Burlington Urban Reserve
On Wednesday, Thursday 9th at 12:30, three friends and I went to Burlington’s Urban Reserve to walk down toward North Beach. It was a warm 55°F day with mild wind. The path was relatively crowded with joggers, bikers, and dog walkers, and there was a loud, active construction site next to the skate park as well.
Being along the lakeshore, I was hoping to get a nice look at either some birds of prey or shorebirds. However, there was a noticeable lack of movement along the shore and jetties. The beach, which leads off from the path, was deserted; we sat and relaxed for a bit, enjoying the weather, while observing for a hopeful sighting but didn't have any sightings there. I attribute this to the high level of noise in the park that day. Even from the beach, the quietest location we found, we could still hear pedestrians on the path and, even worse when bird watching, dogs barking.
Apart from Common Grackles, Crows, and House Finches we had no other sightings. However, I did hear a Cardinal and Tufted Titmouse.
The Finches were foraging among high grasses on an abandoned lot in a group of 5-10. As it was such a warm day, they likely could focus their energy on feeding rather than preserving body heat. Also, the fact that they were foraging in a small flock indicates that there were probably abundant seeds. Without snow covering the ground, they don’t need to rely on artificial feeders and harder to find food sources and can simply forage on the ground.
Crows were also demonstrating springtime behavior. In large flocks they were flying overhead. In the winter they gather in large groups at food-heavy locations, so they were probably migrating back to their home ranges.
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