A nice month! We were busy with camp groups, some new Nestlings programs, our wonderful annual butterfly walk, a carving class, and the final touches on our July Chip Notes newsletter.
And with all that, we still time to do a little sedentary birding! Though we are a bit sparse on birds at the feeders right now (see below)…
It’s been a pleasant early summer month at the Birds of Vermont Museum. We’re continuing our Early Birder Morning Walks on Sundays, and had a new walk offered: “Tree IDs for Birders”. We even had a booksigning and a carving class!
Even though we’ve cut back on our feeding, we have still been able to enjoy spotting birds through our windows (and doors) at the Museum.
Birders—current, experienced, newbie and would-be—welcome! Attend our monthly monitoring walk outdoors on the Museum’s trails in forest and meadow.
Please bring your own binoculars, dress for weather. We recommend bringing tick repellent and a water bottle. We do wear masks when inside the museum.
Please click or tap the button to register in advance.
Max: 10 people • waitlist available
Free, suggested donation $5 – $10
If the walk fills, but there’s enough interest, we may be able to schedule more walks. Please email museum@birdsofvermont.org, or call (802) 434-2167 to discuss this.
Photo: Unidentified hawk overhead against a brilliantly blue sky. Photo copyright Erin Talmage and used by permission.
Still limiting feeding, although this month we saw so many birds that one might hardly have thought we were doing this! (Also, see below for why.)
We also noticed that at certain times of the day, the light hit the front door just right (or perhaps, just wrongly) to apparently encourage bird collisions. We have fixed this! (More on this below, too.)
All birders (current, experienced, newbie and would-be!) welcome! Attend our monthly monitoring walk outdoors on the Museum’s trails in forest and meadow.
Most fun for adults, older children. Please bring your own binoculars, dress for weather. Face masks required when we are within 6 feet of each other. We go out the last Saturday of every month.
Tap or click to register
Free (suggested donation $5) Max: 5 people
(Walks start at 7:30 am April – August; 8am September – March)
Spring mornings are terrific for birding. Join us for a walk led by birder Jacob Crawford.
Who’s singing, calling, nesting, or flying around the Birds of Vermont Museum? Discover birds on an early morning ramble in the Museum’s forest and meadows. Walks are led by experienced birders familiar with Vermont birds.
Bring binoculars and good walking shoes. Early mornings are often damp with dew and boots are definitely in order. Don’t forget bug spray/tick repellent!
Park at 900 Sherman Hollow Road, in the Museum parking lot.
Free (suggested donation: $5)
Pre-registration is required: click/tap the button below and select your preferred date. (If you want to sign up for more than one walk, you’ll need to do this for each date.)
Despite changing from regular feeding to a restricted type and amount (see below for why), we still enjoying observing birds through our window. Something about just sitting, watching, maybe taking notes or doing Feederwatch… this helped us get through a wicked bad mud season and a few April snowfalls.
And as we post this, we’re well into another migration season! Check out BirdCast for nighttime forecasts of what’s moving where.
March usually see us getting excited about what’s left to do before our drop-in season (May – October) and which migrants are passing by on their way further north (looking at you Fox Sparrow. Also mud. Sherman Hollow Road at the end of March this year was …. remarkable. Yet passable, unlike some other roads around the state. So we could keep feeding the birds.
By the way, Vermont Fish & Wildlife recommends taking in your bird feeders on April 1st, to avoid habituating bears to our spaces. Our feeders are 8′ off the ground on a steel pole set in concrete; it’s both bear resistant and not too much of a temptation. Bears learn quickly what’s out of reach and not worth the effort.