Through the Window: October 2016

“And the leaves /come tumbling down” — well, ok, a misquote, but nice for this time of year. We have turned our autumn corner, from “open daily” to “open by appointment” — although our bird feeding continues daily also!

In October, we noticed these birds, fluttering, swooping, perching, or interacting with each other. Bold are those not recorded last month.

Continue reading “Through the Window: October 2016”

Through the Window: May 2015

Thirty species for our first month of the Open Season! (Bold text indicates the species we did not see in March (your blogger has misplaced the April list, how embarrassing!)

  • American Goldfinch
  • Rose-breasted Grosbeak (5/2)
  • Brown-headed Cowbird (5/2)
  • Red-winged Blackbird
  • Eastern Phoebe (out by the front door, not the viewing window)
  • Dark-eyed Junco
  • Mourning Dove
  • Blue Jay
  • Black-capped Chickadee
  • Evening Grosbeak (female and male 5/3)
  • Chipping Sparrow
  • Song Sparrow (5/3)
  • Downy Woodpecker
  • Northern Cardinal
  • Wild Turkey
  • Common Grackle
  • White-throated Sparrow
  • American Crow
  • Hairy Woodpecker
  • Pileated Woodpecker
  • American Robin
  • Red-bellied Woodpecker
  • Tufted Titmouse
  • Ruby-throated Hummingbird (5/8)
  • Brown Thrasher (5/8)
  • White-breasted Nuthatch
  • Baltimore/Northern Oriole
  • Gray Catbird (5/21)
  • European Starling (5/25)
  • Purple Finch

We are of course charmed by mammals, too. These included Eastern Cottontail rabbit (5/31), Red Squirrels, Gray Squirrels, Eastern Chipmunks, Woodchuck. A few others of delightful note: Canadian Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly (5/17), Wood Frog Tadpoles (5/8), Spotted Salamander Egg Masses (5/1).

We’re open daily for the spring/summer/fall! Doors open at 10am until 4pm, every day through October 31. Drop in ! Come several times! Whether you’re working on bird ID skills, want to explore example of the woodcarvers’ art, getting intrigued by birds in art, or seeking citizen science opportunities for yourself or a child, we can help! Call or email to set up your time to visit: (802) 434-2167 or museum@birdsofvermont.org.

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 covering that helps hide watchers from the birds. We have chairs and binoculars to try, a white board, and many identification guides. Outdoors, several feeders are attached on a single, bear-resistant pole. A small pond, flowers and water plants, shrubs and trees add cover and (seasonally) other food choices . You can sometimes see what we see via our webcam.

Through the Window: July 2014

What a lovely July we’ve had. (And no flash floods.) Enjoy our list of birds from the viewing window. Perhaps you will plan a trip to relax, watch, and add your observations to our board. Bold text indicates the species we did not see last month.

  • Common Grackle
  • Rose-breasted Grosbeak
  • Hairy Woodpecker
  • Northern Cardinal
  • Mourning Dove
  • Red-winged Blackbird
  • Blue Jay
  • White-breasted Nuthatch
  • Ruby-throated Hummingbird
  • Downy Woodpecker
  • Song Sparrrow
  • Black-capped Chickadee
  • American Goldfinch
  • Brown-headed Cowbird
  • Great Crested Flycatcher (7/7 Cathy P and Stewart K saw it at the Bird house)
  • Evening Grosbeak (7/7 and 7/10)
  • Wild Turkey
  • House Finch
  • Coopers hawk (7/12)
  • Dark-eyed Junco
  • Blue Jay (doing a Red-shouldered Hawk call)
  • Eastern Phoebe (top of roof)
  • Chipping Sparrow
  • Purple Finch
  • Catbird

In other right-by-the-window notes: Bee balm blooming by 7/5; Chipmunk to Coopers hawk (7/18) [Ed note: did someone see one being taken? Wow!] and Clear-winged Sphinx Moth (first seen on 7/27).

Come see them for yourself! We’re open daily from 10-4 and we have lovel walks, inspiring science/art commentary, and astonishingly detailed woodcarvings, as well as live birds outside. Plus our new, accessible “elevated bird blind” (also known as “treehouse). Check out our calendar of events for special things to do and see.

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. Outdoors, several feeders are attached on a single, bear-resistant pole. A small pond, flowers and water plants, shrubs and trees add cover and (seasonally) other food choices . You can sometimes see what we see via our webcam.

Through the Window: June 2014

June is unbelievably beautiful; in Vermont—even when you are only looking through a window. Bold text indicates the species we did not see last month.

