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: December 2016

A quiet, bird-filled, peaceful New Year is what we wish for you. We’ll wrap up 2016 with last month’s Viewing Window record.

• Wild Turkey
• Blue Jay (flock of 9 or more)
  
• Black-capped chickadee
• Hairy Woodpecker
• Northern Cardinal (male)
  
• Downy Woodpecker (male)
  
• Mourning Dove
• Tufted Titmouse
• Dark-eyed Junco
• White-throated Sparrow (2 see on 12/12 & 12/13, again – though not sure how many on – 12/28)
• American Crow
• Red-breasted Nuthatch

Red-breasted Nuthatch, turning to look at photographer

Plenty of Red and Gray Squirrels. Of course, we’re not up at night to watch for the Flying Squirrels. Maybe we need another night hike…

So busy last month, and now we … well are still busy. Our annual appeal is officially over but we welcome your donations all year of course). Help us feed the birds and much more!

Even though we ask that you call or email to set up a visit (from now through April 30), we have some exceptions for open days, special events, and offsite activities: 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 in 2017!

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: November 2016

The birds fall into late-autumn routines; the skies get cloudy and light in the early mornings drifts in mist and dreams. OK, and one of the museum bloggers gets either poetic or purple-proseish. Better switch up to our November bird notes, eh?

• Blue Jay
  
• Northern Cardinal
• Downy Woodpecker
• Black-capped chickadee
• White-throated Sparrow (juvenile and adults, various days)
• Tufted Titmouse
• White-breasted Nuthatch
• Mourning Dove
• Hairy Woodpecker
• Dark-eyed Junco
• Red-breasted Nuthatch
• American Goldfinch
  
• Wild Turkey
  

Interestingly, all these birds were seen last month, too. Plenty of squirrels again: Red and Gray Squirrels. No notes about Chipmunks or Woodchucks.

Even this list suggests we’re in our by-appointment season: instead of wandering by the Viewing window often, we sneak peeks of from the offices more, where we are busy with programs planning, repair and maintenance, and gearing up for our annual appeals (you can donate too!), For more precise records, you can also see eBird data for recent years at the Museum.

Even though we ask that you call or emai lto set up a visit (from now through April 30), we have some exceptions for open days, special events, offsite activites. 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 there and here.

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: October 2016

“And the leaves /come tumbling down” — well, ok, a misquote, but nice for this time of year. We have turned our autumn corner, from “open daily” to “open by appointment” — although our bird feeding continues daily also!

In October, we noticed these birds, fluttering, swooping, perching, or interacting with each other. Bold are those not recorded last month.

• Black-capped Chickadee
• Blue Jay
• Red-breasted Nuthatch
• Mourning Dove
• Hairy Woodpecker
• White-throated Sparrow (juveniles and adults)
• Downy Woodpecker
• Dark-eyed Junco
  
• Tufted Titmouse
• Wild Turkey (~12 on October 6)
• White-breasted Nuthatch
• Purple Finch
• Northern Cardinal
• Red-tailed Hawk (over the Museum, seen from the front entrance path)
• Fox Sparrow (October 23)
• American Goldfinch (October 25)
  
• Evening Grosbeak (8 on October 25, 2 on October 27)
• Common Grackle (2 on October 26)
• American Robin (in crabapple tree October 26)

For more precise records, you might also like to look at eBird data for recent years at the Museum.

Plenty of squirrels as usual!  Red Squirrels, Gray Squirrels, and Eastern Chipmunks.

Everyone who visits is welcome to check their identification then add their sightings to our whiteboard list. We are open by appointment; please call to schedule your visit. In addition,  consider joining us for a carving class, a bird walk, the “Black BIRDday” Gift Shop sale, offsite programs at libraries and senior centers, and more. Event details are on our website. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram too, for more comments, links, and observations!

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: September 2016

The year comes turning, turning… the daylight shifts, as we roll toward the equinox and away. Birds shifting southward bring changes to our sightings. A few “winter” birds are popping up!

• Black-capped chickadee
• White-throated Sparrow
• Mourning Dove
• White-breasted Nuthatch
• Hairy Woodpecker
• Blue Jay
  
• Downy Woodpecker
• Tufted Titmouse
• American Goldfinch
  
• Song Sparrow
• Red-breasted Nuthatch
• Ruby-throated Hummingbird (9/7 female only; 9/20)
• Rose-breasted Grosbeak (of note: a male, juvenile transforming to adult, 9/13; others seen throughout month)
• Northern Cardinal
• Dark-eyed Junco (at Cedar Hedge and under azalea, away from main feeding area, 9/26)
  

For more precise records, you can also see eBird data for recent years at the Museum.

Plenty of squirrels again: Red Squirrels, Gray Squirrels, and Eastern Chipmunks.

All observers can add their sightings to our whiteboard list! We’re here from 10am to 4pm daily, and earlier if there’s a bird walk. For those, check out our events page.  Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram too, for more comments, links, and observations!

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: December 2015

A little drama, as we waited for snow to finally appear:

Barred Owl with Ruffed Grouse kill. Photo by Allison Gergely for the Birds of Vermont Museum, 10 December 2015 . The birds are near the small pond in the feeder area, and visible through a conference room window.

