May 28, 2021

WFB 195- Journal 5: Good Birding Site at Van Cortland Park

Date: May 28, 2021
Start time: 6:55
End time: 11:30
Weather: 57° F partly cloudy
Location: Van Cortland Park Bronx, NY
Habitat: Northwest Forest (oaks, tulips, and hickory), Old Croton Aqueduct Trail (woodlands filled with elms and sugar maples), Van Cortland Lake & Meadow

This morning was quite cold and I originally was supposed to go to the Woodlawn Cemetary when I reached the entrance, it was closed off and there was no one at the booth. There was another entrance but it was pretty far, luckily there was an entrance to Van Cortland Park right in front of the cemetery so I made my way into the forests! I began to hear some Song Sparrows, Blue Jays, Northern Cardinals, and House Sparrows. There was a wetland near the trail so I sat here for a bit and found a white-breasted nuthatch climbing down a tree near me, I was excited because this was my first time finding one! I also heard a Wood Thrush, it took me a little bit to recognize the song but I definitely improved from my trips before. I continued down another trail and ended up entering a different trail that lead me on a path that was very close to the Mosholu Parkway, because of this I struggled with getting a lot of recordings and identifying species. As I kept moving, I did get further away from the parkway and heard and Eastern Wood-Pewee. I tried to track it down but had no luck. In tracking it, I began to hear drumming in the distance and of course tried to figure out which species it was. I eventually found a Northern Flicker and I really wanted to get a recording of the song so I played some out loud in hopes that it would begin to sing. It did and as I kept playing the song and different calls, 2 other Northern Flickers began flying around frantically. I watched them for a while and got distracted but I did enjoy watching/hearing them! Along this trail I also heard American Redstarts, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Baltimore Orioles, and a Tufted Titmouse.
To end my trip I decided to visit the Van Cortland Lake and ended up finding tons of Canada geese, Mallards, and a Double-crested Cormorant. I watched it swim around and then exit the lake to dry off its wings.

Posted on May 28, 2021 06:26 PM by jsuquila jsuquila | 23 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

May 27, 2021

WFB 195- Journal 4: Good Birding Site at Pelham Bay Park

Date: May 27, 2021
Start time: 7:40
End time: 12:10
Weather: 70° F sunny with slight wind
Location: Pelham Bay Park Bronx, NY
Habitat: Hunter and Twin Islands (coastal woodlands), meadows filled with cattails, Saltmarsh, Orchard Beach

I started off at my day at the the marsh edge and immediately say two Great Egrets in the shallow water. At first I wasn't sure if they were Great Egrets or Snowy Egrets but I recalled that the Great Egrets typically have yellow bills and black feet while Snowy egrets have black bills and "golden slippers". I enjoyed watching them and I spotted one other Great Egret throughout my trip. Around the Egrets, there were also Herring Gulls and Ring-billed Gulls which I typically find by the Orchard Beach. I sat near this area for a bit and noticed a pair of barn swallows chasing each other around while flying which was fun to watch through the binoculars. The other species I found here were Song Sparrows, American Robins, Red-winged Blackbirds, Mallards, and what I think was a Green Heron.
I decided to move into the forest and just as I was about to enter a trail I heard a yellow warbler. I hung out for a bit and even got to take a picture and video of it while it was singing, this was my highlight because I've never seen one so clearly. I think there were about 3 others around this area singing alone with each other. I also heard another song that I was very unsure about so I used the BirdNET app and it suggested a Warbling Vireo! I then used eBird to hear its songs for comparison and confirmed that it was in fact the Warbling Vireo. I also heard a Willow Flycatcher and even got a great video of it singing! I finally made my way into the trail and heard House Wrens, Baltimore Orioles, Gray Catbirds, Cedar Waxwings. As I kept walking, a bright yellow bird flew right past me and I looked for it for about 8 minutes until I finally spotted it... it was a Common Yellowthroat (hate to admit it took me a little while to ID, this was one of the species I thought I would easily remember!).
I ended up on the forest edge near the Long Island Sound and noticed an Osprey circling above the water...very exciting! I also found an American Black Duck in the distance. Then I reached the salt marsh and crossed the boardwalk to get to Hunter Island. Here I sat on the boulders overlooking a few of the offshore islands and found 2 Caspian Terns, their bright orange long bills gave them away. In the distance I saw a fairly large bird on a rock and I wasn't quite sure if it was a Double-crested Cormorant and I was having a hard time adjusting my binoculars since the sun was right in front of me. I kept watching it with the blur in my binoculars and saw it spread its wings for a bit which is something that the species commonly does, so I assumed it was a Double-crested Cormorant.
Later in my trip, I saw 2 small birds that looked like killdeer on a mudflat. I sat and watched but couldn't confirm whether or not it was a Semipalmated Plover or a Killdeer. I analyzed the picture I took further and decided it was a Killdeer because there were 2 black rings not 1.

