May 22, 2020

Field Orno Journal: Good Birding Spot 2

On Friday May 22, 2020 I went to Cumberland Farms IBA in Halifax, MA. The side of Cumberland Farms was in Halifax but stretched to other towns like in Middleborough, MA. The weather was sunny with clear skies and the temperature was 55 degrees F. The habitat consisted of some forest with Eastern White Pines, Oaks, and Maples. Some areas had a swamp in the woods. I saw some grasslands and there was one that had solar panels in it. There were lots of houses along the roads by the area. When I was going to Cumberland Farms IBA, I did not see any access points. I found a lot of private property signs and there were no trails. We drove around for 2 hours (6:30 am-8:30 am) since we knew we were by the land and decided to find birds that way.

Some birds I saw were 7 Gray Catbirds that were on the trees in the forest. A few landed on the ground by the road, so I could clearly see them. I saw approximately 9 American Robins that were either in the trees, on people's lawns, or flying across the road. There were 2 (male and female) Northern Cardinals on an Eastern White Pine tree and 1 Mourning Dove that was sitting on an electrical wire. A bird by the swampy forest that my mom saw and was trying to figure out ended up being 1 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Also I got a really close look at 1 male breeding American Goldfinch, 2 Common Yellowthroats, and 2 female House Sparrows. In the grassland section, I heard and saw 6 male Red-winged Blackbirds. Behind them I was able to see 25 Canada Geese sitting in the field. There were 2 Northern Harriers that were flying high above in the air in the distance. Some birds I heard by song were 2 Song Sparrows by the side of the road, 2 Red-eyed Vireos, 1 Eastern Wood-Pewee, 1 Ovenbird, 1 Great Blue Heron, and 1 American Redstart. Overall, my favorite bird I saw was crossing the road when we pulled over the car. It turned out to be 1 male Ring-necked Pheasant which my mom and I have never seen before. The pheasant was taking its time crossing the road and noticed the car was there. After it had crossed, we didn’t see it for a few seconds, and then it poked just its head around the shrub, realized we were there, and started walking away slowly where we couldn’t see it. After this my mom and I decided to try to find another location. Earlier this week, I was supposed to go to the Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary, so I checked to see their website if there were any updates. Apparently they just reopened on Wednesday (and I tried going Tuesday), so that’s where we decided to drive to next.

At 9:04 am, my mom and I arrived at the Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary in Marshfield, MA. The weather was sunny with clear skies and the temperature was 68 degrees F. The habitat consisted of grassland in the center. There were trails to the right that led into the forest which had Maples, Eastern White Pines, Oaks, and Paper Birches. There was another trail that had a bridge going over a river and that led into a marsh with lots of cattails. The first bird I saw was 1 European Starling in the parking lot as well as 12 Canada Goose directly in front of the car. The trail led us through a small shack at the entrance and there was a window that you could look out and see birds at the bird feeder. I saw 3 Blue Jays, 2 Northern Cardinals (male and female), and 1 female House Sparrow. We looked on a map that showed us a trail that led us to a Purple Martin Colony where I saw approximately 20 of them going into and from birdhouses. This was the first time I had ever seen them. This trail eventually led us to a pond where I heard and saw 2 Song Sparrows along the edge. Then we went into the forest where I heard 1 Tufted Titmouse, 1 Ovenbird, and 1 Gray Catbird sing. We had previously passed a pond where I was able to hear 1 Great Blue Heron in the distance.

After exiting the forest we arrived in a grassland habitat. There were approximately 12 Red-winged Blackbirds that were close to us and constantly seeing. We thought we saw another blackbird, but it turned out to be a Bobolink. I heard and saw approximately 10 Bobolinks and 2 of them were female. There was 1 Wild Turkey right next to us foraging for food. They were flying all over the grassland and sometimes would land on shrubs near us. We decided to walk up a hill where there was a lookout over the grassland. You could see many wooden birdhouses in the grasslands where I could see 4 Tree Swallows. A lot of them were either sitting on top of the birdhouses or flying in the area to try to catch insects. After we continued on the trail where we saw 2 Common Grackles and 5 American Crows walking in the grassland area. We decided to go on another trail.

This new trail we walked over the bridge over the river where we saw a beaver! It disappeared before we could see it again and try to take a picture. There was a shrubby area where we heard 1 Common Yellowthroat and 1 Yellow warbler. There was another bird that we heard and saw, but could not figure out what it was (the bird was very yellow). We walked through a marsh with really large cattails and could not see any birds. As we were leaving, there was 1 Red-tailed Hawk flying in the air and other birds were trying to go after it. Lastly, as we were close to the parking lot there was a small brown bird in the grass. I was unable to tell what kind it was, because it reminded me of a sparrow, but I feel it was a different type of bird. After this we passed the Canada Geese again and left in the car around 12:15 pm.

