April 7th, Red Rocks Park (plus bonus porcupine)
On Friday, April 7th I traveled to Burlington's Red Rocks Park right after class, and prior to skiing. It was very overcast and down pouring and around 40°F. It was fairly windy and the water was choppy along the cliffs and shoreline. The area was deserted of people, which I assume is due to the weather. Under the canopy there was much less wind and rain.
Upon entering the woods and walking a little bit, I heard a very distinctive call. I recognized it, but couldn't place it to a bird. Naturally, I whipped out the binoculars and spent awhile looking around. Although I never found it, upon returning home and going through past bird calls, I clearly identified it as a Red-winged Blackbird. Upon reaching the water, I did see several Ring-billed Gull and Canada Geese. If I had waited for a lightening of rain I probably would have seen more work their way out of the woodwork but, as I was skiing later on, I was strapped for time.
It was worth it, though. At Stowe I lucked out and saw a Porcupine. However, because of the rain/freezing rain/snow/wind/altitude there wasn't any avian life.
One obvious year-round resident that I've noticed both this past winter and every winter at home is the Black-capped Chickadee. Unlike insectivores and nectarivores, Chickadees have adapted their usual diet of spiders and insect to feed on seeds and berries in winter. This adaptable diet allows them to forego migration and instead forage in a snowy and cold environment. They are also known to store reserves of food for later consumption.
Not all species are able to survive on the limited resources found in the Vermont winter, and such species must migrate annually. One such migratory species is the Cedar Waxwing, one of my personal favorites. Around this time of year, they begin migrating north to the lower Canadian provinces from the southern USA and Mexico. Although considered a "year round bird" in much of the USA, during the winter it is very unusual for them to not migrate at least somewhat south, as they're highly specialized in eating fruit. This quest for fruit forces them to find warmer ground where fruits and berries are more abundant. In the summer, this diet is supplemented with protein-rich and nutritious insects. This search for supplemental nutrients and breeding grounds drives them north.
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