Diario de meghanmurphy

This birding excursion took place on Saturday April 20, 2019 at Iroquois Lake in Williston. I was with two other people and we were joined by a small birding group a few minutes in. It was extremely foggy, and it was raining on and off, but there was very little wind. It was about 40° F. We began birding immediately upon arrival at 8:45am and saw a male and female Common Merganser together on the shore before they took off. Very soon afterwards we saw a Canada Goose on the water. A male and female Pileated Woodpecker flew overhead and began to drum nearby, and a Downy Woodpecker was heard farther in the woods. An American Robin was heard and seen in a tree. An Eastern Phoebe was seen and heard in a tree in front of us, and it was joined by a Dark-eyed Junco. We were able to hear the distinct drumming of a sapsucker farther in the trees. A Tree Sparrow was seen in a bush close to us, and I was able to get a good look at the rusty eye stripe, distinguishing it from a Chipping Sparrow. Before heading down the road, we heard a White-breasted Nuthatch.

When we began to walk down the road, we immediately saw a Herring Gull in the water before it took off. There were several sparrows foraging in the bushes, and we were able to identify three White-throated Sparrows and one Song Sparrow. As we continued down the road, we saw four Black-capped Chickadees and three American Robins. There was a Brown Creeper calling and we were able to observe it flying between multiple trees. A Mourning Dove was heard in this area, and another American Robin was seen. We heard the hollow drumming of a Ruffed Grouse deeper in the woods. As we came to a medium sized pond off the side of the road, we saw a male and female Wood Duck in the water before they swam to shore and waddled into the underbrush. A Tufted Titmouse was heard from a distance.

We continued to an open field where we could hear Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles. We saw a Common Grackle fly across the trail and land in a tree, and we saw a Mourning Dove in a tree farther in the field. Another American Robin and a Northern Cardinal were heard as we walked. As we continued along the field, we saw about five Red-winged Blackbirds and three more Common Grackles. A Tree Swallow was seen flying over the field. A Swamp Sparrow and another White-throated Sparrow were heard in the distance. A Northern Flicker was sighted in a tree before it flew among the trees for a few moments and returned to the same spot. Two more were seen in this area. A Red-bellied Woodpecker was heard and seen in the area as well. Two more American Robins were seen before we turned around. On our way back to the starting spot, we heard a Blue Jay and saw an American Crow.

Upon our return to our starting location, we saw another Eastern Phoebe and American Robin. We continued down the road in the opposite direction and heard a Canada Goose and another Eastern Phoebe. A Broad-winged Hawk flew past us and landed in a snag near the road. It was most likely hunting frogs in one of the vernal pools, and we saw the same individual again when we went to explore the vernal pool. When we returned to the car, we stopped to observe a flock of about five Dark-eyed Juncos, two Song Sparrows, and two White-throated Sparrows foraging on the grass. A Canada Goose was sighted flying over the lake, and shortly afterwards we saw one juvenile and one adult Herring Gull. One Red-Winged Blackbird and two American Robins were seen in a tree. A Brown Creeper was seen working its way up a tree, and a White-breasted Nuthatch landed in the tree next to it. The Brown Creeper was flushed away from its tree by a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, who remained in the tree for a few minutes before flying into thicker woods. We walked down the road for about a minute and heard a Mourning Dove and saw an American Crow fly overhead. An American Goldfinch was heard farther in the woods. We sighted a female Pileated Woodpecker drumming against a log on the ground before concluding our wonderful excursion at 12:04pm.

Male Red-winged Blackbirds were preforming their signature “conk-la-ree” songs while perching on tall reeds or trees. They do this to both defend their territories and attract mates. The males will often sing while fluffing up their red shoulder patches and spreading their wings and tail feathers. The Ruffed Grouse we heard was making a rapid drumming noise by beating its wings. This also served the dual purpose of defending its territory or performing for a female.

