asmolens's Journal

Time: Bird walk began around 6:30 pm
Date: 5/1/2018
Location: On Campus
Weather: Warm and humid
Habitat: City

Our bird walk began around 6:20 pm today at Shelburne Pond. It had been raining earlier in the day, so the skies were overcast and cloudy, and there was a slight drizzle when we first arrived. Shelburne Pond offered a variety of different habitats to find birds, but we spent most of our time hiking through the mixed deciduous and coniferous forest. We started out, however, at the pond and the nearby marshes.
As soon as we stepped out of the car, our senses were assaulted by a chorus of Spring Peepers. The noise was so loud, in fact, that we almost couldn't hear a Red-winged Blackbird male singing from his perch in the marshes, defending his territory. He was relentless, however, and we heard him throughout our hike any time we came close to the area his territory was located in. A Turkey Vulture flew overhead as we scanned the pond for any signs of waterfowl. Although we didn't spot any, we did manage to locate a pair of beavers swimming through the water near the marshes, most likely foraging for food.
We headed up the trail leading into the woods. After several minutes of walking and not seeing a single bird, we realized we'd probably have to rely on songs and calls for identification, rather than visual cues. With that in mind, we followed a long, warbling song that we heard up ahead. We didn't recognize the song, but when we managed to locate the individual perched at the top of a tree, it's yellow coloration and black forehead identified it as an American Goldfinch. We continued walking down the path, and managed to see a large, black bird fly across the path, but didn't get a good enough look to identify it. Periodically, we heard American Robins calling from throughout the forest, and Canadian Geese flying overhead and congregating near the water's edge.
We moved deeper into the woods, not hearing or seeing anything but squirrels foraging in the under-story. As we kept walking, I caught a glimpse of a large, gray bird swoop through the trees and land on an exposed branch. I rushed ahead to get a better look before it flew off. From the distance, it had a distinctly owl shape, and was perching in a manner typical of a few of the owl species. Once I looked through the binoculars, I could easily make out the circular facial disk and brown barred feathers characteristic of a Barred Owl. We decided to sneak closer to try and get better pictures. The owl turned to look at us every once in a while, but overall seemed relatively unconcerned with our presence. We stood there, watching it, until it suddenly took off to another patch of trees. Seeing its general direction we followed. We hadn't been able to spot where it landed, but a few minutes later the owl flew off again. We headed in that general direction and tried to spot the owl once more. We couldn't see it, but after a few minutes we heard two of the Barred Owl begging calls somewhere ahead of us. We stayed for a while, trying to spot the owl one more time, but eventually we moved on. As we kept walking, we heard a long, flute-like song coming from the tree tops. After a few minutes of listening to the song, we identified the individual as a Hermit Thrush. It sounded like there might have been two that were singing to each other, but there was at least one male who sang non-stop for 10-15 minutes. As we walked down the end of the trail, we heard a Northern Cardinal briefly sing.
It was only as we exited the woods and walked back along the road leading to the parking lot that we realized the Barred Owl had followed us. Up on the treeline, we saw the gray-colored owl glide through the tree branches before perching once more. We played a Barred Owl call on our phone to see if it would call back. Although we didn't hear a response, after the audio clip was silent for a time, the Barred Owl again swooped through the air and flew closer to where we stood, presumably wanting to investigate the sound it had heard.
The primary behavior we observed during our walk related to mating behaviors was singing: we heard Red-winged Blackbird, American Goldfinch, and Hermit Thrush males singing long songs, probably to defend their territory and attract potential mates. Habitat requirements differ greatly among these species. Red-winged Blackbirds prefer open marshes, whereas Hermit Thrushes prefer areas with more tree-cover and low lying vegetation. The Red-winged Blackbird appeared to be defending a prime territory, as the marsh was fairly large and directly adjacent to a large pond and woodlot, providing plenty of resources and shelter. Because the territory appeared to be of such high-quality, it is reasonable to assume that the Red-winged Blackbird male we saw had a fairly high level of fitness.

Time: Bird Walk began around 3:00 pm
Date: 4/20/2018
Location: Centennial Woods Natural Area
Weather: Overcast and cold
Habitat: Mixed deciduous and coniferous forest

