Visit to Vermont and the Berkshires

We drove to Vermont for mum's race and stopped by the Birds of Vermont Museum on the way home.

I met Bob Spear himself! He carved all the beautiful birds in the museum.

I drew one of my favourite birds for the Art Contest - the Great Horned Owl.

                                                  And I won!! Yay!!

Here are some links to the website:
Birds of Vermont Museum Annual Art Contest
Click here to see my drawing! (4th from top and 4th from left)
And click here for the 2009 results

We also stopped by the Berkshires to stretch our legs and bird watch, of course.

Eastern Phoebe

Hairy woodpecker

White-throated sparrow

Red finch

Mountain Blue Bird

Song Sparrow

Backyard Birds

I never really, REALLY looked at birds until I started bird-watching. Then I realised we never actually appreciate how gorgeous birds right in our backyard are.

We stayed outside Boston city with 2 ponds and many gardens surrounding us. These are pics of some common but pretty birds in our backyard:

Mum nicknames me "chickadee-dee-dee" because like me, it's small and adorable!

European Starling

Male Mallard

Male American Black Duck

Great Blue Heron (he lives at the pond. He's always there!)

A pair of Northern Flickers

American Robin (the commonest bird around)



First Encounters

It was an awesome 1 year that I spent with my parents in Massachusetts, USA when mum was sent to work there last year.

We went to cape cod  for a seaside vacation and that's when dad bought me my first binoculars. Nature came to life for me when I signed up for my first ranger-led hike. My first encounters with a blue jay and a northern cardinal made me realise birds were so colourful and beautiful!

 Blue Jay (aww....so adorable!)

 Northern Cardinal (male)

Now, I'm a bird-a-holic!! My favs are owls and hawks.