where natural history meets art
October is such a rich month. Migration trails off, yes, and the foliage is mostly past by the end of the month. But for us, it’s a month rich with volunteers, birding, and a sense of getting ready for a behind-the-scenes season.
Enjoy the double-list this month, and read on for why!
We welcomed an unexpected slew of warblers in the middle of September—something about this year’s migration led to several species appearing in and near our feeder area just when we had extra birders looking out the windows!
Summer is nests and fledglings, flowers and pollinators, greens and golds and more. Young birds come to the feeders, squawk … and sometimes get ignored by their parents! Hummingbirds defend the feeders and the bee balm; some hawk moths get mistaken for hummingbirds. The forest canopy is thick and provides deep cover for the warblers and more. It’s a rich and beautiful time. Who needs a feeder, with so much to eat in the forest?
No one, really, but some come anyway:
By July, the birds get pretty busy with nestlings, fledglings, and juveniles. A few juveniles of one kind of another come to the feeders, and fuss at their parents to keep on feeding them.
Here are the species seen at the feeders over the last month. Sometimes we can even tell when the bird is a juvenile!
Holy mackerel, May is intense! Not to detract from our month-long-we-all-add-to-it Viewing Window list, but did you get to see the eBird lists too, from what has been seen and heard here? Did you see or hear some of the rich migrations? Enjoyed the predictions on Birdcast? What a month!
OK, back to our corner of Vermont: Continue reading “Through the Window: May 2018”
It’s April! Forget showers (there was a good bit of snow). And flowers? Pshaw, not yet. But birds! Bird list expansion (compared to last month, that is). Huzzah! Continue reading “Through the Window: April 2018”
Spring is … not yet happening. March birds included the classic winter species… :
We particularly loved seeing grouse in the crabapple this month—one day, we saw five! We also were pleased to host a delightful number of people for the Great Backyard Bird Count.
Birds noticed this month at our feeders and just nearby: Continue reading “Through the Window: February 2018”
From polar vortex to thaw to bare ground to new snow and back again. Nice bit of roller coastering weather!
Thank goodness for adaptations.
Some surprises and delights by the time the Bird Monitoring Walk and Christmas Bird Count rolled around. (We did not actually have quite this much snow, but it’s getting there.)