Today's bird walk began at 1:35 pm at Red Rocks Park in South Burlington, VT. The weather was gorgeous; sunny, clear skies and a gentle wind added to the natural beauty of the park's temperate broadleaf and mixed forest habitat. Within moments of stepping out of the car, we heard the distinctive call of an American Crow. A few minutes later, as we walked through the entrance of the park, we heard several Black-capped Chickadees and spotted a White-breasted Nuthatch hopping up and down the trunk of a nearby tree. The song of an American Robin could clearly be heard in the tree tops above, but we had trouble locating the individual. We continued our walk down the trail, which took us along a row of houses where we found a Northern Cardinal flitting through the branches of a thick cedar hedge. A little farther down the path, we saw a Blue Jay take flight into the tree branches from the ground, where it appeared to be foraging on the grassy pathway. As we kept walking, we heard lovely, high-pitched song that we didn't recognize. It might have been a Song Sparrow, but we couldn't find the bird to visually confirm our theory.
We followed the trail as it wound through the forest, eventually taking us to Red Rock Point, where we found a couple of Tufted Titmouses perching in some of the tree branches. We descended the trail leading to the beach, hoping to spot some waterfowl. Two American Crows could easily be seen a little farther down the beach, but as we walked the length of the shore, no waterfowl came into view. We decided to head back up into the woods, and as we kept walking, we came across a small wetland area within the trees. Several long trill-songs could be heard nearby, so we ventured inwards to try and spot the birds. At least 3-4 individuals could clearly be heard singing, but none could be seen among the thick pine needles they were perching in. As we waited, hoping to try and catch a glimpse of one of them, we used our phones to try and identify the song we were hearing. After several minutes, we finally identified it as the Dark-eyed Junco song. In the distance, we heard something drumming on a tree trunk. Heading towards the noise, we stumbled across a Pileated Woodpecker drumming against a fallen log. While trying to get closer for a picture, we spotted a Hairy Woodpecker on a tree trunk off to the right. Both birds flew off moments later. As we were walking off of the path, we saw a Common Raven fly overhead. Interestingly, it seemed to be missing 1 or 2 of its secondary feathers on one of its wings.
The majority of birds we saw today were year-round residents. To survive, some of the species--like the Tufted Titmouse--may have evolved strategies like food caching to ensure they had a steady food supply throughout the year, even if resources become scarce in winter. There's a chance that some of the Dark-eyed Juncos we heard or the American Robin were facultative migrants arriving from a little farther south in the United States. Their short migration was probably triggered by the warmer weather Burlington has been experiencing the past couple of weeks. Assuming that the Dark-eyed Juncos arrived from the central United States, they could have traveled about 700 miles from their overwintering grounds to get back to Burlington.

Today's bird walk began at 1:46 pm on campus near the Waterman Green. The sun was shining through the entire walk and the skies were clear, although there was a strong, cold wind. Most of the bird walk took place in the residential and waterfront areas of Burlington, so the habitat was pretty much that of a town, favoring birds who did not mind living near people and buildings.
The first bird we saw on our way down College street was an American Crow that we heard calling. About a block and a half further, we came across a flock of House Sparrows hopping through the branches of a row of dense shrubs. They were extremely vocal , chirping at each other as they moved through the shrub. We also heard a black-capped chickadee on the other side of the street, but we were unable to locate it visually.
We continued walking down to the waterfront. We didn't see or hear any other birds until we reached Church street, where we saw a large flock of Rock Pigeons flying over head. We caught up to the flock when we reached Echo, where we saw it join with a second flock already perching on the roof of the building. Circling in the air nearby were 4 Ring-billed Gulls that seemed to fly down the boardwalk, and then back to Echo in large, sweeping circles. We walked along the boardwalk for a while, but were disappointed to not see any waterfowl. We decided to turn back and head back up the hill toward campus.
Again, we didn't see or hear any birds until we neared the area where we saw the House Sparrows. A few feet away, we could hear a bird singing at the top of a tall spruce tree. We had a hard time trying to spot the individual, so we stayed and listened to the song to try and figure out whether it was another House Sparrow or House Finch. After a few more minutes, we heard a few distinctive notes that identified it as a House Finch. A few feet away, my friend waved us over to help ID a yellow-gray bird sitting in what appeared to be either a crab-apple tree or a hawthorn tree. Upon closer inspection, its distinctive coloring and crest identified it as a Cedar Waxwing. As we watched, about three other Cedar Waxwings flew to join the first in the tree branches. Also in the tree were about 4-5 American Robins, as well as two others nearby. A White-breasted Nuthatch also flew in and started hopping up and down the tree trunk and some of the thicker branches. Two European Starlings landed for a minute or so, then took off to some of the trees in the distance. Soon after, a flock of 15-20 House Finches crowded onto the branches. They were all very noisy, and seemed to be disturbing each other, as well as some of the other species in the tree. After a few minutes, they into the foliage of a large cedar hedge, and could be seen foraging on the ground at the base of the tree, as well as flitting through the branches. We walked over and decided to try "pishing" to them since we hadn't seen to many Black-capped Chickadees. The House Finches seemed to quiet down a little and maybe look at us, but they didn't respond very much beyond that.
We stayed and watched the birds in that tree for a long time, comparing the behavioral differences between the species. The American Robins did not seem to be foraging, and sat perched on the branches, watching us, the whole time we were there. One or two of the birds could fly and land near another robin, however they all seemed to prefer having a little space between them. The Cedar Waxwings, however, often followed in a similar path along which one of the others had already been, and didn't seem to mind being close together. The Cedar Waxwings were actively foraging, and we saw them swallow several berries whole. This behavior makes sense in terms of their circadian and circannual rhythms, because they are known to be active during the day, as well as dependent on fruit trees for food in the winter.
Seeing so many species of birds all perched on the same tree really highlighted their differences in plumage. The Cedar Waxwing, for example, had subtle but striking coloring, while the American Robin had a simple and bold pattern. It is possible, evolutionarily speaking, that the American Robin was able to develop much brighter coloration, because it is a much larger bird and therefore not as vulnerable to predation as the Cedar Waxwing. I imagine the Cedar Waxwing evolved such beautiful, if not obvious, coloration and plumage as a way of attracting mates, while maximizing camouflage to avoid predators.

