היומן של lillietyroler

Date: May 1st, 2023
Start Time: 4:40pm
End Time: 5:40pm
Location: Ethan Allen Park, Burlington VT
Weather: 55˚F, partly cloudy, 60% humidity, 14mph North winds
Habitat(s): coniferous trees, close to human activity
Species found:
Common Raven: 2
Tufted Titmouse: 5+
American Robin: 3+
Eastern Phoebe: 1
Black-capped Chickadee: 2+

Date: 4.17. 2023
Start Time: 3:50pm
End Time: 4:30pm
Location: Derway Island Nature Preserve, Burlington, VT
Weather: 51˚F, 9mph SE winds, .2” rainfall in the past hour, 92% humidity
Habitat(s): New growth forest, proximity to river

Earlier today I went birding in Derway Island Nature Preserve. This has become one of my favorite birding spots as I always see a variety of species no matter what the weather conditions are. This time, I went in the rain to observe how species were behaving differently.
I was greeted by a loud Northern Cardinal, a Tufted Titmouse, and a Black-capped Chickadee in the trees at the entrance of the park. During my previous visit in March, only the Tufted Titmouse and the Black-capped Chickadee were present which is interesting considering that Northern Cardinals are not migratory birds. At first when walking further into the preserve I could only hear Northern Cardinals. While I could not see any of them, there were clearly multiple present. The first new call that I heard was a Song Sparrow. This was the only bids I was able to actually see throughout my entire visit, as it was perched on a short, bare tree. I was able to hear the call of an Eastern Bluebird, which is a species I have never seen before. It sounded like it was coming from the branches of a tall tree. In this same spot, I heard a Northern Flicker for the first time this year. Overhead I heard an American Crow, which felt unusual because it only sounded like a single bird. Typically I hear crow calls in flocks, but I have noticed that the crows tend to be more spread out in this area.
Derway Island is surrounded by the Winooski River and therefore has many waterfowl species. In the warmer months I often see Great Blue Herons, although it was still too early in the season for them during this visit. I came across Canada Geese, although I could not tell how many there were because I only heard their calls. Overall, I was surprised by the number of species I observed and how active they were. I assumed that the rain would prevent birds from being active, but it seemed as if most species were active in a different way. I rarely observed flight or movement, as most birds were perched on branches. However, their calls were loud and frequent. The rain likely contributed to the reason for no visible waterfowl, as these birds are more exposed. I look forward to returning in the warmer months to see a different variety of species.

Date: 3/29/23
Start Time: 3:40pm
End Time: 4:40pm
Location: East Woods Natural Area
Weather: 49˚F, 13mph NE winds, 45% humidity
Habitat(s): Wintering old growth forest near busy road

Earlier today I went birding in East Woods Natural Area in South Burlington, VT during the late afternoon. This proved not to be the best location as it was next to a highway and experienced human noise disturbance. The only birds I found were a few Black-capped Chickadees in the distance. This was likely due to the cold temperatures and human proximity. It also seemed to be a popular dog walking area which increased the noise disturbance. A benefit from this was that the dogs shed their fur along the trail, leaving nest building material for the birds in the warmer months.

The Black-capped Chickadee does not migrate for winter because it has characteristics that allow it to survive in cold temperatures. Chickadees go into a state called “regulated hypothermia” where they essentially lower their body temperature and therefore their metabolic expenditure. The bird will consume enough to increase their body weight by at least 10% in order to survive the night. Throughout the night they will shiver to keep warm, thus returning to their normal body weight by morning.

Later on in the New North End I saw a Brown-headed Cowbird calling from the top of a bare tree. These birds are considered shirt migrants, as they migrate only as far as 530 miles between breeding and wintering grounds. They live year-round in the middle and southern US, as well as the top of Mexico. They spend their non-breeding period in southern Mexico and Florida and their breeding season mainly in the Northwest and Canada. Their purpose for migration seems to be for breeding and weather purposes. These birds are starting to return to Burlington because the conditions are once again suitable for them.

Date: 3/18/2023
Start time: 2:30pm
End time: 3:30pm
Location: Prospect Park, Brooklyn NY
Weather: 53˚F, 9mph E, 37% humidity
Habitat(s): Groomed landscape, residential area, young trees

On Saturday, I went to Prospect Park in order to see a different variety of species than I typically do in Vermont. My neighborhood of Brooklyn is an especially good place to go birding because of how quiet and green it is compared to the rest of the city. Prospect Park is essentially the Brooklyn version of Central Park. It is complete with rolling hills of trees, a small lake, and a few hiking trails where birds can be more isolated. I was able to explore all these environments with left me with a long list of observations.
The observations started on my way to the park. In a tall bare tree surrounded by houses were two cardinals. The entrance of the park closest to my house goes straight to the lake, so my first stop was waterfowl. There were about three Mute Swans, dozens of Canada Geese, dozens of Mallards, and one visible Wood Duck. In a bush by the lake there were dozens og House Sparrows. After walking past the lake, I made my way to one of the nature trails, and on the way, I saw plenty more House Sparrows. On the trail in the trees resided two Mourning Doves and a few Blue Jays. After leaving the trail, I made my way back to the edge of the lake, where I saw more Canada Geese, Tufted Titmice, dozens of Common Grackles, and a Red-winged Blackbird. In trees on a hill opposite the lake were Northern Cardinals and Blue Jays. The number of them could not be identified as I could only hear their calls. On the walk back from the park on different black from the first observation, I observed a Northern Mockingbird in a shrub. It was by itself and let me approach it very closely as it was making its calls.
It was interesting to see which birds were more social and which were more isolated. The waterfowl tended to remain in a flock, with birds of all species keeping close together. The reason for this could have been that parkgoers were feeding the birds which encouraged them all to travel to the edges of the lake. The Canada Geese tended to travel completely to land and interact with humans, while the Mute Swans kept the furthest toward the center of the lake. The Northern Cardinals and Mourning Doves generally remained in pairs and were quieter. The Tufted Titmice were also in pairs but were calling to each other while they were in the tree. The Red-winged Blackbird was difficult to see at first because it was within a cluster of Common Grackles, which also appear to be primarily black. Red-winged Blackbirds seem to have the advantage of being both neutrally colored and brightly colored. The red and yellow tops of the male wings can attract females, while the rest of their body can help conceal them. This male was perched on a branch making calls. This is a diurnal species, which fits with its behavior.
There was so much human noise in Prospect Park that I do not believe the House Sparrows heard my “pshhh” calls. They could also just simply be well adjusted to humans as they live in a human area. In general, it is likely that this noise works to alter bird behavior because it imitates the sound of a predator or prey. It is also possible that this is an atypical noise and since birds are curious organisms, they will attempt to explore it in a safe way. This noise sounds a bit like a small bird call, so it is possible that the birds believe that this is a call for another species, or even from a young bird.

