Tag: birdwatching

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Through the Window: September 2012 Bye-bye, (Humming) Birdie

Last of the Hummingbirds! We’re confident that our feeding of them didn’t slow their departure; rather, feeding seems to supplement migrating birds rather than delay them.  If you’re curious about what we saw in high summer, you can see that list too. Bold birds are the ones we didn’t record last month.

  • American Goldfinch
  • Mourning Dove
  • Hairy Woodpecker
  • Downy Woodpecker
  • House Finch (female)
  • Black-capped Chickadee
  • Ruby-throated Hummingbird (female last seen 9/15/2012)
  • Blue Jay
  • Northern Cardinal
  • White-throated Sparrow
  • Red-breasted Nuthatch
  • Rose-breasted Grosbeak
  • Purple Finch
  • Tufted Titmouse
  • White-breasted Nuthatch
  • American Crow
  • Evening Grosbeak
  • Wild Turkey
  • Cooper’s Hawk
  • Northern Flicker

Some typical (and observed) wee neighbors:

  • Red squirrel
  • Gray Squirrel
  • Chipmunks

You can always compare our informal list to other area records on eBird—that’s where we record the observations from our monthly bird monitoring walks (thanks to our wonderful volunteer MM) . We will be part of Project Feederwatch this winter of course, as well as the Great Backyard Bird Count.

The “Through the Window” series is an informal record of observations made by staff, volunteers, and visitors. Anyone at the Museum may add to this list. Observations are usually through our viewing window: a large window with a film to make it more difficult for birds to see the watchers. We have chairs and binoculars to try there, a white board and many identification guides, and several feeders outside on a single, bear-resistant pole, as well as a small pond, flowers and water plants, shrubs and trees. You can sometimes see what we see via our webcam.

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Through the Window: August 2012 : A rainbow of feathers

Did we get every color of the rainbow, Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo Violet?
Here’s the month’s list, more or less in the order observed. You can compare it to last month’s if you like.

  • American Goldfinch
  • Red-winged Blackbird
  • Mourning Dove
  • Hairy Woodpecker
  • Downy Woodpecker
  • House Finch (female)
  • Black-capped Chickadee
  • Common Grackle
  • Ruby-throated Hummingbird
  • Blue Jay
  • Northern Goshawk
  • Purple Finch
  • Black-billed Cuckoo (near mailbox)
  • Northern Cardinal
  • White-throated Sparrow (on the ground)
  • Rose-breasted Grosbeaks (male and female)
  • Tufted Titmouse
  • Common Yellowthroat (female, at the tiny frog pond in the feeder area)
  • Red-breasted Nuthatch
  • Evening Grosbeak
  • Sharp-shinned Hawk

The Cuckoo and Yellowthroat were a treat to see! Common Yellowthroats are usually on the other side of the Museum or across the road near our meadow.  The Cuckoos are more rarely seen or heard altogether.

The “Through the Window” series is an informal record of observations made by staff, volunteers, and visitors. Anyone at the Museum may add to this list. Observations are usually through our viewing window: a large window with a film to make it more  difficult for birds to see the watchers. We have chairs and binoculars to try there, a white board and many identification guides, and several feeders outside on a single, bear-resistant pole, as well as a small pond, flowers and water plants, shrubs and trees. You can sometimes see what we see via our webcam.

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Through the Window: July 2012 is for Fledglings

We list them on our white board in the order we see them (more or less, since the usually the first several are from the first day of the month). We put the ones not seen last month in bold.

  • Common Grackle
  • Red-winged Blackbird
  • Mourning Dove
  • Rose-breasted Grosbeak
  • Blue Jay
  • Ruby-throated Hummingbird
  • Brown-headed Cowbird
  • American Crow
  • Baltimore Oriole
  • Hairy Woodpecker
  • Downy Woodpecker
  • American Goldfinch
  • Black-capped Chickadee
  • Tufted Titmouse
  • Northern Goshawk (and on 7/23, observed it taking a Mourning Dove!)
  • Black-billed Cuckoo (by the pond)
  • Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (nest and fledglings in the tree beyond the picnic table, later filmed by Linda Hurd for us)
  • House Finch
  • Eastern Phoebe
  • Indigo Bunting
  • Purple Finch

Some other intriguing and special notes:

  • Red squirrel
  • Gray Squirrel
  • Chipmunks
  • Sphinx Moth (at first mistaken for a Hummingbird!)
  • and a baby Skunk

The “Through the Window” series is an informal record of observations made by staff, volunteers, and visitors. Anyone at the Museum may add to this list. Observations are usually through our viewing window: a large window with a film to make it more difficult for birds to see the watchers. We have chairs and binoculars to try there, a white board and many identification guides, and several feeders outside on a single, bear-resistant pole, as well as a small pond, flowers and water plants, shrubs and trees. You can sometimes see what we see via our webcam.