There was a small snag with a cavity that we saw Black-capped Chickadees excavating, and at one point one of these birds landed on the edge and went inside the hole. It is very likely that this Chickadee is building a nest in this tree cavity. For the Wood Duck pair, it is likely that they are taking advantage of one of the many snags that we saw in the forest near the pond. The cattails and weeds in the marshes or the bushes that lined it would make good nesting sites for Red-winged Blackbirds. The trees and shrubs near the water could provide nesting sites for Common Grackles.

Wood Ducks prefer to nest in tree cavities that tend to be far from the ground. These trees are usually near a body of water, and nesting boxes are often utilized by these ducks. Broad-winged Hawks build nests relatively low in either conifer or deciduous trees using sticks, moss, and bark. These hawks can also take advantage of an abandoned hawk or crow nests to raise their own young. Ruffed Grouse are ground nesters, and typically nest in spots that provide a view of incoming predators. They tend to nest in the leaves at the base of a tree, stump, or in brush piles.

For the sound map activity, I heard five different species. These included one Eastern Phoebe, two Pileated Woodpeckers, one Downy Woodpecker, one Canada Goose, and one American Robin. One Pileated Woodpecker and a Canada Goose were flying while calling.

Meghan Murphy

The birding excursion began at 9:22am on April 7th. It was an overcast day with little to no wind, and it remained overcast until the very end of our excursion. The temperature was about 35°F. There were two other people present, one of whom was Kayley Dillon. Our observations will be the same, but all other work was done independently. Starting at the main entrance of Centennial Woods, we immediately saw an American Robin and Ring-billed Gull. We continued walking until we came to the first board walk, where we stopped to look for the Black-capped Chickadees we had been hearing. This was a reedy, wet area with a few Eastern white pines closer to the trail. We were able to see two Northern Cardinals, a male and a female, and see several Black-capped Chickadees. A few more chickadees were called in by whistling their call and making them curious enough to come closer. At least two Song Sparrows called back and forth but could not get a visual on them. A Ring-billed Gull and American Crow flew over us while we were observing in this area. We continued until we came to the top of a hill dominated by Eastern white pines and scattered snags. We were attracted to the sound of woodpecker drumming and were able to see a Downy Woodpecker on one of the snags. A Pileated Woodpecker called farther in the woods, and another American Crow flew overhead.

After going back on the trail, we stopped on the edge to investigate an area dense with reeds. We were able to see multiple Black-capped Chickadees, and hear several American Goldfinches, and Song Sparrows. We heard a call that we initially did not recognize and saw what we thought might be a House Finch or Purple Finch. Later investigation strongly suggested that it was actually a Pine Siskin. A Downy Woodpecker called nearby. We continued down the hill and went off the trail in pursuit of the sounds of Song Sparrows. We went to a clear area scattered with reeds and a stream cutting through it. We wandered this area and could hear multiple Blue Jays in the forested area straight ahead of us. We saw several American Robins and heard Tufted Titmice, Northern Cardinals, and White Breasted Nuthatches and a Downy Woodpecker at various points throughout the surrounding forest. Two Song Sparrows finally became visible, perching in the reeds before flying away to the tops of trees farther in the forest. Two Canada Geese flew low overhead in this area.

After returning to the trail, we continued up a hill and moved down towards the board walk leading to the retention pond where we had heard the calls of male Red-winged Blackbirds. We stopped on the board walk and heard a White-throated Sparrow and Song Sparrows. We continued up the hill that overlooks the retention pond and could see a proud male Red-winged Blackbird calling and spreading his wings, fluffing out the red patches of its namesake. We observed him and a few others before continuing to the top of the hill where we heard an Eastern Phoebe. Turning around and continuing the way we came, we saw another Song Sparrow and several more Black-capped Chickadees. We came out of the same entrance we had started in and made our way down to the fenced pond near the road to see more Red-winged Blackbirds. We heard both a Mourning Dove and a Common Raven on our way to this pond, and after the Red-winged Blackbirds flew away, we ended our excursion at 12:02pm.

