Perspective” in April and it will be open next month!

The Museum is open by appointment November through April. The trails are open sunrise to sunset, every day. Libraries have passes, and admission is always free for members (https://birdsofvermont.org/membership/).

=== APRIL EVENTS ===

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Through the Window: February 2024

A young child in a multi-colored winter coat pours black oil seed into a tray.
A young volunteer fills a bird feeder.

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

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Museum Open for Great Backyard Bird Count

black-capped chickadee eyes black oil birdseed in the platform feeder in fall-winter

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

Ruby-Crowned Kinglet (a small olive warbler with red crown and black-and white on wings) on a bare twig. Text in the image reads "How many birds can you find? 27th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count February 16-19, 2024 birdcount.org Ruby-crowned Kinglet Photo: Mason Maron / Macauley Library"

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:

For more info: https://www.birdcount.org/

Through the Window: December 2023

Wood carving of a Northern Cardinal by Bob Spear. The bird is perched on a bare, slightly branched log. Its body faces the viewer, but it is looking to the viewer's right. The carving is outside (for the photograph), and bare fall trees and leaf-covered ground can be seen in the background.
Northern Cardinal (male); wood carving by Bob Spear

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

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