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Through the Window: June 2012 Goshawks, Sapsuckers, and Skunks Oh My!

Did you know we just list them in the order we see them? Usually the first several are from the first day of the month. We put the ones not seen last month in bold.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (male). Carved by Bob Spear in 1985.
  • American Crow (6/4/12 fly – over, 6/22/12 juveniles under feeder)
  • Blue Jay
  • Black-capped Chickadee
  • Evening Grosbeak
  • Wild Turkey
  • American Robin
  • Mourning Dove
  • Common Grackle
  • Rose-breasted Grosbeak
  • Brown-headed Cowbird
  • Red-winged Blackbird
  • Purple Finch
  • Tufted Titmouse
  • Downy Woodpecker (6/27/12 downy with young feeding)
  • Hairy Woodpecker
  • Baltimore Oriole (6/22/12)
  • Ruby-throated Hummingbird (5/5/12 FOY male)
  • Northern Cardinal (male & female)
  • Goshawk (6/13/12 chasing 3 crows, 6/21/12 perched in the tree above picnic table)
  • Sapsucker (6/21/12 & 6/22/12 nestlings calling for food, nest hole visible from picnic tables)
  • Black Bear (6/14/12 @ 12:30 pm stayed about 3 minutes until the sound of the door scared it off)
  • Skunk (6/29/12)
  • Gray Squirrels
  • Red Squirrels
  • Chipmunks

*FOY stands for First Of Year.

Skunk visiting bird feeders on June 29, 2012
Skunk visiting bird feeders on June 29, 2012

You can always compare this list to other months, or check out sightings in the area on eBird.

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Highlights of the June 3rd Early Morning Bird Walk

a guest post by Mae M

After yesterday’s rain it was perfect weather this morning for a leisurely walk along the forest trails behind the museum.  Five birders enjoyed great looks at Ovenbirds, a Hermit thrush, a Blackburnian warbler, a Yellow-rumped warbler and two Yellow-bellied sapsuckers. The Northern flicker nesting near the museum also made several appearances for our delight.

After the walk we enjoyed coffee and cake seated in front of the viewing window while Rose-breasted grosbeaks and Ruby-throated hummingbirds came in to the feeders. What could be better than that?!

Our next Early Morning Bird Walk will take place on Sunday, June 10 at 7:00-8:30. Won’t you join us? Continue reading “Highlights of the June 3rd Early Morning Bird Walk”

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Through the Window: May 2012 is rich in color

Did you know we just list them in the order we see them? Usually the first several are from the first day of the month.Our board looks like this:

Through the Window (May 2012)
A white board, a window, some feeders and some staff and volunteers: put ’em together and you have a loose record of birds

We put the ones not seen last month in bold.

  • Black-capped chickadee
  • Blue Jay
  • American Goldfinch
  • Red-winged Blackbird
  • Pine Siskin
  • Hairy Woodpecker
  • Mourning Dove
  • Common Grackle
  • Rose-breasted Grosbeak
  • Brown-headed Cowbird
  • Red-breasted Nuthatch
  • Chipping Sparrow
  • Tufted Titmouse
  • Evening Grosbeak
  • Downy Woodpecker
  • Red-tailed Hawk (flew over May 4)
  • White-crowned Sparrow
  • Ruby-throated Hummingbird (FOY* 5/5/12 male; female on 5/9/12. Also seen in E. Dorset 5/3/12)
  • Sharp-shinned Hawk (5/5/12 Caught a bird!)
  • Black-throated Green Warbler (in parking lot 5/3/12)
  • American Robin
  • House Finch
  • Northern Oriole (5/11/12)
  • Northern Cardinal
  • Purple Finch
  • Starling
  • Red squirrel
  • Gray Squirrel
  • Chipmunks

* FOY stands for First of Year.

You can always compare this list to other months, or check out sightings in the area on eBird.

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Through the Window: April 2012 Birds in the thick of spring

Did you know we just list them in the order we see them? Usually the first several are from the first day of the month. We put the ones not seen last month in bold. We’ll try to be more consistent with that!

