February 5th

This morning I set out on a birding walk with Sean and some other members of our class. We left for Centennial Woods Natural Area at 7:30 AM and it was cold and cloudy. On our walk down, we saw a few crows all flying the same direction. Considering American Crows roost at night, it is possible that they were all heading towards a common food source. We also saw a few European Starlings, who flew in a very distinctive way, with their triangular body shape. Once at the entrance of the woods, a Downy Woodpecker flew in to the sound of its call, which Sean played on his phone. A few Black-capped Chickadees flew in, in what seemed to be in reaction to the woodpecker flying about coupled with the call that had repeated a few times. Once at a feeder, Sean again played the sound of birds mobbing in reaction to a screech owl. Multiple White-breasted Nuthatches, chickadees, as well as a Downy Woodpecker flew in and became very reactive to the call. A group of Tufted Titmice were perched in a pine nearby, watching the scene, but curiously they did not participate.

Upon leaving the woods, we saw a Cooper's hawk gliding over the trees, heading in the direction of the mobbing we had just witness. Walking to a different feeder, we saw a few Mallards and an American Black Duck in the wetland area on Carrigan Drive. At the next feeder, we saw a pair of Northern Cardinals in a thicket of staghorn sumac, and upon playing the mobbing sounds again, a group of American Goldfinches, a Downy Woodpecker, and some chickadees all flew in to the tree above the speaker. It was very interesting to witness the common characteristics among species.

Posted on February 5, 2016 06:58 PM by kirsticarr