My bird walk began in the late afternoon at 4:50 pm at the Openlands Lakeshore Forest Preserve in Fort Sheridan, Illinois. The sun was shining, but it did little to warm up the brisk air rolling off of Lake Michigan. I was excited to see what birds I could find in the preserve, because while the majority of the acreage is classified as an oak savanna, there is also a deep ravine on the northern border and the coast of Lake Michigan to the west.
From the moment I stepped out of the car, I was surrounded by a cacophony of different calls and songs. Off to my right I heard a short, loud trill that I didn't recognize from the species we learned in class. Fortunately, a few moments later I saw the bird fly from a shorter tree to a large oak, where I could clearly see its all-black body and the bright red splotches on its wings that identified it as a male Red-winged Blackbird. While I stood there watching him, he seemed perfectly content to sit on the low-hanging branch and sing. Perhaps, due to their coloring, Red-winged Blackbird males developed this behavior in the winter to help absorb heat from the sunlight on their black feathers. A minute later, an American Robin flew over to perch on a nearby fence-post.
As I started walking down the grassy path, I heard the call of a Northern Cardinal and I spotted a large flock of sparrows up ahead. At first glance, they appeared to be House Sparrows. However, upon closer observation, I saw that they had lighter colored underbellies and a brighter brown-orange at the top of their head. My best guess is that these were American Tree Sparrows, but I'm not completely certain. Most of the sparrows could be seen on either side of the path up ahead, foraging in the grass and then retreating to the larger plant and grass stalks when I got too close. I think foraging in a group could be a behavior that evolved to help increase foraging efficiency and safety during winter. I imagine they were looking through the ground vegetation for seeds or insects.
As I kept walking, I heard several other Red-winged Blackbirds off in the distance. Black-capped chickadees also could be seen flitting over the tall grasses or through the tree branches, and I heard a single Mourning Dove somewhere in the trees when I was walking through the ravine. I expected to find more snags around that area, because I hadn't seen any on the path walking through the oak savanna. While there were not many trees on the savanna, the sides of the ravines were covered in oaks and smaller deciduous trees. However, I only found two snags in the entire ravine, and neither had any cavities I could spot. Interestingly, I didn't find a lot of birds near the ravine despite the higher stem density. While snags play essential ecosystem roles, by providing shelter to various species of wildlife, as well as a place to find or store food. I think in ecosystems that are dominated by grassland species of plants, the birds and other wildlife depend more on different structural or biological ecosystem components other than snags. This can be contrasted with Vermont, where the birds probably depend more on snags because of the predominance of forest ecosystems.

This morning's bird walk began at 10:40 am at the Prairie Wolf Forest Preserve in Highland Park, Illinois. The sky was overcast and gray when we set out down the winding trail that wove in and out of a prairie wetland and a deciduous forest. In the distance, a pair of medium sized birds sailed from tree to tree. As I approached, I began to suspect they were woodpeckers because of the way they were moving vertically up and down the trunk. My suspicions were confirmed when they flew overhead and landed on a nearby branch where their proportionately long bills identified them as Hairy Woodpeckers.
After walking a little further down the trail, I approached a bridge crossing over a frozen marsh, but I could hear drumming nearby. Flitting between the tall reeds and stiff grasses alongside the bridge was another Hairy Woodpecker that appeared to be pecking at some of the more rigid stems within the dense cluster. It moved up and down the stems like it would on a tree trunk, despite the much smaller circumference. Continuing down along the marsh, I scared two American Goldfinches into flight. They flew out from the thick stems in the marsh and flew upwards to the safety of canopy-level branches.
After watching these two species in flight, I noticed several differences in how they flew through the air. The Hairy Woodpeckers seemed to take deep, slightly prolonged flaps, resulting in a fairly level glide. The American Goldfinches, however, seemed to take much shorter, faster flaps in short succession, and then sail through the air for 1-2 seconds before flapping again. As a result, the American Goldfinches appeared to ascend in the air while flapping, and then briefly drop while gliding before flapping and regaining their height.

As I continued my walk, I managed to identify the warning call of a Black-capped Chickadee and a few chirps from a House Sparrow, however I was unable to locate the individuals and compare their flight patterns to that of the Hairy Woodpeckers and the American Goldfinches.