Museum Open for Great Backyard Bird Count

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

Visit us February 15th, 2025,  to see what birds we’re counting for the Great Backyard Bird Count!

  • Learn to ID birds — what do we look or listen for?
  • Go birding with a friend — twice the fun!
  • Find out more about and record observations for this great community science project.

We’re open from 10-4 on Saturday for the GBBC
Members admission: Free!

About the GBBC:

Friday – Monday,  February 14-17, 2025 • 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

Dark-eyed Junco on snow-covered twig. Photo by Alex Marine, Macaulay Library. Words on the image: How many birds can you find? 28th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count. February 14-17, 2025. birdcount.org

Friday – Monday, February 14-17, 2025 • All Over the World

Whether you are with a friend or on 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 14-17, 2025.

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 visit https://www.birdcount.org/

January 2025 events

small songbird (Junco or Chickadee) tracks in snow

Happy New Year! We’re launching 2025 with some talks, the ever-changing winter art show, and bird walks (of course). The Museum is open by appointment and for special events from now through April 30.

The trails are open from sunrise to sunset, every day—we recommend using the south trails (Spear, Discovery, Story) rather than Gale’s, Pop’s, or Bob’s, thanks to flooding last July. Trail maps and more information are available on our website, and are posted at the museum and at trail kiosks as well. (Let us know if the wind moved any!)

=== JANUARY EVENTS ===

Continue reading “January 2025 events”

Vermont’s Winter Birds

Black-capped chickadee eating a sunflower seed. Chickadee perches on a pile of hulled sunflower seeds in winter; a few snowflakes show on the bird's black feathers.

Join Museum Director Erin Talmage to learn about Vermont’s Winter Birds: birds, birding, and conservation.

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?

The Dorothy Alling Memorial Library is sponsoring this talk by the Birds of Vermont Museum. Visit their website for more: https://damlvt.org/index.php/events/events-calendar

Presentation begins at noon at the library, at 21 Library Lanes, Williston, Vermont.

Read more about winter birds in this blog post: https://birdsofvermont.org/2013/01/16/winter-birds/

Vermont’s Winter Birds

Redpoll (small brown and white bird with reddish patch on forehead, type of , finch) perches on a snowy spruce branchlet.

Join Museum Director Erin Talmage to learn about Vermont’s Winter Birds: birds, birding, and conservation.

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?

The Salisbury Conservation Commission is sponsoring this talk by the Birds of Vermont Museum. The event is free and open to the public.

Presentation begins at 7 PM in the Salisbury Meeting House (Congregational Church) in the center of Salisbury (853 Maple Street).

The Salisbury Conservation Commission is sponsoring a series of talks–come to this or all of them!

Read more about winter birds in this blog post: https://birdsofvermont.org/2013/01/16/winter-birds/

January Bird Monitoring Walk

Black-capped Chickadee and Dark-eyed Junco in winter. The Chickadee is perched on a half-fallen dried goldenrod stem on the left; the Junco is underneath he stem on the right. There are some forsythia stems in the background and snow covers the ground. Digiscoped iPhone photo by K. Talmage and used by permission.

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.

All birders —current, experienced, newbie and would-be— welcome! Most fun for adults and older youth.

Please bring your own binoculars and dress for the weather. We recommend bringing tick repellent (seasonally) and a water bottle.

Max: 12 people
Free, suggested donation $10-$15

Register at https://sevendaystickets.com/organizations/birds-of-vermont-museum or call 802 434-2167.

Outdoors

If the walk fills, but there’s enough interest, we may be able to schedule more walks. Please call or email us to make arrangements.

Photo of Black-capped Chickadee and Junco in winter. Photographed at the Museum by Museum staff.

By-Appointment Season 2024-2025

small songbird (Junco or Chickadee) tracks in snow

From November through April, we’re open by appointment and for special events. Individuals, families, and groups are all welcome at all times of year. Our trails are open year-round, sunrise to sunset.

Please call (802) 434-2167 or email museum@birdsofvermont.org several days in advance to schedule your visit. Admission is free for members!

Sign up to attend any special events: these are listed online at https://birdsofvermont.org/special-upcoming/

Behind the scenes in January: we’re feeding birds and sending out thank you letters (yay!). The 2025 call to artists goes out this month, and some of us are birding in the last of the 2024-2025 Christmas Bird Counts. We’ll be in both Williston and Salisbury for special programs on Winter Birds.

 

December Bird Monitoring Walk

Photo of Northern Cardinal (male)

Join our monthly monitoring walk to record birds on the Museum property. Learn something new, share what you know, or both!

All birders (current, experienced, newbie and would-be!) welcome! Most fun for adults or older youth.

Please bring your own binoculars, dress for the weather. We recommend bringing a water bottle.

Max: 12 people
Suggested donation $10-$15

Register at https://sevendaystickets.com/organizations/birds-of-vermont-museum or call 802 434-2167

Outdoors

Photo of Northern Cardinal.

December 2024 events

A child wearing a green coat and a hunter's orange knitted beanie peers in the window of the museum. A sign to his left says CLOSED.

Busy on the inside! And outdoors? It’s a good day for a walk. Or call to make an appointment for your visit! The Museum is open by appointment and for special events from now through April 30.

The trails are open from sunrise to sunset, every day—we recommend using the south trails (Spear, Discovery, Story) rather than Gale’s, Pop’s, or Bob’s, thanks to flooding last July. Trail maps and more information are available on our website, and are posted at the museum and at kiosks as well. (Let us know if the wind moved any!)

=== DECEMBER EVENTS ===

Continue reading “December 2024 events”

November 2024 events

Take time to reflect, experience the peace in a late-autumn forest, or schedule a visit this month. The Museum is open by appointment and for special events from now through April 30.

The trails are open from sunrise to sunset, every day—we recommend using the south trails (Spear, Discovery, Story) rather than Gale’s, Pop’s, or Bob’s, thanks to flooding in July. Trail maps and more information are available on our website, and are posted at the museum and at kiosks as well. (Let us know if the wind moved any!)

=== NOVEMBER EVENTS ===

Continue reading “November 2024 events”