Posted on May 27, 2021 09:37 PM by jsuquila jsuquila | 30 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

May 26, 2021

WFB 195- Journal 3: Forest Birds at Inwood Hill Park

Date: May 26, 2021
Start time: 7:50
End time: 11:55 ( had to end early to catch the bus back home :( )
Weather: 64° F partly could and humid
Location: Inwood Hill Park New York, NY
Habitat: Woodlands with a canopy of Tulip Poplars and Red Oaks, marsh and mudflats, valleys, small meadows

I started off today's birding trip at the Muscota Marsh and mudflats and got a nice view of the Harlem River shore. I was hoping to find a Great Blue Heron, Double-crested Cormorant, or any sandpipers but had no luck. Instead, I found many Mallards and Canada Geese, the usual. I then made my way up the white trail until I was fully in the forest. It was hard to hear some bird calls at first because I was right near the Henry Hudson Parkway so I kept hearing cars in the distance. I was able to hear an Eastern Wood-Peewee and I did my best to follow the song and ended up spotting it along the trail. I continued to hear many of them throughout my excursion. Once I got to more wooded areas, I was able to hear many Red-eyed Vireos but couldn't spot any. I think I also spotted an Eastern Kingbird as I noticed a white stripe on the base of the tail before the bird flew away.
As I reached the west side of the park, I got an amazing view overlooking the Hudson River and the Palisades, I sat here with the hope to spot Bald Eagles, hawks, or waterfowl. I had no luck and decided to keep moving because the sun was so bright at this point. As I entered the forest again I heard a Carolina Wren and even got to watch it switch up its song/call. In this area, I also heard House Wrens, American Redstarts, Red-eyed Vireos, Blue Jays, and Baltimore Orioles. I was replaying some of my recordings to see if any birds would approach me but ended up being surrounded by a pair of Gray catbirds mimicking the calls. I decided to follow a trail that wasn't paved and met 2 other birders and they gave me other trails around the area where they spotted some Red-bellied Woodpeckers and Cedar Waxwings. I eventually made my way to the trails and heard the Cedar Waxwings and I was able to spot 4 of them. They were singing right above me but by the time I pulled out my phone to record the song they had left. These were just a few of my highlights for today!
Today I did struggle to identify birds because had to bird by ear when I was really struggling I used the BirdNET app and I found it very useful. Even if I was unsure which bird was singing, it gave me a good start to identifying them!

Posted on May 26, 2021 11:15 PM by jsuquila jsuquila | 26 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

WFB 195- Journal 2: Grassland & Shrubland birds

Date: May 25, 2021
Start time: 7:40
End time: 12:00
Weather: 60° F clear skies and sunny, slight wind in the morning
Location: Van Cortland Park Bronx, NY
Habitat: Decidious forest (mature oak and sweetgum forest), meadows with nest boxes, open fields

Today's site was quite big, I explored a couple of trails and got lost in the woods (metaphorically and literally)! I started off on a trail surrounded by cattails and here I was able to hear a lot of Red-winged blackbirds couldn't spot them when I first passed by. Once I passed this area, I followed another trail leading to an abandoned mansion which was surrounded by a couple of nest boxes and fences. Here I heard a song sparrow singing its heart out and it took me a while to spot it and got a nice video of it singing! This was where the tree swallows were also found perched on top of the nest boxes. I watched them for a bit as they flew around, it was my highlight. I wrapped up here and went onto another trail that was close to the Van Cortland Lake and spotted a fellow birder! We talked a bit about the birds we've seen so far and how today seemed to be a bit quiet, we were both hoping to spot some warblers. I found many of the same species and felt stuck so I kept moving! I found a bike path that was surrounded by a lot of shrubbery but had little luck in finding species here. I mainly came across Gray Catbirds and got a quick glimpse of an orange/black bird which I assumed to be a Baltimore Oriole since this is one of the summer species in the area. I got a recording of its call/song and struggled to identify it but used an app that said it was almost certain that it was the Baltimore Oriole. Along the bike path that seemed to never end, I found a trail so I followed it and ended up going around the entire golf course... again. Along this trail is where I spotted the immature Bald Eagle, which was another highlight. I ended up by the lake again and saw some mallards, mute swans, and Canada Geese. I really enjoyed today's birding adventure and am looking forward to going back and exploring more!