Brown-headed Cowbird (male). Carved by Bob Spear in 1982
Brown-headed Cowbird (male). Carved by Bob Spear in 1982
  • American Goldfinch
  • Red-winged blackbird
  • Black-capped chickadee
  • Blue Jay
  • Hairy Woodpecker
  • Downy Woodpecker
  • Mourning Dove
  • Common Grackle
  • Tufted Titmouse
  • Wild Turkey
  • Eastern Phoebe
  • Pine Siskin
  • Dark-eyed Junco
  • American Robin
  • Brown-head Cowbird (FOY* 4/12)
  • American Crow (2 on 4/21)
  • Evening Grosbeaks (male and female)
  • White-throated Sparrow
  • Purple Finch
  • Rose-breasted Grosbeak (male, FOY)
  • Spotted Salamander (8 eggs noted March 31, and a headless adult in the small pond)
  • Red squirrel
  • Gray Squirrel
  • Chipmunks

* FOY stands for First of Year.

You can always compare this list to last April, or check out sightings in the area on eBird. The wood frogs eggs seen in March may have gotten a little too dry, but some live frog (moving too fast and hiding too well to be identified) was seen in the small feeder area pond this month as well.

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Through the Window: March 2012 – Early Spring Sightings

More birds! Did we have more time to watch? More visitors? Or is this the sign of spring? It was an extremely warm March, after all.

  • An Early Spring View from Our Window (the webcam portion)
    An Early Spring View from Our Window

    Wild Turkey

  • Black-capped chickadee
  • Dark-eyed Junco
  • Blue Jay
  • American Goldfinch
  • Tufted Titmouse
  • Northern Cardinal
  • Hairy Woodpecker
  • Red-breasted Nuthatch
  • Downy Woodpecker (both male and female observed and noted)
  • Mourning Dove
  • American Robin
  • White-breasted Nuthatch
  • Brown Creeper
  • Red-winged Blackbird (3/8 FOY*)
  • Common Grackle (3/9 FOY)
  • Pine Siskin (3/10)
  • American Crow
  • Eastern Phoebe (heard 3/20 FOY; heard also the day before in Hanksville and then seen 3/31)
  • Northern Goshawk (flew by 3/24)
  • Song Sparrow
  • Purple Finch

Other wonderful neighbors:

  • Wood frogs (3/23 in pond!)
  • Gray Squirrels
  • Red Squirrels

* FOY = First of Year

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Through the Window: February 2012 Birds and Others

American Goldfinch Male (photo by Anna Marie Gavin, Intern, 2011)
American Goldfinch Male (photo by Anna Marie Gavin, Intern, 2011). The ones seen through the winter are still a deep olive, not yet yellowgold...

The goldfinch plumage is getting crisper, but is not yet gold… here’s the February list of birds and others seen through our windows.

  • Blue Jay
  • Black-capped chickadee
  • Hairy Woodpecker
  • Downy Woodpecker
  • American Goldfinch
  • Northern Cardinal
  • Dark-eyed Junco (a.k.a. Snowbird)
  • American Crow
  • Wild Turkey
  • Red-breasted Nuthatch
  • Tufted Titmouse
  • Ruffed Grouse
  • Mourning Dove
  • Purple Finch
  • American Robin
  • White-breasted Nuthatch
  • Evening Grosbeak
  • Gray Squirrel (one was on the feeder platform! So we re-greased the pole)
  • Red Squirrel
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Through the Window: January 2012 feeder birds

Still semi-closed (visitors welcome! But please call a few days in advance to make an appointment), we don’t have as many people watching our feeders. That and winter, and not surprisingly, the list is slightly short.

Mourning Dove, carved and painted by Bob Spear, completed in 1982
Mourning Dove, carved and painted by Bob Spear, completed in 1982. Photograph by Erin Talmage.
  • Blue Jay
  • Black-capped chickadee
  • Dark-eyed Junco
  • Hairy Woodpecker
  • Tufted Titmouse
  • Downy Woodpecker
  • Ruffed Grouse
  • Northern Cardinal (female)
  • American Goldfinch
  • Mourning Dove
  • Red-breasted Nuthatch (1/31, spotted by Charlie B for the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium)

The Ruffed Grouse was an odd sighting. We noticed a grouse corpse on 1/14, after an extremely cold night and continued shallow snow. This death was probably due to cold although there may have been other factors. One of more red squirrels worked on the body for several days, and eventually it vanished but for some feathers.

On 1/27, though, we also saw a grouse strutting under one of the crab apple trees. Mate? Flock member?

We saw several red squirrels and gray squirrels, and learned about black squirrels as well when WCAX staff dropped by to film some shots for a story.

Are you ready to take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count, Feb 17-20? We are! Come to a presentation about the Museum and Winter Bird Feeder in South Burlington on Feb 15th. Then stop by on Saturday the 18th for tips, company, and a warm window to watch through! Details on our events page.

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