Diario de ajchagnon

Today on Monday, May 18th, I went out into the field for bird for water bird observations. The site that I went to to take the observations for the day was in the Missisquoi Wildlife Refuge on the Black Creek/Maquam Creek Trails. When got into the field after leaving home in the morning it was a few minutes after 7:00 am and the weather was beautiful. In the early morning it was slightly overcast with light gusty winds, but as the day proceeded the sun came out and about 55 degrees climbing as time passed. as the trail started there was grassland landing the railroad bed. On the other side of the railroad bed the trail lined a system of creeks and ponds that I travelled. Mature deciduous trees were everywhere, with shrubs and fern plants growing on the forest floor.

A total of four Red-winged Blackbird were seen the first was perched in a tree and I spotted another one flying across the grasslands. The other two were seen along the edge of the train in shrub trees calling. As I walked along the edge of a creek a single male Mallard with a striking green head was swimming quietly up the creek. Along the trail an American Robin was moving across to the edge to feed but was spooked and flew away when it spotted me. As I was heading to the lookout point of the Maquam trail I believe I saw a Belted Kingfisher leave its perch and zoom along the creeks because of the chattering call. Further up the creek a sound caught my attention a Downy Woodpecker was pecking on the side of a tree on the banks edge, and then again on the loop back a second Downy Woodpecker caught my eye feeding on a tree along a swamp edge. While walking to the lookout point I heard the alarm call of a Blue Jay but never saw the individual, later on a second Blue Jay called as I moved along the trail and flew across the river bank. A third Blue Jay was seen along the railroad bed in a group of trees beside the parking lot.

I was very excited during this outing to see a total of three Great Blue Herons. Two of the Great Blue Herons were seen flying high above, the first one was when I was in the thicker trees along the creek side, and the second one was seen flying towards the opening of the lookout point two hours apart. The third Great Blue Heron was standing on the creeks edge on one of the trail extensions on the way back, I did not see it until the last minute and it got spooked and flew away. Moving towards the lookout point two American Black Ducks were hidden behind a short bush and flew off when I got too close. Once I was at the lookout point I sat down to take a few more bird observations. Across the water opening in a large tree I used my binoculars to identify an Osprey that was perched in it. While sitting at the lookout point I saw a total of six Canada Geese. Two flew from behind and landed in the opening of the swamp. As they started honking back and forth two more geese came out of the swamp to join them, and then another two came around the corner of the creek bend to join as well.

Heading out of the field I was able to identify the bird species that I was having trouble with throughout the duration of the observation period. The bird was all grey and similar to American robin size but more slender. I was able to ID the bird as a Gray Catbird. Four different Gray Catbird sightings were along the trails edge in the short brush and thickets. The call of a Northern Cardinal was recognized when I was almost out of the field for observation period. I recognized the "machine gun" sounding end to the call. Overall I saw an abundant amount of bird species and was able to research and find what I believe to be their ID's while in the field and completed the observation period at 11:30 and headed back home.

Today Tuesday May 19th at 7:30 am this morning I arrived at my field site for observations. This observational period was centered around grassland and shrubland bird species in the area. The site was located in Swanton, Vermont on Airport Drive. In this area there was heavy traffic up and down and construction going on around the airport. Instead of birding the fence line around the edge of the airport because it was hard to access during this time I went behind the Vermont Trans building where there are numerous fields that connect to the fairgrounds located close by. The area in which I birded had a system of previously brush hogged pathways lined with early successional trees and shrubs. The end of the trail that I walked was a large field bordering the area that a fair is held in the summer. I walked the edge of the field and looped back around to walk the paths out.

In the duration I was in the field I heard many different birds and was able to see a them as well. Walking out I was overwhelmed with the different calls coming from each side of the path in the shrubs. I was able to stop and break them down and eventually decipher what many of them were. The birds I was able to ID by sight and sound included an abundance of Gray Catbirds, Red-winged Blackbirds, Blue Jays, Northern Cardinals, House Wrens, Song Sparrows and a Turkey Vulture. I had issues identifying one bird I saw in the field. When I came around a corner of the path I noticed a bird perched in a small shrub tree. When I looked at it with binoculars I could recognize the distinct black back, brown sides, and white belly. After viewing for a few seconds, the bird flew away into the thick shrub and I was unable to see or hear the individual after that. Once I returned home I did some researching and I believe that the bird I saw was an Eastern Towhee. Throughout the duration in the field I saw a total six catbirds throughout my walk all perched in the trees in the shrubland not only did I see six of these birds I also was able to ID three more by sound of their “meowing” call.