Date: 3/2/2023
Start Time: 1:50pm
End Time: 2:30pm
Location: Derway Island Nature Preserve
Weather: 36˚F, snow, NNW 10mph
Habitat(s): deciduous forest, waterfront
Field Journal#3
On Thursday, I visited the Derway Island Nature Preserve to see a diverse array of species. The Nature Preserve is located by the Winooski River and the Burlington Wastewater Plant, providing many types of habitats within one area. Initially, I went deeper into the deciduous forest because I thought I would be able to see more species there. I was surprised to find that the majority of visible species were actually on the edges of the preserve. There were Ring-billed Gulls soaring in circles around the water treatment facility. In the neighboring trees, the calls of Black-capped Chickadees could be heard. Along the water was where the greatest diversity of bird species was. Tufted Titmouses could be seen and heard throughout the trees and occasionally soaring over the river. Black-capped Chickadees also resided in the trees. In the water was a flock of Canada Gooses, and in the air were a few American Crows.
There were noticeable changes in behavior and species diversity from my previous visits. While Tufted Titmouses generally exist in pairs, in the winter they form small flocks. This was apparent in the trees, as there were many Tufted Titmouses. Canada Geese, as well as other waterfowl, have many adaptations that help them survive winter. They have a thick coat of down feathers that they use for insulation. Additionally, Canada Geese have a counter blood circulation system which regulates their blood temperature throughout their body, preventing the air exposed or water exposed parts from being too cold. Canada Geese will also tuck their feet under their bodies in order to conserve body heat. Black-capped Chickadees also have a coat of down feathers during winter, allowing them to remain in their habitat and not migrate. A species that does migrate from Derway for winter is the Great Blue Herring. This species has been visible in most of my previous visits to Derway, but this visit took place when they had migrated south.
Birds in this area did not seem to reside in snags. There were no ground species, which likely contributed to this, as most of the dead trees were fallen. Snags are residents to insects that birds consume. An example of a species that would take advantage of a snag is a Pileated Woodpecker. I have seen both Pileated Woodpeckers and Downy Woodpeckers in previous visits to Derway, but none were present during this past visit.

Date: 2/19/2023
Start Time: 4:45pm
End Time: 5:20pm
Location: Centennial Woods
Weather: 42˚, 8 WNW, Gusts up to 17mph, 0 inches precipitation
Habitat(s): Deciduous Forest, mix of old and young trees

Today I went to Centennial Woods in the late afternoon. The weather was slightly cloudy and cold, and the sun was close to setting by the time I left. At the entrance of the woods were smaller birds that stopped their calls too quickly for me to record, although I believe what I heard was a downy woodpecker. The environment that I heard this call was a densely packed collection of wintering and dead trees near a neighborhood and a parking lot. After walking further into the woods, not many birds were present. This was likely due to the weather and the time of day. Although it was not raining at that point, the forest was overall damp, which likely also contributed to the lack of bird sightings. An additional factor that impacted the number of birds present was the amount of human-caused noise pollution. Airplanes flying overhead, as well as park visitors, produced sounds that often drowned out the noises of the surrounding environment.
Just when I felt that I would not see any birds on this visit, a murder of American Crows flew overhead. They were flying in clusters, with large breaks in between the groups of birds. Additionally, they were not in an organized formation, but rather more random. The crows were all heading in a southwest direction. Their flight pattern consisted of a mixture of gliding and flapping. Their wings were slightly larger than their body, with distinct primary feathers and a slotted, high lift wing type. These wings are likely used to give the birds power to travel long distances at high elevations. The size of the wings helps the birds catch the wind, and the prominent primaries provide thrust to carry the crow forward. Earlier in the day I saw about five crows on the side of Shelburne Road in Shelburne, VT. They were very close to the cars on a grass field. It is clear that these birds are tolerant of human activity.
The large number of crows I observed can be explained by the fact that crows are very social birds. This means that it is more common to see crows in groups as opposed to by themselves. A behavior that I have not been able to explain is the reason behind their traveling. Most crows do not migrate, meaning that this murder is likely staying within the general area. The crows also chose a relatively late point in the day to travel. This could indicate that the murder is not traveling a far distance, or that crows have adapted to being able to travel in the dark. I would like to research this more, as I expect to see more American Crows in future visits.