• Barred Owl (on December 10, the Barred Owl killed a Ruffed Grouse then dragged it down the hill. It was a little bit difficult for the owl!)
  
• Black-capped Chickadee
• Blue Jay
• Hairy Woodpecker
• Mourning Dove (more than 11 on December 10)
• Downy Woodpecker
• Northern Cardinal
• Dark-eyed Junco
• White-breasted Nuthatch
• Ruffed Grouse
• American Robin (on and under the crabapple, December 8)
• Tufted Titmouse
• American Goldfinch

Bold indicates those we didn’t see last month.

We also observed Red Squirrels, and Gray Squirrels—generally about 3-5  of the Red ones and about 6 or so of the Gray. Some small malls were caught on our nightcam, but we couldn’t identify them positively—the resolution was a little low. We suspect they were Eastern Cottontails, based on size, behavior, and overall hazy shape.

You too can watch from our window! Call, tweet, phone (802) 434-2167, or email museum@birdsofvermont.org to schedule your visit.

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: November 2015

It’s getting quieter around here… but is that due to the owl?

Bold indicates those we didn’t see last month.

Barred Owl in Feeder Area, November 20 or so. Taken with an iPhone through hand-held binoculars.

• Mourning Dove
• Blue Jay
• Tufted Titmouse
• Hairy Woodpecker
• Dark-eyed Junco
• Black-capped Chickadee
• Downy Woodpecker
• Barred Owl (during UVM’s NR1 class field trip, even! Also November 28)
• American Goldfinch
• Ruffed Grouse (2 seen and heard early in November. One was found dead near our viewing window on November 15th—a predator, interrupted? A collision? [Although we have netting over the windows to reduce the chances of that.] A grouse was seen in the crabapple tree November 24. This could be the other member of the pair?)
• White-breasted Nuthatch
• Northern Cardinal
• Wild Turkey
• Buteo spp., possible juvenile Red-tailed Hawk (tail not clearly chestnut)

We also observed Eastern Chipmunks, Red Squirrels, and Gray Squirrels. Didn’t spot the the Raccoons on our nighttime cam. We did hear far-off coyotes while feeding birds or listening to some webcam videos.

Want to watch from our window? Schedule a visit! Call, tweet, phone (802) 434-2167, or email museum@birdsofvermont.org. (Other windows let you observe what’s happening around the new boxes on the hedge or admire the growth of cover crops along the restabilized stream bed (part of the stream restoration and bridge phase of #BridgesToBirds).

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: October 2015

Wow, in this last month of our open-daily season, we recorded some unusual birds! Are they here for the winter? Just passing through? And for some of the common ones, where were they last month?

Bold indicates those we didn’t see last month.

• Golden-crowned Kinglet (10/1 in cedar hedge*)
• Mourning Dove
• Black-capped Chickadee
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet (10/2 in cedar hedge)
• White-throated Sparrow
• White-breasted Nuthatch
• Blue Jay
• American Goldfinch
• Downy Woodpecker
• Hairy Woodpecker
• Red-breasted Nuthatch
• Dark-eyed Junco
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Yellow-rumped Warbler
• Tufted Titmouse
• Cooper’s Hawk
• Ruffed Grouse (10/20 in the crabapple tree  and 10/26 2 walking along the feeding zone perimeter and in the crabapple)
• Northern Cardinal (10/24 m & f, just male on 10/27)
• Purple finch (10/30)

We also observed Eastern Chipmunks, Red Squirrels, and Gray Squirrels, as well several visits from  Raccoons on our nighttime cam.

* Aside: We’re going to do some extensive trimming and pruning on the cedar hedge. It was deeply damaged by ice and snow earlier this year, and we’re removing much of the dead wood. Other changes include roost, wintering, and nest boxes (for birds and insect pollinators) and new plantings in the spring as well. Thanks to Volunteer EP for his help with this!

Come see for yourself! Call, tweet, email or schedule a visit by phone: (802) 434-2167 or museum@birdsofvermont.org. From museum exhibits to relaxing in our accessible treehouse to observing the long-awaited progress on the stream restoration and bridge phase of #BridgesToBirds, there’s always some wild thing to learn from or about.

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.

Noticed on the October 2015 Monitoring Walk

We’ve not quite been enough in the habit of linking our monthly Monitoring Walk “results”, but we’ll try to keep up with that a bit more.

Birds of Vermont Museum, Chittenden, Vermont, US
 Oct 31, 2015 8:00 AM - 8:15 AM
 Protocol: Traveling
 1.0 kilometer(s)
 Comments:     monthly monitoring walk led by Erin Talmage.
 13 species

Mourning Dove  6
 Downy Woodpecker  1
 Hairy Woodpecker  2
 Blue Jay  6
 American Crow  1
 Common Raven  1
 Black-capped Chickadee  16
 Tufted Titmouse  3
 Red-breasted Nuthatch  1
 White-breasted Nuthatch  4
 Brown Creeper  1
 Dark-eyed Junco  5
 American Goldfinch  1

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S25639896

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