Red-winged Blackbirds also filled the shrublands and grasslands by the sight and the sound. A total of five Red-winged Blackbirds were recognized by sight while four of them which were flying across the field opening toward the fairgrounds, while one was perched in a tall shrub tree growing on the edge of the field. I was able to ID four other occasions of Red-winged Blackbirds throughout the duration in the field from their sharp first not and trilling end. Walking through the location sight Blue Jays were present in both the shrub land and grasslands as well. Four of the Blue Jays were spotted between the two areas and five of them were recognized from their alarm call of “Jay-Jay-Jay.” One male Northern Cardinal was seen in the shrublands with its bright red collar piercing through the shrubs, while three others were heard calling with what I recognize to be a “machine gun” sounding call. While in the shrublands I believe I heard a House Wren from the long song of up and down notes chattering. At first, I was unsure of which species this may be but after play backs and hearing the song eight different times this is what I matched it to. One of the more abundant birds recognized was the Song Sparrow I was able to ID a total of eight by sight some in the grass of the paths on the edge of the shrubland and others in the small shrubs. I was able to ID four more Song Sparrows by song with their sharp notes in the beginning, trill in the middle, and splurge of notes at the end. In the time I was observing in the field I was able to ID a Turkey Vulture that was circling above an opening in the distance. With construction and heavy traffic in and around the area’s things started to quiet down as I moved to the grassland as the day went on. I completed my observation period at 11:30 and headed back home.

Today Wednesday May 20th I went out into the field for observation in the morning. This birding adventure was focused on different forest birds. When I got into the field at 7:00 this morning the place of choosing was St. Albans Town Forest. When I arrived at this sight I recognized it was very noisy with construction going on nearby, so I decided to drive further up French Hill, and go into walking trails in the state land instead where it was quieter. When I arrived here and got into the field it was 7:15. In the duration I was in the field I was able to see and hear a variety of species. I tried to focus more on the sounds today because I was having a hard time seeing birds. The area I was in for observations was very mixed there were areas of deciduous, and coniferous forests in the trails that I was walking. There also was a large hay field that was in the entrance of the trail, with also a bordering rushing stream and waterfall that came from a large swamp. The rushing stream proved difficulty in hearing, along with the gusty winds. The weather was beautiful sunny and 50 degrees and climbing throughout the day.

When I entered the woods, I was overwhelmed with different songs. The first song I was able to pick apart and decipher was the American Redstart. I heard a continuous amount of the “Z-Z-Z-Z” songs as I moved through the forest and kept a tally of the amount of times I heard this song from different locations and ended with 11 but I was unable to see the individuals. Another sound ID I made in the deciduous part of the woods was the “squeaky wheel” of the Black-and-white Warbler. This song occurred 9 times in the duration I was in the field. Moving along the path I was able to ID 7 different Blue Jays by sight and sound. 3 of the seven were by sight flying through the coniferous woods, while the other 4 were by their alarm call of “Jay-Jay” throughout the morning. When I stopped along the path a recognized the extravagant song of the winter wren very close to me. Looking to my right I was able to see the Winter Wren along the ground by a downed log with its tail sticking up for a quick second before it disappeared. I also heard the song of two Northern Cardinals “machine gun” like song as I moved closer to where the opening was to the swamp and mouth of the river.

In the area close to the swamp I stayed under the coniferous trees for ID for a long period of time. I was able to see 4 different Red-winged Blackbirds and hear the song of 8 other Red-winged Blackbirds from across the pond. I was able to ID a single Eastern Kingbird with the grey back and white belly moving from branch to branch in a small tree. A total of four Song Sparrows were located in this area as well that I was able to ID by sight jumping from branch to branch in the understory of the coniferous trees.

