The Big Sit! event always boosts the size of the October list. Something about actually sitting around and watching for birds, instead of trying to notice them while you’re talking to other visitors… Bold birds are the ones we didn’t record last month.
- Blue Jay
- White-throated Sparrow
- Hairy Woodpecker
- Downy Woodpecker
- Evening Grosbeak*
- Black-capped Chickadee
- American Crow
- Mourning Dove
- White-breasted Nuthatch
- Purple Finch
- Tufted Titmouse
- Sharp-shinned Hawk (caught something on October 19!)
- American Goldfinch
- Pine Siskins (more than 20!)
- Dark-eyed Junco
- Wild Turkeys (a flock of 9)
- Northern Cardinal
- Song Sparrow? (10/12, observed by Jim O. Not bolded due to uncertainty, although Jim is an expert birder.)
- Cedar Waxwing (during the Big Sit)
- mystery Duck (a Big Sit observation–too silhouetted to identify properly)
- Common Raven (also during the Big Sit!)
- Rusty Blackbird (10/17)
- Pileated Woodpecker (flew over 10/12)
- Canada Geese (heard overhead 10/23)
- American Robin (10/23)
- Common Grackle (10/07)
- Ruffed Grouse (in the crab apple tree 10/28)
*Observe? Or Act?
We observed several Evening Grosbeaks, male and female. One female seemed to have an injured right wing. Over the course of the month, she continued to make appearances, generally foraging on the ground and hopping back to shelter in the cedar hedge. However, one day she did fly—perhaps flutter is a more accurate verb—up into some shrubs as well. We saw her off and on through the end of October, and we wish her well. Her persistence does raise the question: what, if anything, should we do about her? Catch her? Send her to rehab? Observe her without interference?
Also, Project Feederwatch starts November 10th! Are you ready? We are!
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 to make it more difficult for birds to see the watchers. We have chairs and binoculars to try there, a white board and many identification guides, and several feeders outside on a single, bear-resistant pole, as well as a small pond, flowers and water plants, shrubs and trees. You can sometimes see what we see via our webcam.