Tag: fall birds

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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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Through the Window: December 2011 feeder and nearby birds

Now we’re 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.

Blue Jay carved by Robert N. Spear, Jr.
Blue Jay, carved by Bob Spear
(photograph by Erin Talmage)
Wonder which species might’ve come by and not been noticed…

  • Black-capped chickadee
  • Tufted Titmouse
  • Dark-eyed Junco
  • Blue Jay
  • Hairy Woodpecker
  • Mourning Dove
  • Downy woodpecker
  • American goldfinch (winter plumage)
  • Northern Cardinal
  • Ruffed grouse
  • Pileated woodpecker (swooping over parking lot, calling on 12/27, the 2nd visit)
  • Purple Finch (12/28)

Naturally, we also saw the usual cluster of red squirrels and gray squirrels.

Looking forward to National Bird Day on January 5th!  And keep track of our more formally collected data: we contribute to Feeder Watch.

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Through the Window: November 2011 Feeder and Garden Birds

What we noted on the white board by the viewing window.

  • Hairy Woodpecker
  • Blue Jay
  • Downy Woodpecker
  • Dark-eyed Junco
  • Black-capped chickadee
  • American Goldfinch
  • Tufted Titmouse
  • Mourning Dove
  • Barred Owl
  • Ruffed Grouse

Not so many this month. It was often sunny, but as we were closed except for appointments/scheduled visitors, there were also fewer humans watching out for birds. In addition, the sunny days could’ve allowed the birds to easily feed elsewhere. And with that owl watching off and on, that might’ve been very practical!

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Through the Window: October 2011 Feeder and Garden Birds

What people have recorded on our white board by the viewing window.

  • Hairy Woodpecker
  • Downy Woodpecker
  • American Goldfinch
  • Black-capped chickadee
  • Song sparrow
  • Mourning Dove
  • Dark-eyed Junco
  • Blue Jay
  • American Crow
  • Eastern Phoebe
  • White-breasted Nuthatch
  • Canada Goose
  • White-throated sparrow
  • American Robin
  • Tufted Titmouse
  • Raven (2 on 10/18/11, in the morning, above the museum)
  • Northern Cardinal
  • Ruffed Grouse (eating crabapples at 4:15 p.m. in late October)

For even more birds—perceived from more or less the other side of the window and garden—check out our Big Sit! results too!

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the Big Sit! results 2011

On Sunday,  October 9, the Museum hosted the Loonatics and their Big Sit! circle.  Thanks to all the volunteers who Shared the watch!  Several people contributed excellent (and warm!) food to keep us going.

We identified 21 species, and recorded them with the Big Sit! website.

Loonatics – Birds of Vermont Museum

Captain: Erin Talmage
Location: Huntington, Vermont (United States)

Team Checklist

  1. Barred Owl Strix varia
  2. Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens
  3. Hairy Woodpecker Picoides villosus
  4. Pileated Woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus
  5. Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata
  6. American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos
  7. Common Raven Corvus corax
  8. Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus
  9. Tufted Titmouse Baeolophus bicolor
  10. White-breasted Nuthatch Sitta carolinensis
  11. Brown Creeper Certhia americana
  12. Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula
  13. Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis
  14. American Robin Turdus migratorius
  15. Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata
  16. White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis
  17. Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis
  18. Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus
  19. American Goldfinch Spinus tristis
  20. Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis
  21. Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
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Through the Window: November Feeder Birds – and Others

What a lovely month! We started this winter’s Feeder Watch, and had a few notable visitors. Here’s the month’s list, more or less in the order spotted.

Black-capped Chickadee Carving
Black-capped Chickadee
  • Black-capped Chickadee
  • Blue Jay
  • Fox Sparrow
  • White-throated Sparrow
  • Tufted Titmouse
  • Hairy Woodpecker
  • Dark-eyed Junco
  • White-breasted Nuthatch
  • Ruffed Grouse
  • Downy Woodpecker
  • Mourning Dove
  • Evening Grosbeak
  • American Goldfinch
  • Red-breasted nuthatch
  • Wild Turkey
  • Northern Cardinal
  • Rusty Blackbird
  • American Tree Sparrow

And of course, both the Gray and Red squirrels “assisted” with the corn and seed on the ground…

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Identify the bird: Rusty Blackbird? Common Grackle?

possible a Rusty Blackbird (but not in fall plumage?) or Common Grackle (but that tail is too short)
Possibly a Rusty Blackbird (but not in fall plumage?) or Common Grackle (but that tail is too short?)

Can you help with this bird? It has features of a Rusty Blackbird and of a Common Grackle according to our research in Sibley’s and the National Geographic field guides, and our experienced birders Bob Spear and Gale Lawrence.

The photos were taken on a rainy day (October 29) through our viewing window, so they are a bit low-light and there are occasional water drops.

You can click on the images in the slideshow below to see five different pictures (including a bigger version of the one to the left).

[slideshow]
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Through the Window: October Birds at the Feeders

If you’ve been to see us, you know that we record these birds on a whiteboard by the viewing window. The handwriting on the board is varied, as staff, volunteers, and even visitors will jot down the common name of birds they see. This month, against the final changes in foliage, we noted:

Brown Creeper, carved by Robert N. Spear, Jr.
Brown Creeper, wood carving by Robert N. Spear, Jr.
  • Red-breasted Nuthatch
  • Dark-eyed Junco
  • Blue Jay
  • Evening Grosbeak
  • Black-capped chickadee
  • American Goldfinch
  • White-crowned sparrow
  • Cooper’s Hawk
  • Purple Finch (male)
  • American Crow
  • Mourning Dove
  • Downy Woodpecker
  • White-throated Sparrow
  • Tufted Titmouse
  • Brown Creeper
  • Fox Sparrow
  • Ruffed Grouse
  • Song Sparrow
  • Rusty Blackbirds (unless they were Common Grackles?)
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Birding the Basin: Results from October 24

The weather on October 24th was rain, rain, and then some more rain. And chilly! But 9 intrepid birders traveled the Champlain Valley Basin, checking the skies, fields, and puddles for birds (migrating and otherwise). It was lots of fun and there was a lot of laughter. Thank you, Shirley, for providing us this list! Birds are listed in the order seen.

  • American Crow
  • European Starling
  • House Sparrow
  • Canada Goose
  • American Kestrel
  • Mourning Dove
  • Rock Pigeons
  • Northern Harrier
  • Song Sparrow
  • Blue Jay
  • American Robin
  • Snow Goose
  • White-crowned Sparrow
  • Northern Cardinal
  • White-breasted nuthatch
  • Black-capped Chickadee
  • Dark-eyed Junco
  • Ring-billed Gull
  • Black-crowned night heron
  • Wood Duck
  • American Goldfinch
  • Red-winged Blackbird
  • Mallard
  • American Black Duck
  • Green-winged Teal
  • Northern Pintail
  • White-throated Sparrow
  • Blue-winged Teal
  • Red-tailed Hawk
  • Surf Scoter
  • Horned Grevbe
  • Common Loon
  • Cooper’s Hawk
  • Great Black-backed Gull (not a Black Duck as I’d earlier mis-read the note –Kir)
  • Downy Woodpecker
  • Wild Turkey
  • Great Blue Heron
  • Northern Flicker

If you are on FaceBook, and you have photos, feel free to post them on the event Wall (Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=148202475222276 ). We’re also happy to link any online photos to this post if you send us the link.

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