December had moments of excitement with two unusual birds (unusual in that we rarely see them from the viewing window). This image is a hint… Read on!
Through the Window: December 2025
Through the Window: November 2025
The late fall November routine is all about ending the “summer” open season and preparing for the winter “behind the scenes” season. We often try to take lunch at the viewing window or share a moment with visitors there.
November Birds
Winter Birding in Vermont
Join Museum Director Erin Talmage to learn about Winter Birding in Vermont.
Vermont in winter is cold, muddy, slushy, icy, snowy. But there are still birds! Which ones? How come? What do they eat? How do they shelter from the weather? And how can you get involved?
We will explore permanent residents, birds that migrate to and through, and irrupters! You’ll learn how to be involved in conservation just by watching birds—and more.
OLLI (the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) is sponsoring this seminar. Visit their website for for more information: https://learn.uvm.edu/osher-lifelong-learning/olli-on-campus-courses/
Class begins at 1:30 at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church
72 Church St, Shelburne, VT 05482.
Read more about winter birds in this blog post: https://birdsofvermont.org/2013/01/16/winter-birds/
Through the Window: October 2025
October is always surprising, what with migration trailing off, interesting swings in weather, and the Big Sit.
October Bird Lists
December Bird Monitoring Walk
All birders — current, experienced, newbie and would-be — welcome!
Join our monthly monitoring walk to record birds at the Museum’s trails, forest, and meadow. Learn something new, share what you know, or both! Most fun for adults, older children.
Please bring your own binoculars and dress for the weather. We recommend bringing tick repellent and a water bottle.
Free, suggested donation $10 – $15
Max: 12 people
Outdoors
We go out the last Saturday of every month. Walks start at 7:30 am April – August; 8am in September – March
Photo of Northern Cardinal.
CANCELLED November Bird Monitoring Walk
We’re sorry, but we have had to cancel this month’s monitoring walk.
Please visit our main events page to find other upcoming events.
Thank you!
All birders — current, experienced, newbie, and would-be — welcome!
Join our monthly monitoring walk to record birds at the Museum’s trails, forest, and meadow. Learn something new, share what you know, or both! Most fun for adults, older children.
Please bring your own binoculars and dress for the weather. We recommend bringing tick repellent and a water bottle.
Free, suggested donation $10 – $15
Max: 12 people
Outdoors
We go out the last Saturday of every month. Walks start at 7:30 am April – August; 8am in September – March
Photo of Ruffed Grouse in Crabapple. Photographed at the Museum by Museum staff.
Through the Window: September 2025
Warm and dry pretty much the whole month. Pleasant for sitting around, and can make some nice updrafts. Did you go hawk watching?
Every now and then this year, a warbler comes to the feeder—not to eat, apparently, just to check things out from that perch. And (presumably less often) we notice!
September Bird List
the Big Sit! 2025
The most relaxed birding around. And around and around …
How many birds (and birdwatchers) can we identify from a 17-foot diameter circle between sunrise and sunset? Can we beat last year’s record? We’ve seen birds big and small, in night and day: from Kinglets to Great Blue Herons, Barred Owls to Turkey Vultures.
This is a great long-running community science project. Pledges and donations welcome:
We are observing from Dawn to Dusk. The Museum is open from 10am – 4pm.
Call or email to ask about joining the observation team.
For much more info, see https://www.thebigsit.org/ .
Check out the reports from previous years: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 (overall), 2021 (ours), 2022 (overall), 2022 (ours), 2023 (overall), 2023 (ours)
October Bird Monitoring Walk
All birders — current, experienced, newbie and would-be — welcome!
Join our monthly monitoring walk to record birds at the Museum’s trails, forest, and meadow. Learn something new, share what you know, or both! Most fun for adults, older children.
Please bring your own binoculars and dress for the weather. We recommend bringing tick repellent and a water bottle.
Free, suggested donation $10 – $15
Max: 12 people
Register with the button below or call 802 434-2167.
Outdoors
We go out the last Saturday of every month. Walks start at 7:30 am April – August; 8am in September – March
Photo of White-breasted Nuthatch © Zac Cota-Weaver and used by permission.
Through the Window: August 2025
Oh my gosh, it’s been SO dry. Thankfully, we have a little trickle of water coming into a well-shaded tiny pond. The Bee balm and the willow and the goldenrod are a bit too tall and dense to see the birds taking their small drinks at the water, though! (The Hummingbirds sure like the bee balm!)