“Almost everything delights a chickadee.” —E.B. White
Perhaps not snow, though.
Chickadee on a snowy day, in an evergreen
I was using a Canon PowerShot S3 IS, and out of curiosity I set it to the sports setting (I don’t do or watch much sports) while photographing chickadees and downy woodpeckers near and at the Museum feeders. The birds were sharp, the snow not so much. I liked it.
Post and photo by Kir Talmage, Museum webmistress/program coordinator
Wing tip marks
Last night or early this morning, some large bird left tracks in the snow (the marks are at least 2½ feet across — no measurement because I didn’t have snow pants and didn’t much feel like sliding into the creek). But which bird?
The foot-trail between the wings climbs from the tiny under-the-road creek up to the trail that goes from the entrance path to the bridge. (This will all make more sense if you have visited here). There are plenty of turkeys around and I suppose they could have made the trail and used their wings for balance while climbing. We see them frequently. both walking and flying.
On the other hand, there are more wing-tip marks down at the bottom, under a minuscule hemlock, without footprints or a wading-through-snow trail. The habitat is also good for barred owl: many hemlocks along the brook, and a patchwork of open cut fields, old beaver meadow, drier upland deciduous forest. Both barred owl and turkey have been seen and heard here.
I’m guessing owl, but let me know if you have more clue (easy!) or would like to see other photos.
We had a new visitor this month, and I’ll tell you who right after the monthly list of birds. A light-weight month, perhaps for weather, but more likely for the season.
Dark-eyed Junco (12/7; about 18 inches of snow fell in the night of 12/6 and the morning of 12/7)
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Cardinal
White-breasted Nuthatch
Mourning Dove
American Tree Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow (12/10, a warmish, wet and windy day)
American Goldfinch (12/17)
Common Redpolls (4 of them on 12/17)
Mammals
Red Squirrel (of course)
and an Eastern Cottontail
Coincidentally, today (posting day) is the Hinesburg/Huntington Christmas Bird Count. It’s rather foggy, actually, so not too much observed yet, I’m told. But the day is still young! (In fact, I just saw a wild turkey, because it was chuckling to itself and I looked up from typing this.)
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
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…
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).
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, wood carving by Robert N. Spear, Jr.
On Sunday, October 10, the Museum hosted the Loonatics and their Big Sit! circle. Thanks to Jim O. for coordinating the event and to all the volunteers who joined in. It was a beautiful day, and several people contributed excellent food to keep us warm.
Against the shifting foliage, we’ve seen many birds (some the last of the year, as they migrate southwards). Nearby, we also observed a mammal of some note!
Birds:
Blue Jay
Grackle
Hairy Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (last male on 9/7/2010; last female on 9/14/2010)
Purple Finch
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
American Goldfinch
Mourning Dove
Tufted Titmouse
Dark-eyed Junco
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (still here 9/11/2010)
Northern Cardinal
Black-capped chickadee
White-throated Sparrow (9/17/2010, 9/29/2010)
Easter Phoebe
Pileated Woodpecker — swooping over and museum
Song Sparrow
Bluebird (9/28, 11:30 a.m.)
Mammal:
Bobcat sighted by a cyclist on 9/20/2010 at 1:33 p.m., just north of museum parking lot on Sherman Hollow Road
And something you can’t actually see from the window, but must get up and walk to:
Autumn Flowers at the Birds of Vermont Museum. Photo taken in September 2005 in the field between the road and the pond.
