Tag: spring birds

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Through the Window: July 2023

The museum was fortunate to have been missed by the flooding this year. The brook below the museum rose, and there’s signs of erosion on trails, but we escaped the damage that our fellow Vermonters are working through. We hope you also have been free from floods, and if not, that you have the help and support you need.

We can offer a refuge if you need to come and take a break: visit, sit, watch birds, walk trails… We thank the Vermont Community Foundation for their support of non-profits, flood survivors, and more.

Male cerulean warbler feeding female. Cerulean Warblers carved by Bob Spear at the Birds of Vermont Museum, Huntington, Vermont. Photograph copyright Caleb Kenna and used by permission.
Male Cerulean Warbler’s offering of food being accepted by female. Birds carved by Bob Spear at the Birds of Vermont Museum, Huntington, Vermont. Photograph copyright Caleb Kenna and used by permission.

July Bird List

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Through the Window: June 2023

Adult Common Grackle tends its juvenile while a Rose-breasted Grosbeak looks on.
Adult Common Grackle tends its juvenile while a Rose-breasted Grosbeak looks on.

Sadly, yes, we are missing the May list. Somehow we managed to neither transcribe nor photograph the list before wiping the board for June. It was amazing, but you don’t have to trust my word for it. Check out the eBird checklists for the May walks.

But time flows on and the birds do their things, so here’s the …

June Bird List

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Through the Window: April 2023

Blue-headed Vireos carved by Bob Spear in the mid 1990s.
Blue-headed Vireos are returning to Vermont. This carving was done by Bob Spear in the mid 1990s.

Funny thing about our April bird list: two common species were not recorded (and one somewhat less frequently seen at from the viewing window, but definitely around). Does that mean they weren’t seen (and if so, where were they)? Or did they really busy themselves elsewhere in the woods?

Do you know which they were? the two I’m thinking of were recorded during our April Bird Monitoring Walk…

April Bird List

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Through the Window: March 2023

A Mourning Dove and a Blue Jay face each other across of platform containing black oil sunflower seeds.
A Mourning Dove and a Blue Jay face each other across of platform containing black oil sunflower seeds.

March is all about the this-way-and-that-way dance of winter, spring, and mud seasons. Watch for migrants returning and spring behaviors in, well, everyone. Two things we especially like:

The “Oh sweetie” song of the Black-capped Chickadee.
And those Mourning Dove males who keep getting distracted from eating—instead, they puff up and pace after the females, begging for their attention.

March Bird List

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Through the Window: June 2022

Woodcarving of red-eyed vireo, life size in profile, posed standing in ferns with autumn-tined leaves as a blurry background
Red-eyed Vireo from the Teaching Warblers collection. Carved by Bob Spear in 1988. Photographed by Erin Talmage.

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.

June Bird List

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Through the Window: May 2022

American Redstart female stands on a green terry-cloth towel, looking slightly toward the camera. Photo by Erin Talmage for the Birds of Vermont Museum.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.)

Also this month (and next): Early Birder Morning Walks! Check out the results when the walk leaders post them to eBird.

May Bird List

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Through the Window: April 2022

Eastern Phoebe on a bare branch
Eastern Phoebe on a bare branch
Eastern Phoebe. Photo by E. Talmage and used by permission.

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.

April Bird List

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Through the Window: March 2022

Fox Sparrow (woodcarving by Bob Spear)
Fox Sparrow, carved by Bob Spear.

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.

Birds at the Vernal Equinox (and then some)

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