Moving back out along a different path I saw a Ruffed Grouse cross the path up ahead and then moved out of sight very quickly. When I stopped to see if I could find the Ruffed Grouse in my binoculars I began hearing the “Here I am, Look At me, Here I am..” song of the Red-eyed Vireo, and as I moved along this path was able to ID 5 others of these songs. As I moved towards another swampy area with coniferous trees bordering it. I began hearing the “chebak-chebak-chebak” song as I moved. After hearing this call 8 different times in different but unable to see the bird I had trouble ID’ing but with research was able to determine it as the Least Flycatcher. During this time, I also was hearing the splurge of “reep-reep-reep” chattering calls of the Great Crested Flycatcher and was able to hear 5 different times. With the splurge of calls I was also able to pick of the “Teacher-teacher-teacher-teacher” song of the Ovenbird ID’ing by sound in 4 places along the way.

Moving back towards the entrance of the trail and large field, I came over a small hill and spooked a female Wild Turkey. The hen began putting and moved away quickly out of sight. When I got towards the field area I noticed movement in the trees and saw movement in the trees on the edge of an orange belly. I was able to see the orange belly and black back, to ID the single bird as a Baltimore Oriole. When I got to my car an American Crow was calling loudly from a tree further down the road. Along with two American Robin feeding on Worms in the on the opposite side of the road. I concluded my observation period at 11:00 and headed back home feeling happy and accomplished being able to ID new birds by sound.

Today Thursday, May 21st I went out into the field for observations. With no specific target species for the day I set goals to focus on some of the birds I have not been able to ID yet and to focus on hearing instead of seeing. I arrived at my field sight at 7:20 am this morning at Mud Creek in Alburg, VT. Today the weather was beautiful sunny and 50 degrees and climbing into the 70’s throughout the morning. The wind was gusty and light throughout the morning and the birds were very lively. The habitat in this area was mixed with many large swamps, wetlands, and deciduous forests.

In the duration I was in the field I was able to ID numerous amounts of bird species. I was able to see 4 different Great Blue Herons while in the field at all separate times. One of them was flying, while the other 3 were standing in the shallow water in the wetlands. In the beginning of the trail by the parking area I saw a total of 3 Common Grackles on the way in and out of the field. The bird that dominated this area the most this morning was the Red-winged Blackbird. Their calls were booming throughout the wetlands and it was hard to hear the other calls over the top of them. I was able to visually ID 23 of them and heard countless songs. A single male Mallard flew above the swamp and out of sight when I was standing there looking over the swamp. A total of 18 Canada Geese were seen throughout the morning flying and in the swamps. I was able to recognize he songs of the Red-eyed Vireo of “here I am look at me, here I am…” in 5 different locations along the trails. A single Song Sparrow was ID’d in a smaller shrubby tree by itself. Not surprisingly there was 7 different American Robins I was able to ID both by sight and sound. While watching an American Robin in the distance a Hairy Woodpecker began drumming near me and then I was able to find it by sight as well. In a cornfield bordering the trails, 5 American Crows were in the field feeding on something that I was unable to see. In the cornfield on the opposite side I got a quick glimpse of a female Wild Turkey moving into the woods. A total of 2 Turkey Vultures were seen circling above at different ends of the trail as well. While continuing down the trail two tree swallows caught my eye chasing each other around. I was able to ID a total of 9 tree swallows 7 by sight and 2 more by song.

A single Downy Woodpecker was heard drumming and I was able to find it towards the top of a dead tree in a swamp. While moving along I was able to ID 5 Black-capped Chickadees throughout the management area by their two noted song of a high and low note. In the deciduous part of the management area I recognized the song of an Eastern Phoebe of “phee-bee.” In this area I was also able to ID 3 Blue Jays by sound from their “Jay-Jay-Jay” call. Along the path a single Veery was moving across the side. The songs of two Northern Cardinals were recognized in the deciduous part of the management area as well with the “gun” like ending. The “teacher-teacher-teacher-teacher” song of the Ovenbird cut through the deciduous forest as well allowing me to ID the Ovenbird in two different places. I was able to ID it with its brown back white belly and slight brown spots on the chest. One of the more exciting parts today was seeing an abundance of Yellow Warblers, this was the first time I have been able to ID them in the field. A total of 17 were ID through both sight and their song of “sweet-sweet-sweet I’m so sweet.” After a successful day of birding I completed my observation period in Alburg, VT at 11:45 and headed back home.

