Watch for, protect, record birds during both migration seasons!
The map above shows the movement of birds in this date last year from BirdCast.info. The United States is depicted in white outlines on black, while a heat map ranging from purple to pink to orange to yellow shows the intensity of bird migration (mostly in the eastern US). Arrows show the directions the birds are moving. (Dokter, A. M. 2023 of live migration map image. BirdCast, live migration map; 2023-10-12. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. https://birdcast.info/migration-tools/migration-forecast-maps. Accessed 2024-09-05.)
In Vermont, birds are moving!
Screenshot of BirdCast Migration Dashboard for 12 October 2023, Vermont. Data show estimates of birds that crossed Vermont, when they crossed, flight information, comparison with other nights, and likely species. Find this current data at https://dashboard.birdcast.info/region/US-VT
While the official day of celebration for World Migratory Bird Day is on the second Saturday in May each year, the [Smithsonian] recognizes that migratory birds stop in various places along their journey. This means that the celebration can be flexible, depending on the location. In addition, Environment for the Americas encourages people to also catch the migratory birds on their way south in the autumn, celebrating another time on the second Saturday in October.
For International Coffee Day, make a commitment to buying and drinking bird-friendly coffee. Why? For the birds, of course! The Magnolia Warbler (photo of one carved by Bob Spear is above) is one of several warbler species that migrates to coffee-growing areas.
Enjoy reading (or re-reading) some of these links to find out more.
This pair of Scarlet Tanagers were created by Bob Spear in 1985 and took him 67 hours. Scarlet Tanagers migrate to coffee-growing regions and can be affected by coffee-growing practices.
The first Saturday of September is also a day to celebrate Hummingbirds! For us, this is the month we say “good-bye ’til next year!” We usually see our last ones (Ruby-throated) in early to mid-September.
Because of climate changes and the impact on their habitat, many species of hummingbirds are currently on the list of vulnerable or endangered species through the IUCN Red List. National Hummingbird Day is here to remind us to appreciate and honor these tiny little creatures.
Vultures are an ecologically vital group of birds that face a range of threats in many areas that they occur. Populations of many species are under pressure and some species are facing extinction. Learn what you can do to protect vultures…and why that’s a really good idea!
Stop by the Museum (we’re open 10am – 4pm) to discover how many vulture species live in Vermont (and where). Can you find all of our vulture carvings? Are we missing any? Check out one of our larger carvings and imagine where would we have had to put it if Bob Spear had carved it with its wings outspread! And what about vultures in other art?
Not in Vermont? Drop by the Vulture Day website at https://www.VultureDay.org to stretch your curiosity with resources , games, education activities, and more. Celebrate IVAD locally!
Celebrate Vultures all around the world!
The first Saturday in September each year is International Vulture Awareness Day. But we can learn about and honor them more often than that!
Do you do individual things to lower your impact? Do you get together with others to create and press for conservation policy, legislation, and mass action?
Take today to honor our efforts so far, learn about another way to conserve nature, and talk to friends about what we’ll do next!
It’s a good world, and we like being here with birds and more. Let’s take good care of it.
Experience Vermont’s butterflies and other insects up close!
Join Vermont Entomological Society naturalists and entomologists for an exploratory stroll on the Birds of Vermont Museum grounds.
Bring binoculars, magnifying glasses, and an insect net if you have one. Pack a lunch if you would like to picnic after the walk. Do bring your water bottle and dress for outdoors.
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.
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/ :
The Power of Perspective: a shifting point of view
How do we focus our creative “vision”? Consider the scope of an eagle’s eye—the narrow view of a gleaning warbler—the shadowed sight of a loon underwater. We may see birds above us from the ground, or below us from a plane. We may use a camera lens to record from afar, or a magnifier and lamps to perceive what is normally unknown. How does time influence your perspective? What if we “zoom out” from one bird to a species, to an ecosystem, to a planet? What if we “zoom in” to one bird to its wing, to a feather, to a gene?