  • Red-winged Blackbird
  • White-breasted Nuthatch
  • Blue Jay
  • Downy Woodpecker
  • Rose-breasted Grosbeak
  • Ruby-throated Hummingbird
  • Baltimore Oriole
  • Wild Turkey
  • Mourning Dove
  • Hairy Woodpecker (also juvenile, 6/24)
  • American Crow
  • Brown-headed Cowbird
  • Common Grackle (also juvenile)
  • Eastern Phoebe (heard)
  • Northern Cardinal
  • Black-billed Cuckoo (heard at parking lot)
  • American Goldfinch
  • Song Sparrow
  • Black-capped Chickadee
  • Dark-eyed Junco
  • Red-tailed Hawk (soaring over parking lot)
  • Common Raven (over parking lot)

Additional friends and neighbors: Eastern Chipmunk, Red squirrel, Gray Squirrel, Woodchuck, , young White-tailed Deer (6/29), Tiger Swallowtail, White Admiral, and Skipper spp. butterflies, and a Swamp Darner (a rare dragonfly 6/7).

Come see them for yourself! We’re open daily from 10-4 and we have great art, cool science, and astonishingly detailed woodcarvings, as well as live birds outside. Check out our calendar of events for special things to do and see.

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. Outdoors, several feeders are attached on a single, bear-resistant pole. A small pond, flowers and water plants, shrubs and trees add cover and (seasonally) other food choices . You can sometimes see what we see via our webcam.

Through the Window: May 2014

May is always a month rich in birds. We noted 31 species! FOY stands for First of the Year; Bold text indicates the species we did not see last month.

  • Black-capped Chickadee
  • American Goldfinch
  • Dark-eyed Junco
  • Red-winged Blackbird
  • White-throated Sparrow
  • Hairy Woodpecker
  • Downy Woodpecker
  • Northern Cardinal
  • Sparp-shinned Hawk
  • Brown-headed Cowbird
  • White-breasted Nuthatch
  • Blue Jay
  • Song Sparrow
  • Chipping Sparrow
  • Mourning Dove
  • Rose-breasted Grosbeak (FOY 5/4/2014)
  • Purple Finch (FOY 5/5/2014)
  • White-crowned Sparrow (5/9 and 5/15)
  • Turkey Vulture
  • Evening Grosbeak
  • Ruby-throated Hummingbird (FOY male 5/10/2014, female 5/15/2014)
  • Indigo Bunting (FOY 5/13/2014)
  • Raven (5/23/2014)
  • American Robin
  • Common Grackle
  • Rusty Blackbird (5/16/2014)
  • Northern Goshawk 
  • Gray Catbird (5/16/2014)
  • Broadwing Hawk (5/16/2014)
  • American Crow
  • Baltimore Oriole (FOY 5/18/2014 male and female)

Additional friends and neighbors: Woodchuck, Eastern Chipmunk, Red squirrel, Gray Squirrel, Raccoon, and Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly (on May 20).

Come see them for yourself! We’re open daily from 10-4 and we have great art, cool science, and astonishingly detailed woodcarvings, as well as live birds outside. Check out our calendar of events for special things to do and see.

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. Outdoors, several feeders are attached on a single, bear-resistant pole. A small pond, flowers and water plants, shrubs and trees add cover and (seasonally) other food choices . You can sometimes see what we see via our webcam.

Through the Window: October 2013 with Big Sitters Helping

Nice weather this month. Our list is a bit longer and more amazing ’cause we had some dedicated sitting observers. Admittedly, they were actually on the other side of the window from our usual watching spot. Should we count that as “through the window”? Hmmm. Anyway, if you don’t know about the Big Sit!, go check it out, then come back (We’ll wait).

OK, here’s the combined list: Continue reading “Through the Window: October 2013 with Big Sitters Helping”

Through the Window: June 2013 with length

Happy summer. Goodness what a lot of rain this year. Saw some birds anyway. Bold ones are those we didn’t see last month!

  • Ruby-throated Hummingbird
  • Red-winged Blackbird
  • Common Yellowthroat
  • Blue Jay
  • Hair Woodpecker
  • Downy Woodpecker
  • Common Grackle
  • Brown-headed Cowbird
  • Northern Oriole  (Ed. note: this is an old name for Baltimore Oriole; it hybridizes with the Bullock’s in some places in its range, and for a time, both species were called Northern Oriole. See http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/baltimore_oriole/lifehistory)
  • Starling
  • Rose-breasted Grosbeak
  • Mourning Dove
  • Northern Cardinal
  • White-breasted Nuthatch
  • Wild Turkey
  • American Goldfinch
  • Song Sparrow
  • Tufted Titmouse
  • Purple Finch
  • American Crow (3 on 6/11)
  • Black-capped Chickadee
  • Red-breasted Nuthatch
  • Cooper’s Hawk
  • Evening Grosbeak
  • Indigo Bunting

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. Outdoors, several feeders are attached on a single, bear-resistant pole. A small pond, flowers and water plants, shrubs and trees add cover and other food choices. You can sometimes see what we see via our webcam.