Early Birders’ Observations for May 20, 2018

Mae & Bill M led the May 20, 2018,  Early Birders Morning Walk . Despite light rain and wet woods, we had 19 birders and 31 species of birds!

Veery and eggs. Carved by Bob Spear.

Enjoy our week’s walk’s summary:

Birds of Vermont Museum, Chittenden, Vermont, US
May 20, 2018 6:53 AM - 8:56 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.01 mile(s)
Comments:     Early Birders walk led by Mae Mayville 
31 species

Mourning Dove  1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird  1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker  1
Downy Woodpecker  1
Hairy Woodpecker  1
Eastern Phoebe  1
Great Crested Flycatcher  1
Red-eyed Vireo  4
Blue Jay  6
Black-capped Chickadee  5
Tufted Titmouse  3
Brown Creeper  1
House Wren  2
Veery  4
Wood Thrush  2
American Robin  1
Gray Catbird  2
Ovenbird  11
Black-and-white Warbler  2
Common Yellowthroat  2
Magnolia Warbler  1
Blackburnian Warbler  2
Chestnut-sided Warbler  5
Black-throated Blue Warbler  1
Black-throated Green Warbler  3
Dark-eyed Junco  1
Scarlet Tanager  2
Rose-breasted Grosbeak  4
Baltimore Oriole  1
Red-winged Blackbird  2
Common Grackle  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S45852294

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

Join us for more early Birders Morning walks, Sundays through June. Walks are led by experienced birders familiar with Vermont birds—and we welcome all birders!

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

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: 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.)

Art Review: ‘Birding by the Numbers,’ Birds of Vermont Museum

Most art shows can be viewed without particular attention to their settings, but ‘Birding by the Numbers’ is inseparable from its locale. The Birds of Vermont Museum in Huntington organized the community art exhibit to celebrate its 30th anniversary. …Numbers are the key to ornithology… The artists’ responses to this intersection of ideas range from literal to literary.

Source: Art Review: ‘Birding by the Numbers,’ Birds of Vermont Museum

<!– BACKUP : PDF:  Art Review: Birding by the Numbers : Seven Days 2017-08-16 –>

 

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.

Through the Window: April 2017

Welcome spring! As often in April, the number of species seen rises dramatically. Boldface in this list are those species not recorded last month.

• Wild Turkey
• Black-capped chickadee
• Blue Jay
• Northern Cardinal
• Dark-eyed Junco
• White-breasted Nuthatch
• Mourning Dove
• Red-Winged Blackbird
• Downy Woodpecker
• Red-tailed Hawk (seen soaring over Museum 4/4/17)
• Hairy Woodpecker
• American Tree Sparrow
• Turkey Vulture (overhead, westward, 4/4/17)
• Brown-headed Cowbird
• Tufted Titmouse
• American Crow
• Song Sparrow
• Fox Sparrow (4/6/17)
• Eastern Phoebe (talking 4/10, and at bird blind)
• Purple Finch (First of Year 4/15/17)
• Pine Siskin (First of Year, 4/15/17)
• American Goldfinch
• Common Grackle
• Downy Woodpecker
• Red-breasted Nuthatch
• Northern Flicker (4/17/17)
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet (4/19/17)
• Barred Owl (heard 4/13/17)
• Chipping Sparrow (First of year 4/25/17)
• White-throated Sparrow

The usual mammals maintained their presence: Red and Gray Squirrels, Eastern Cottontail rabbit, and Eastern Chipmunks. Wood Frogs made the feeder area mini pond noisy on several rainy days, and Spotted Salmander eggs will remain in the pond for a little while longer.

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.