Posted on May 26, 2021 12:05 AM by jsuquila jsuquila | 22 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

May 24, 2021

WFB195-Field Journal 1

Wetland birds
Location: Pelham Bay Park Bronx,NY
Start Time: 7:30AM
End time: 12:00PM
Weather: Sunny 60°F
Habitat: Meadows, salt marshes, freshwater marsh

Today’s site was fun to explore! I’ve been to this park before but I’ve never explored it the way I did today. This morning was quite cold but as soon as I got to the site, I was able to find quite a few species. I followed the marsh edge and spotted a pair of Mallards and swallows. I think I was in a Red-winged blackbird nesting area because one of the birds was calling at me and flying above me nonstop until I left. These Red-winged blackbird and the American Robin were the two species I saw the most. I walked past the beach and saw many Ring-billed gulls and Herring gulls. Then I made my way to another marsh area and saw Great Egrets which was my highlight because this was my first time seeing them in person. This park had many small islands and I was able to find a path to some of them which were fun to explore. I had many recordings but struggled with identifying them a bit, I’m a bit rusty but I’m looking forward to relearning them again!

Posted on May 24, 2021 11:23 PM by jsuquila jsuquila | 21 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

April 29, 2020

FJ8: Field Observation

For my final field journal today, I visited Rice Creek. It was partly cloudy and 48 degrees when I arrived at about 8:30 am. The area in Rice Creek that I visited this morning consisted of a trail that passes through an open meadow, a wetland forest, and is directly near Rice pond.

Posted on April 29, 2020 07:29 PM by jsuquila jsuquila | 8 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

April 23, 2020

FJ7: Reproductive Ecology and Evolution

The site I visited yesterday was Rice Creek, it was about 37 degrees outside and very windy. I arrived at the site around 2 pm and observed the birds until about 3:40 pm. I followed the blue trail which consisted of red maples, paper birches, oaks, and various other deciduous trees. This trail also passed by the creek and a meadow.

When I began my walk on the trail, I didn't hear or see and sign of bird activity. After walking about 10 minutes on the trail, I began to hear the song of a song a song sparrow, it continued on signing for a few minutes and as I observed it another sparrow approached the same branch. It flew around curiously for a minute and then landed on a branch above the song sparrow. I thought this reflected mate selection, the male singing was trying to attract a female to be his mate through his song. A possible reason for the female sparrow flying around the bird could be to be able to observe the male or possibly his territory, which could affect if she decides to mate with him.

As I got further into the woods, I reached the creek and was able to see a mallard in and out of the water and in flight. When I first spotted the mallard it was roaming around by the shore line and picking at the grasses. I thought it could've been searching for materials to build a nest with since they tend to nest on the ground closer to water. Around this area, I also heard a belted kingfisher. It made its loud rattle call but I had trouble finding it. The calls continued over the course of 3 minutes and I heard a second call right after the original call. I thought this was either mate selection or they were territorial displays. An "intruder" could've entered the kingfishers territory and the loud rattle call was a warning. If it was a pair, they could've been defending a nesting area. This kingfisher seemed to have been defending prime territory because kingfishers tend to nest by excavating burrows on banks near waters and the area was by the shore of the creek and a large fallen tree had exposed the ground. The mallard and the kingfisher have different requirements for nesting even though they may nest in similar habitats. A mallards nest is on the ground typically under high grasses or shrubs, which offer them protection. A kingfisher burrows into the ground and this provides protection but also means that their nests have to be high so that a flood doesn't flood the nest.

I also noticed a turkey vulture, it was around shrubbery and seemed to be foraging but another possibility would be looking for a nesting site. In Rice Creek, the turkey vulture is a summer resident so it is here for breeding. I was not able to see any sign of courtship displays but in observing the vulture, it could've just been looking for possible nesting sites. Turkey vultures tend to nest on hollow trees, fallen logs, or on the ground.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UcWC84tlD0--sqxEcN7y_oRKDGNLRdW59sLe4LxLA2k/edit?usp=sharing

Posted on April 23, 2020 01:17 AM by jsuquila jsuquila | 8 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

April 15, 2020

FJ6: Field Observation

Today's site was at the hidden fields of SUNY Oswego. It was about 8:30 am when I arrived and I left around 10:20. It was 34 degrees and it was bright and sunny. The habitat where I was observing the species was a forest with a variety of conifers like Scots pine, Eastern white pine, Eastern hemlock and various others. There was also an abundance of deciduous species in the area. The area I explored was also near Lake Ontario, so I decided to pass by there as well.

