Tag: nature

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Call to Artists: Common Grounds

 Common Grounds

A Call to Artists from the Birds of Vermont Museum
in recognition of 100 years of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and its conservation consequences

Birds link us.  We need the same things: food, water, air, places to live. We humans have sometimes used laws to protect those needs we have in common. In 1918, the US Congress put into place the Migratory Bird Treaty Act—one of the first laws setting limits on what we could and could not do specifically with respect to migratory birds. Since then, we’ve asked new questions, discovered new ramifications, and come to new understandings about what the work of conservation entails. In order for the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to be successful, people have to work together across geographic, political, socioeconomic, and ecological boundaries. We need to find—or create—common ground. What does that look like? Continue reading “Call to Artists: Common Grounds”

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Through the Window: September 2017

Blue Jay, carved by Bob Spear (photograph by Erin Talmage)

It’s pretty dry out there this month . Several people have called in to report no one is at their feeders. What are your thoughts about that? Have you observed a decline in recent weeks at your feeders? You can compare this September to past ones: 2016, 2015, 2014. Consider coming on October 19th to Steve Faccio’s presentation, The Status of Vermont Forest Birds. (RSVP, so we can have the right number of chairs and possibly refreshments.)

Continue reading “Through the Window: September 2017”

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Through the Window: May 2017

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird Female (woodcarving)

Wow, what a spring! Some unusual species seen and heard this month, for us, down here at the Viewing Window. (Okay, okay, we did record a few birds heard or seen while we were coming into the Museum or running out to check the mail….)

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird Female (woodcarving)
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
Female (carved by Bob Spear)

Bold items in this list are those species not recorded last month.

  • Black-capped chickadee
  • Dark-eyed Junco
  • Blue Jay
  • Red-Winged Blackbird
  • Mourning Dove
  • Tufted Titmouse
  • White-throated Sparrow
  • Wild Turkey
  • Brown-headed Cowbird
  • Hairy Woodpecker
  • American Goldfinch
  • Common Grackle
  • Rose-breasted Grosbeak (May 2, 2017 and often thereafter)
  • Downy Woodpecker
  • Wood Thrush
  • Ruby-throated Hummingbird (First of Year male: May 10, 2017; female: May 13)
  • White-breasted Nuthatch
  • Red-breasted Nuthatch
  • Common Raven
  • Northern Cardinal
  • Baltimore Oriole (FOY 5/15/2017)
  • Ovenbird (heard outside May 16, 2017)
  • Canada Goose (heard outside May 14, 2017)
  • Song Sparrow (heard outside)
  • Scarlet Tanager (Male, seen drinking from stream below the riparian slope pollinator gardens on May 17, 2017)
  • Eastern Phoebe (nesting under Bridge)
  • Cooper’s Hawk (trying to take prey at the feeding area, May 28, 2017; two unsuccessful attempts)
  • Olive-sided Flycatcher (heard and seen Tuesday May 23, 2017)
  • Eastern Towhee

The usual mammals maintained their presence: Red and Gray Squirrels, and Eastern Chipmunks. We didn’t observe the Eastern Cottontail but we did see the Woodchuck. Wood Frogs tadpoles occupied the pon on May 17, 2017, and Tiger Swallowtail butterflies are back by May 23.

Our “summer” hours have arrived! May through October, we are open daily from 10am – 4pm (with a few extra evenings, and sometime closed for part of the July 4 holiday). Click over to our events page.  If you follow us on Facebook, Twitter , tumblr, and/or Instagram too, you’ll find more comments, links, and observations. See you soon!

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.

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Species List from February 2017 Bird Monitoring Walk

Crazily warm day for a walk last Saturday! Birds are singing: there was a tremendous cacophony of competing Black-capped chickadees singing on Thursday the 23rd, which was a delight. Today the Northern Cardinal was singing in the dogwoods. And the Birders left lots of treats in the Museum fridge; I think I gained 10 pounds just nibbling on them as I assembled this post for you… Thanks everyone, for baked goodies, bird observations, and community companionship.

Birds of Vermont Museum, Chittenden, Vermont, US
 Feb 25, 2017 8:05 AM
 Protocol: Traveling
 Party Size: 8
 Duration: 1 hour(s), 35 minute(s)
 Distance: 1.609 kilometer(s) 
 Comments:     
 10 species
 
 Canada Goose 12
     Flyover
 Mourning Dove 17
 Downy Woodpecker 1
 Blue Jay 8
 American Crow 10
 Black-capped Chickadee 12
 Tufted Titmouse 2
 White-breasted Nuthatch 1
 Dark-eyed Junco 1
 Red-winged Blackbird 1
     In the feeder area, 1 male
 
 View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S34782352

 Feb 25, 2017 8:00 AM - 10:35 AM
 Protocol: Stationary
 Comments:     Observed from the feeder window during the monitoring walk. Very warm conditions: 50 degrees.
 7 species
 
 Mourning Dove  2
 Downy Woodpecker  2
 Hairy Woodpecker  4
 Blue Jay  5
 Black-capped Chickadee  3
 Tufted Titmouse  2
 Red-winged Blackbird  3
 
 View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S34783779
 
These reports were generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

We’ll be out again on March 25 at 8:00 a.m. for our next Monthly Bird Monitoring Walk. Tell us you’ll be joining us!

Remember: there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.

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