High summer! The flow at the feeders is steady, not too many surprises. Mammals are taking great advantage of our feeding; we may limit the food on the ground for a while.
Through the Window: July 2017
Through the Window: May 2017
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….)
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.
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.
Through the Window: December 2016
A quiet, bird-filled, peaceful New Year is what we wish for you. We’ll wrap up 2017 with last month’s Viewing Window record.
Continue reading “Through the Window: December 2016”
Species List: December 2016 Bird Monitoring
It’s a quiet week in – oh, wait. Right. We went walking! Also not-walking. Both activities let us record birds.
Thank you, Executive Director Erin Talmage, for leading this month’s walk. Happy New Year! Continue reading “Species List: December 2016 Bird Monitoring”
Through the Window: November 2016
The birds fall into late-autumn routines; the skies get cloudy and light in the early mornings drifts in mist and dreams. OK, and one of the museum bloggers gets either poetic or purple-proseish. Better switch up to our November bird notes, eh?
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.
Through the Window: September 2016
The year comes turning, turning… the daylight shifts, as we roll toward the equinox and away. Birds shifting southward bring changes to our sightings. A few “winter” birds are popping up!
- Black-capped chickadee
- White-throated Sparrow
- Mourning Dove
- White-breasted Nuthatch
- Hairy Woodpecker
- Blue Jay
- Downy Woodpecker
- Tufted Titmouse
- American Goldfinch
- Song Sparrow
- Red-breasted Nuthatch
- Ruby-throated Hummingbird (9/7 female only; 9/20)
- Rose-breasted Grosbeak (of note: a male, juvenile transforming to adult, 9/13; others seen throughout month)
- Northern Cardinal
- Dark-eyed Junco (at Cedar Hedge and under azalea, away from main feeding area, 9/26)
For more precise records, you can also see eBird data for recent years at the Museum.
Plenty of squirrels again: Red Squirrels, Gray Squirrels, and Eastern Chipmunks.
All observers can add their sightings to our whiteboard list! We’re here from 10am to 4pm daily, and earlier if there’s a bird walk. For those, check out our events page. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram too, for more comments, links, and observations!
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.
Carve a Bittern!
Carve a Bittern! One-day woodcarving class Sept 17.
Blanks + paint provided. Sign up soon! 
http://ow.ly/Win4303i2Wi http://ow.ly/i/ma5kA
Through the Window: August 2016
We were blessed with some unusual observations this month—we suspect these species are usually here in August, but we’re not always in the right place to observe them. Gotta get outdoors! In the meantime, enjoy this month’s list of what we’ve seen through (or near) our Viewing Window.
- Blue Jay (and juveniles with bald heads ~8/8 – 8/18)
- Rose-breasted Grosbeak
- Downy Woodpecker
- Hairy Woodpecker
- Tufted Titmouse
- Mourning Dove
- American Goldfinch
- Ruby-throated Hummingbird
- Black-capped chickadee
- Northern Cardinal (and juvenile with black beak 8/16)
- American Crow
- White-breasted Nuthatch
- Purple Finch
- Evening Grosbeak
- Red-breasted Nuthatch
- Common Grackle
- Gray Catbird
- House Finch
- Cooper’s Hawk (8/17 by S. Dakers)
- Song Sparrow (fledgling with a short tail 8/21)
- Turkey Vulture
- Broad Winged-hawk (heard 8/23)
No male hummingbirds on 8/31.
Bold indicates those we didn’t see last month.
For more precise records, you can also see eBird data for recent years at the Museum.
It’s always fun to distinguish the Clear-winged Sphinx Moth and the Ruby-throated Hummingbird as they both hover about the bee balm. And what a month for mammals! We’ve the usuals: Gray squirrels, Red squirrels, Eastern chipmunks.. ;.and we’ve also noticed Eastern cottontail rabbit, a bobcat, and a young porcupine! This last was spotted and photographed by some visitors on August 28 as it came across Bob’s Bridge and up the bath. (Bob’s Bridge is the lower bridge of the two near the Museum entrance; Gale’s Crossing is the new one.)
All observers can add their sightings to our whiteboard list! We’re here from 10am to 4pm daily, and earlier if there’s a bird walk. For those, check out our events page. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram too, for more comments, links, and observations!
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.