Early Birders’ Observations for May 13, 2018

Mae M led the May 13, 2018,  Early Birders Morning Walk . Thirty-eight species!

Enjoy our week’s walk’s summary:

Birds of Vermont Museum, Chittenden, Vermont, US
May 13, 2018 6:52 AM - 8:52 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.8 mile(s)
Comments:     Early Birders Walk led by Mae Mayville 
38 species

Ruffed Grouse  1
Mourning Dove  3
Ruby-throated Hummingbird  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker  2
Downy Woodpecker  2
Northern Flicker  1
Eastern Phoebe  3
Great Crested Flycatcher  1
Blue Jay  9
American Crow  1
Black-capped Chickadee  4
Tufted Titmouse  2
Red-breasted Nuthatch  1
House Wren  2
Veery  1
Swainson's Thrush  1     Dull, olive-brown; No rufous on tail; buffy cheeks.
Hermit Thrush  1
Wood Thrush  2
American Robin  1
Gray Catbird  2
Ovenbird  8
Louisiana Waterthrush  1
Black-and-white Warbler  1
Common Yellowthroat  2
Northern Parula  1
Chestnut-sided Warbler  2
Black-throated Blue Warbler  1
Black-throated Green Warbler  1
Song Sparrow  1
Scarlet Tanager  2
Northern Cardinal  1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak  3
Baltimore Oriole  1
Red-winged Blackbird  2
Common Grackle  1
Purple Finch  2
American Goldfinch  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S45619747

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

Join us for more early Birders Mornign walks, Sundays in May and June. Enjoy the start of the day with us, birds, and other woodland inhabitants. Walks are led by experienced birders familiar with Vermont birds—and we welcome additional possible leaders. Let us know if you’re interested in volunteering.

Finish the walk with bird-friendly coffee at the viewing window inside the Museum.

Bring binoculars and good walking shoes. Park at 900 Sherman Hollow Road, in the Museum parking lot.

Best for adults and older children • Free, donations welcome.
Pre-registration is helpful but not required. Call 802 434-2167 or email museum@birdsofvermont.org

Through the Window: March 2018

Spring is … not yet happening. March birds included the classic winter species… :

• Blue Jay
• Dark-eyed Junco
• Black-capped chickadee
• Downy Woodpecker
• Mourning Dove
• Hairy Woodpecker

Through the Window: February 2018

We particularly loved seeing grouse in the crabapple this month—one day, we saw five! We also were pleased to host a delightful number of people for the Great Backyard Bird Count.

Red-breasted Nuthatch, turning to look at photographer K. Talmage

Birds noticed this month at our feeders and just nearby:

• Blue Jay
• Dark-eyed Junco
• Black-capped chickadee
• Downy Woodpecker
• Red-breasted Nuthatch
• Mourning Dove
• Hairy Woodpecker
• Tufted Titmouse
• American Tree Sparrow
• Northern Cardinal
• Red-bellied Woodpecker
• Ruffed Grouse
  
• American Robin (7 in crabapple Feb 15)
• American Goldfinch
• Red-winged Blackbird (Feb 18)
• Common Grackle (Feb 28)
• White-breasted Nuthatch

(Bold items in this list are those species not recorded in January 2018.)

The usual Squirrels (Gray and Red) scattered themselves across the ground. The Cottontail Rabbit seems to be useing a woodchuck den as an occasional shelter or underground pathway. Eastern Chipmunks woke up briefly.

Although we’re “open by appointment”, we love having people call to visit! From November to April, please call or email to arrange a visit—this lets us adjust the heating to human comfort, among other things. If you are one of last year’s exhibiting artists, please come get your art. Volunteers, we have opportunities for you!

We continue to host walks, carving classes, and moreas we move towards spring. These are listed on 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.

Through the Window: January 2018

From polar vortex to thaw to bare ground to new snow and back again. Nice bit of roller coastering weather!

Dark-eyed Junco

Thank goodness for adaptations.

Through the Window: December 2017

Some surprises and delights by the time the Bird Monitoring Walk and Christmas Bird Count rolled around. (We did not actually have quite this much snow, but it’s getting there.)

Snow Birders

Through the Window: November 2017

Mourning Dove and Tufted Titmouse on swinging tray feeder.

More light traffic… or should I say continued light traffic? at the feeders this month.

Through the Window: October 2017

Through October, we continued to have light traffic at our feeders, but plenty of birds deeper in the woods. Great insects, fruits, berries? Could be.

This month’s list includes what we observed at the Big Sit!, one of our favorite birding activities.

Through the Window: September 2017

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.)

Through the Window: July 2017

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.

American Goldfinch, male. Carved by Bob Spear. (photo by Anna Marie Gavin, Intern, 2011)

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….)

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.