Some year-round species we observed were Northern Cardinals and Black-capped Chickadees. Species such as these can afford to forego migration to retain the energy that would be spent migrating and have various adaptations that allow them to survive Vermont year-round. Black-capped Chickadees are able to survive the Vermont winters by creating food caches that they can visit throughout the winter and by selecting cavities to spend the night in. These wee birds are also able to fluff out their feathers to retain body heat. At night, Black-capped Chickadees can enter a hypothermic state to conserve energy that would be used to try and keep warm. Northern Cardinals are also able to fluff out their body feathers to retain heat. Their heavy bills allow them to access seeds protected by hard shells.

Red-winged Blackbirds are facultative migrants that are starting to arrive in Burlington. This species was coming from the warmer southern United States where it spent the winter away from Vermont. The fact that they remain in the United States means that these birds can tell when conditions are favorable to begin moving back towards their breeding grounds. Specifically, these favorable conditions were the warmer weather Burlington had been receiving.

If an obligate migrant arrived in Burlington in early April, it would potentially have earlier access to food resources and territory with limited competition. However, if the weather shifts back to intolerable conditions, the early bird may waste energy trying to deal with the suddenly harsh environment, leaving it unable to cope or weak when competition arrives.

Facultative Migrants:
Red-winged Blackbird: 500mi
Pine Siskin: Varies depending on irruptive year, but could potentially be close to 1000mi
Eastern Phoebe: 2000mi
Song Sparrow: 155mi
American Robin: 1500mi

Burlington Intervale (3/24/19)- Field Notes

This week’s birding excursion took place at the Burlington Intervale Calkins trail on Sunday, March 24th. One other person, Kayley Dillon, was present as well, so our observations are the same, but all additional work will be completed independently. There was very little wind, with a sunny and clear sky, and the temperature ranged between the high 30s-40°F. We began our birding excursion at 9:22am. The majority of the trail that we traveled on was forested with riparian tree species such as Eastern cottonwood, ash trees and silver maples, and the Winooski River flowed close to the trail. Near the start of the trail, we were able to hear and observe a White-breasted Nuthatch, two American Crows, and a Northern Cardinal. We moved closer to the water to observe a flock of Mallards and were treated with a sighting of a Brown Creeper working its way up a large forked tree. Two sparrows that we later determined to be Song Sparrows landed in a nearby bush. There was a drumming sound behind us soon afterwards, and there was a Hairy Woodpecker working steadily away at a medium-sized snag. It was at this point that my phone, in a display of bitterness against the cold weather, powered completely down and took with it my only means of taking pictures for the remainder of the excursion.
There were multiple Mallards that flew overhead, usually either in pairs or by themselves. About four different pairs of Canada Geese were paddling in the river, and a large flock of about 20 individuals flew overhead. There was a large flock of both Mallards and Canada Geese near the shore across the river, with several Mallards resting on a fallen tree in the water. A loud call brought our attention to farther into the woods, and we were able to see the largest Hairy Woodpecker that I have personally ever come across. It was joined by two other Hairy Woodpeckers with two going to the same tree, and one occupying a different tree. A Downy Woodpecker was sighted not too far from this area. We saw a male Northern Cardinal land in a bush and heard another one close to us. An attempt at pishing attracted three Black-capped Chickadees to a nearby tree.
At this point, we crossed to a different trail that led us to an open field flanked by forest and that would eventually lead to a road. In the field there were about eight American Robins foraging and wandering to the middle of the trail. They were accompanied by about three different sparrows of which we could not confidently identify the species. These sparrows soon flew into dense bushes and foraged in this area. A male American Goldfinch in his brilliant breeding plumage perched proudly on a tall sapling and chirped his song, remaining for a few minutes before flying to the trees towards the end of the trail. A few more White-breasted Nuthatches were sighted in the forest along the field. We were able to see three more Hairy Woodpeckers on this portion of the trail, and three additional Downy Woodpeckers. As we were making our way across the road, our attention was diverted by the raucous cawing of five American Crows. We soon learned the cause of their alarm when they flushed a Red-tailed Hawk from its perch and drove it to a tree branch directly above us. They landed in the tree with the hawk and continued to “yell” at it. We observed for several minutes before heading back to the car, seeing one more American Crow joining the flock before ending our very successful excursion at 11:07am.