Posted on April 15, 2020 09:43 PM by jsuquila jsuquila | 7 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

April 9, 2020

FJ5: Migration

This weeks site was at Rice Creek in Oswego, New York. It was cool 46 degrees and cloudy. When I arrived at about 8 am, I decided to take the blue trail which led me to Rice Pond. The trail was slippery because it rained early in the morning but the birds were singing! I observed the species in this area until about 10:15 am.

When I started my walk on the trail I heard the songs and calls of a few Black-capped Chickadee's, which is common. The chickadee is a resident in Oswego and foregoes migration. Since it forgoes migration, it has to change its behavioral habits for the harsh winters where food may be a limiting resource. One way they do this is by moving in flocks. By moving in larger groups allows them to retain heat through huddling when necessary in the cold months.Flocking increases foraging efficiency which is crucial in the winter because there is a limited amount of food. It also allows them to save more energy than they would have if there was only a pair of chickadees or a small family group. As I walked further, I noticed a group of Dark-eyed Juncos in dense shrubbery possibly foraging for food.

As I got closer to Rice Pond, I began to see and hear more birds as this area had various bird feeders. The first call I recognized was that of the Red-winged Blackbird. It was perched on a tree by the pond along with 2 other males. This species is a facultative migrant and spends the winter in the southern United States with a wintering range of up to 800 miles far from their breeding ranges. This migration allows them to spend some time in warmer states during the winter and allows them to arrive back home in the spring to an abundance of resources. They know when to migrate back home because of their "internal clocks" in their pineal gland that send signals to the hypothalamus to regulate metabolic activity. This internal clock allows them to measure day length to synchronize their physiology and the environment. So when they day becomes longer, their internal clock triggers their instinct to move back North. Another facultative migrant that I think I spotted was a Merlin. I had a a bit of a struggle identifying it because it it was flying rapidly, but I was able to observe its high speed wings and noticed it had dark markings on the chest. Merlins migrate to Westerns and Southern parts of the United States and their wintering range extends up to Ecuador. Making their wintering range as a far as 3,129 miles from Oswego. In this area, I also heard the call of a couple of Canada geese, another facultative migrant. This species typically migrates back North in the summer but there are some species that are also residents. If these birds were long distance migrants, their winter range would be about 2,372 miles away from Oswego! If we were to add all three winter ranges, they would have a total migration mileage of 6,301 miles!

Posted on April 9, 2020 12:07 AM by jsuquila jsuquila | 9 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

March 25, 2020

FJ4: Social Behavior and Phenology

This weeks site was at place called Rice Creek in Oswego, NewYork. It was 46 degrees, cloudy, and a bit humid. Rice Creek is a forested area including hardwoods and conifers that hosts various habitats. I walked through the orange trail which consisted of young woodlands, an evergreen plantation, and a mature hardwood forest.

When I began my walk on the trail, I heard a couple of chickadee's and they were singing their songs continuously. There were about 8-10 of them perched on a tree and they moved excitedly amongst each other. For this group of chickadee's I also tried "spishing". When I made the noise, one of the birds flew closer and just flew around a bit but still in the same area. I tried it again and the other birds just seemed interested in the sound. I began thinking about why they seemed interested in the sound and I thought it was because they may communicate using a similar sound. It could be a signal they found something interesting and the rest of the group should take a look at it.
As I observed them, I also noticed a chickadee on a separate tree that was singing its song followed by the song of another chickadee. The chickadee then called again and the song of the other bird followed. I thought that this might be a way for a pair to find one another if they lose each other while foraging for food. But I also thought it could be a warning signal for other birds, as I was getting closer to the chickadee.

I also noticed a brown creeper and decided to focus on its plumage and the colors and patterns. It had brown streaks on its back which helped it camouflage with the bark. I also paid attention to the plumage of a Northern cardinal I came across, it was bright red and had black throat. The black throat could be a way to accentuate their beaks.

Posted on March 25, 2020 10:05 PM by jsuquila jsuquila | 5 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

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