Today Friday May 22nd I went out into the field for bird observations. The field sight of choosing was the Black Creek/Maquam Creek Trails in the Missisquoi Wildlife Refuge in Swanton, VT. I arrived at the field sight at 7:00 am and the excitement immediately started. The weather was 50 degrees and climbing into the 70’s throughout the morning, with a slight wind. A brief description of the habitat was a section of grasslands at the beginning of the trail, and a chain of creeks and swamps with a deciduous overstory and understory of ferns and small shrubs.

On the border of the parking lot as soon as I got out of the car I was able to see 3 Killdeer’s by sight and ear while they were singing “killdeer-killdeer-killdeer” back and forth. Along with before I entered the trial a Great Blue Heron flew above, and I was able to see a second one flying above later on in the morning. As I stepped in the woods I heard two spurts of the winnowing “Hu-hu-hu-hu” sound of a Wilson’s Snipe but was unable to get a recording before it stopped. Moving down the trail I was able to ID a Wood Thrush by sight with brown backing and spotted belly, with help from the songs of three others. Red-winged Blackbirds again dominated the trails throughout the morning with their flight activity and their calls. I was able to ID 21 Red-winged Blackbirds both by sight and sound. I was also able to see my first American Goldfinch in the field and ID 2 by sight and 2 by song.

Gray Catbirds were singing and flying throughout the management area as well, a total of 5 Gray Catbirds were seen between sight and sound. I was very excited to see a Black-and-white Warbler this morning perched in a low shrub tree singing its “squeeky tire” song. Through the duration of the morning flashes of orange and black spread through the trees of the American Redstart. A total of 6 American Redstarts were ID’d from the sight and their high-pitched noted song. While sitting near a swamp at the end for an extended period of time I was able to ID a total of 14 Canada Geese through their calls leading me to locate them in the water and the air. A single Osprey was perched in a standing dead tree across the water for the entire time I was sitting here. While sitting here I also saw an abundant amount of Tree Swallows chasing each other around above the swamps and connecting creeks. The 18 Tree Swallows were accompanied by 2 Chimney Swifts chattering their calls along the way.

A group of 8 Mallards flew above the swamp and out of sight, and a single male Mallard was seen swimming in the creek alone later on. When leaving my sitting position, I was able to hear and ID a Mourning Dove and its deep song off in the distance. The song of a Baltimore Oriole caught my attention and I was able to see 2 chasing each other around in a tree. Black-capped Chickadees were recognized 6 different times two by sight and 4 by their two noted song of a high and low note. While walking back down the trail, the drumming of a woodpecker caught my attention allowing me to ID 2 Downy Woodpeckers moving up separate trees close together. Later on, drumming of a Hairy Woodpecker caught my attention as well. Along a separate path the “teacher-teacher-teacher-teacher” song of the Ovenbird spread through the low branches allowing me to ID 6 by sound. The Eastern Kingbirds “electric” song caught my attention and was able to see a glimpse of the single bird through the trees. In a similar situation I was able to hear the “reep-reep-reep” of a Great Crested Flycatcher, and spot part of its body through the trees before it flew away.

Moving towards the end of the trail I was able to see many different yellow birds which excited me. A total of 12 Yellow Warblers chasing each other around signing “sweet-sweet-sweet I’m so sweet” in the time I was sitting here. Along with this 4 Common Yellowthroats standing out moving quickly high up in the trees. Two Yellow-rumped Warblers were chasing each other throughout the shrubs as well, allowing me to view their black and white body with yellow side and rump briefly. The quick notes that almost sound like laughing I was able to compare to a White-breasted Nuthatch that I heard in the distance. The Eastern Phoebes song I was able to ID from the distinct “Phee-bee” song of three individuals along the trail. The Song Sparrows quick notes and trills in between allowed be to ID a total of 6, 3 of which were by sight and 3 by song. Nearing the end, I completed my observation period at 12:00 and headed back home feeling super accomplished seeing and hearing many new species that I have not seen before.