Social Behavior and Phenology
The Mallards that we observed in flocks in the water were composed of males and females. In the first group, there was a male and two females wading farther away from the larger group. When another male approached, the first male began quacking loudly and flapped his wings vigorously. The other male quietly retreated away from the three others in response. This combination of audio and visual display was clearly meant as a warning to the other male not to approach his females. Another brief aggressive display took place on the portion of the trail near the field between two Downy Woodpeckers. One individual was on a relatively large tree and the other was close by but on a separate tree. When the second woodpecker flew to the other occupied tree, it landed quite close to the first bird. This bird responded by fluffing out the bright red cap on its head and fluttering towards the newcomer, to which it responded by quickly retreating across the trail to another patch of forest. This visual display served as a warning that the bird was not willing to share its space. A final aggressive display took place between two different species, when five American Crows flushed a Red-tailed Hawk to a different tree. They surrounded the hawk when it landed and cawed loudly and continuously, clearly displeased with its presence and “encouraging” it to leave. The hawk was fluffed out, perhaps attempting to look larger and dissuade any more provocation, though it did not cry out or flap its wings while we were watching it.
One of the species we observed was a male Northern Cardinal, its bright red plumage visible even through the dense bush it was perched in. Another equally bright species was a male American Goldfinch. The bright red of the Cardinal and the vibrant gold of the Goldfinch are both factors in attracting attention from potential mates. However, while the Northern Cardinal retains its vibrancy throughout winter, the American Goldfinch develops a drabber winter plumage. Although the darker coat makes the American Goldfinch less conspicuous to predators, the Northern Cardinal is visible to potential mates year-round, and this is advantageous for their sometimes-early breeding season of February.
One of the Canada Geese that we observed was resting on the bank along the river. This fits into the context of its circannual rhythm of migration, as the flight these birds must make requires periods of rest to maintain the energy they will need to complete the journey.

Pishing Mini Activity
There are a few different theories as to why pishing works to attract small birds such as Black-capped Chickadees. One idea is that the whispering noise resembles a bird that is anxious, prompting other birds to survey the potential threat and investigate the individual in trouble. It is also possible that the pishing noise resembles the alarm call of a squirrel, and small birds fly in to investigate the source of the disturbance.

This week’s birding excursion took place at Shelburne Bay Park on Sunday, March 2nd. Two other people were present, one of whom was Kayley Dillon, a friend in this class. Our observations will be the same, but all additional work was completed independently. The excursion began at 10:05am, and there was very little wind, quite an overcast sky, and a light snow at start of hike that quickly stopped. The temperature ranged between 30-40°F. The first portion of the hike was made up of mixed forest, consisting of shagbark hickory, bitternut hickory, ironwood, Eastern white pine, Northern white-cedar (usually dead), and possibly American elm. We heard and eventually saw a Black-capped chickadee at the entrance, and heard American Crows calling. After walking for about five or ten minutes, we heard a White-breasted Nuthatch and attempted to pursue it for about fifteen minutes, eventually attempting to attract its attention by pishing. It eventually flew overhead and landed deeper in the forest across the trail, out of sight. We saw an American Crow fly overhead, and pishing brought in three Black-capped Chickadees. We were able to hear the call of a Brown Creeper, though we could not see it.

Further hiking brought us to an area in which one side of trail was bordered by trees and opened into a field with grazing cows, and the other side still contained dense forest. We heard a Tufted Titmouse but did not see it. We saw five birds in a tree in the field who were flushed across the trail by a large flock of about 75 European Starlings, who took over the tree. The five birds who were flushed landed close to the trail edge, and we were able to confirm that they were Eastern Bluebirds. Seven Black-capped Chickadees were also on the trail edge, perching low in bushes, and a few foraged along the ground.

We continued along the trail, and this eventually brought us back into dense forest that contained shrubbier species such as elderberry and common buckthorn. We were able to hear an American Robin, a Northern Cardinal, and several Black-capped Chickadees, though we did not see them. We eventually saw two Black-capped Chickadees near the end of the trail flying in their undulating fashion overhead and landing in a tree. We reached the end of the trail and concluded our excursion at about 12:05pm. Despite numerous woodpecker sign in the form of tree cavities, we only heard potential tapping on three different occasions, and we did not see any of the birds. We were also surprised that there were no signs of Blue Jays at any point. One possible reason for this was that we embarked later in the morning and came across several people and their dogs, so it is possible that this disturbance drove many of the birds to regions of the forest that were away from the main trail.

Winter Ecology
Most of the smaller birds like the Black-capped Chickadees were very puffy, fluffing out their feathers to retain body heat. We saw multiple Black-capped Chickadees foraging among bushes in the second part of the trail, likely looking for small seeds and possibly coming across an occasional small insect. In summer or spring, Black-capped Chickadees would be foraging primarily for small insects. Insects would be more active in the warmer weather and provide protein and energy for the birds. The fact that we failed to see certain species that we expected to see such as woodpeckers and Blue Jays could mean that these species were budgeting their time by resting. Overnight, species on this property most likely take advantage of the numerous tree cavities. Tapping on several of these trees produced no mammalian wildlife sightings, meaning that many of these cavities are unoccupied by mammals and are available for birds to spend the night in.

Snag Mini Activity
There was one small snag near the entrance with no cavities, and another small, thin snag that contained about 15 small round and oval cavities. About ten minutes into the trail, there was another small snag that contained no cavities. A medium sized Eastern white pine (EWP) snag contained two large, rectangular cavities and an additional tall, wide EWP snag contained seven large circular holes. A tall EWP snag had large circular and oval holes. We knocked, but no wildlife came to investigate. We came across a short snag with lots of circular cavities before finding a large Northern white-cedar (NWC) snag with no cavities. This was followed by a tall snag with very few small, circular cavities. A short snag with a big rectangular cavity and smaller, circular ones contained no wildlife when we knocked.

A tall snag with two large, rectangular cavities contained only cobwebs and no spiders large enough that felt it necessary to investigate after we knocked. A large NWC snag with one large, rectangular cavity followed this one. We came across a medium sized, very rotted snag that was covered in huge cavities. A tall, thin snag with very few circular cavities followed. The next was tall with large cavities near the base, and smaller cavities in middle. We knocked, but it produced no wildlife. The final snag was large with shallow circular and rectangular cavities, and it was very rotted. Despite coming across many dead Northern white-cedars, only two had cavities. We theorized that the stringy bark made it difficult to drill into, or perhaps this tree species did not attract palatable prey.

Although none of our disturbances produced any wildlife sightings, snags still provide an important source of shelter for birds, mammals, and invertebrates. In the case of birds like Eastern Bluebirds and Black-capped Chickadees and mammals such as Pine Martens and Gray Squirrels, snags with cavities can provide a warm place to spend the night or overwinter, and some species utilize these cavities to raise young. The abundance of grubs that can be found in the rotting wood provides an important food source for animals such as Pileated Woodpeckers. Snags can also provide nesting sites for birds such as Osprey, and perching sites for numerous species such as hawks.

Arrived at Rock Point around 9:30am on 2/16/19.

Was at a forest edge next to a trail. The sun was out and there was not much wind.
Heard a Northern Cardinal at 9:44am.
Heard a Tufted Titmouse at 9:51am.
Saw a White-breasted Nuthatch at 9:56am, and another one at 10:01am.
Saw a group of six Black-capped Chickadees at 10:05am.

Moved to a denser area of forest on a cliff edge overlooking Lake Champlain. The sun was still out, but wind had picked up considerably.
Heard and saw an American Crow at 10:32am.
Heard the call of a Sharp-shinned Hawk at around 11:45am.
Heard and saw another American Crow at 12:32pm.

Moved to an open field surrounded by woods. The wind was consistent but weak, and the sun remained out.
Saw two American Crows at 1:43pm.

Went back to forest edge near trail. The sun felt stronger and the wind was still consistent.
Saw a Tufted Titmouse at 1:55pm.
Saw a Black-capped Chickadee at 1:55pm.

Ended birding excursion around 2:15pm.

I performed my birding excursion at Rock Point, an area where I have been birding several times before. My first location was near the beginning of the trail, close to the opening that leads down to Fred’s Beach. This area was a forest edge with many dense bushes interspersed with the trees at the edge of the trail. I paused here and was able to hear both Northern Cardinals and Tufted Titmice. I used binoculars to observe White-breasted Nuthatches hopping along the branches of two separate trees before fluttering deeper into the forest. I watched a flock of Black-capped Chickadees flutter from the forest, cross the trail ahead of me, and perch in a dense bush. I spent about a half hour here before moving on to the next site.

My next stop was along the cliff edge overlooking Lake Champlain, with dense forests extending along the thin trail. As I moved through the site, I heard the call of an American Crow and moved through the woods to get a visual on the bird. I was able to see the bird flying overhead without the aid of binoculars until it disappeared into the tree line. After making my way down a steep hill I heard the call of what sounded like a hawk, but despite my scrambling back up the hill and careful scanning with binoculars I could not get a visual on the bird. It only called out four times, each lasting about a second and a little less than a second apart, but I was able to consult Merlin and determined it to most likely have been a Sharp-shinned Hawk.

I was able to see one more American Crow flying in this area, alerted by its call before moving on to an open field. I spent a little over an hour wandering this area and finding a place to sit and observe, but multiple groups of people were moving loudly through this area. I eventually saw two American Crows flying close to each other and calling out. They emerged from one side of the forest, crossed the field, and disappeared into the line of trees on the other side of the field. I left this area and made my way back to where I started at the forest edge.

I scanned a dense, leafless bush at the forest edge with binoculars, alerted by movement. I was able to observe a Tufted Titmouse perching at eye level. This bird was very cooperative and occasionally hopped to different branches, but remained at eye level. It was very fluffed out against the wind, but its various movements provided an excellent look at various angles of its body. There was a Black-capped Chickadee in the same bush as this Tufted Titmouse, and it remained at a lower level, also consistently hopping between branches. They remained here for about ten minutes before the Tufted Titmouse flew farther back into the forest, and the Black-capped Chickadee departed shortly after. I headed to the bus stop after this encounter.

ID and Flight Physiology Prompt

The flight pattern of the American Crow was straight and smooth, with no noticeable undulations. The wing flaps were slow and consistent throughout its flight. The American Crow has broad, blunt-tipped wings that allow it to maintain a straight, direct flight. They are able to survive in a wide variety of habitats, typically preferring areas with some open space and available perches. The flight pattern can be used as a way to distinguish it from the similar Common Raven, who has a tendency to soar while the American Crow does not.

The flight of the Black-capped Chickadee involved rapid wingbeats and deep undulations. The wings would tuck against its side during the drop of the undulation, and flapping would resume to lift it to the crest of the undulation. The Black-capped Chickadee has an elliptical wing shape that allows it to live and forage in the understory and forest edges, and allows for maneuverability when flying in these areas. The flight pattern can be used to identify the Black-capped Chickadee because the undulations in flight were deep, and they tended to fly relatively short distances using this flight pattern. The slight pause in flapping its wings, the depth of each bounce in flight, and the short, relatively straight flight path can all be used to distinguish the Black-capped Chickadee from other song birds.