Posted on May 22, 2020 06:55 PM by arcurley arcurley | 38 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

May 21, 2020

Field Orno Journal: Good Birding Spot 1

On Thursday May 21, 2020, I went to Burrage Pond Wildlife Management Area in Hanson, MA. The temperature was 39 degrees F (by the time I left it was 70!) and the weather was sunny. The habitat consisted of a forest with Eastern White Pines, Paper Birch, Oaks, some flowering trees etc when I first went into the area. Then it became a grassland and a pond as well. In the grassland I saw that there was a river of some sort. When I went into the forest later on a dirt trail, there was a swamp that I found. Most of the time I was on a sandy trail by the grassland and pond.

Beginning my journey I started on a sandy trail from the parking lot. I wasn’t anywhere yet when 1 Piping Plover flew over my head which was really unexpected. I don’t know where it was going or where it came from. This also happened with another Piping Plover by the pond later. In this same area I saw 1 male Northern Cardinal fly over the path as well as 1 male Brown-headed Cowbird. When I went into the forest, I saw 3 American Robins that were either on the path in front of me or in the trees. I saw that one of the American Robins even had a worm in its mouth! I wasn’t in the forest for long when I began on a path that led me to a grassland. I heard and saw many male Red-winged Blackbirds and my estimate of the total was around 20. Most were males, but when I was leaving I saw 1 female. Every time I saw some type of movement in the grassland, 90% of the time it was a Red-winged Blackbird. This did help me learn the song very easily. Another bird I saw and heard singing very frequently was the Gray Catbird. Throughout the day I saw it in all of the different locations I went to: the pond, grassland, forest, and swamp. There was one point where I made a noise by accident and the Gray Catbird responded so we were just going back and forth for a while. After I stopped the Gray Catbird flew away (it was the one I saw in the forest). As I was walking by the grassland, there were also trees on the other side of myself. I heard a song 1 Red-eyed Vireo, but I wasn’t 100% sure it was both those species. This was also the case for 1 Yellow Warbler I saw that was on the grassland side. I was not very familiar with their songs and I did not get a close enough look to them either. After this I was still on the same trail and I noticed I was approaching a pond. I saw 3 Mourning Doves that landed in the sandy path in front of me and I heard their wing sounds when they took off.

I spent some time at the pond to see what type of waterbirds I would find. I saw 13 Tree Swallows that were flying everywhere and some even when into bird houses. There were 10 Mute Swans I found and there were 2 that were really close to the shore. Also, I saw 3 Canada Goose and 2 happened to be babies! All of these bird species were really close to me and I tried getting some pictures. I enjoyed being able to get close. As I was heading off to find more birds, I heard the song from 1 American Bittern. I really wanted to find one today, so I was super excited! I heard it about 5 times before it finally stopped and did not sing anymore. I was right next to a path that split in between the grassland the exact time the American Bittern first sang, so I did not even know what side of the grassland it was on. I spent a lot of time trying to find it in the grassland, but I couldn’t. I happened to find 1 Great Blue Heron in the middle of the grassland, which I thought was the American Bittern at first. I also found 4 other Great Blue Herons flying over the grassland or in the pond. I also saw 1 Great Egret in the grassland which I thought was a Great Blue Heron at first. Also on this trail I heard and saw 9 Common Grackles. I had to look for them closely, since my mind still assumed any black bird in the grassland was a Red-winged Blackbird. I decided to continue on a trail that would lead me to some of the forest.

As I was heading on this new trail, I saw a wooden structure with a nest and flying in the distance was 1 Osprey with a fish. I assumed it was an Osprey nest. I was getting deeper into the forest and whenever I looked on both sides of me, I was actually able to see lots of Spotted Turtles. The first time I found a turtle I actually said turtle and then some went into the water. The others were along the sides in between the river (kind of looked like a canal) that was next to the path and a part of the grassland. The dirt path became narrower and I saw past some trees there was a river (or canal) on the other side with some marsh. There were 2 Canada Goose that were honking probably because I was there. As I walked up a little more, I found 2 more Canada Goose with 5 babies that were leaving the area. I was able to find 4 Baltimore Orioles in the trees and some were chasing after another bird. I listened to their song and made sure it was a Baltimore Oriole and not a American Redstart as they both seem similar to me. There was another bird I saw that was yellow and I listened to the call for a while, but I wasn’t entirely sure what it was. It looked like a warbler, so I think it was the Black-throated Green Warbler. I was listening for a while and that was my educated guess on the song. I was also listening to another song that I believe came from 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch. Next, I decided to turn around from this area and head back, so I wouldn't get lost.

I was back on the trail parallel with the grassland on my left and the forest on my right. The pond was to the left of me next to the grassland, but I couldn’t see it from the path I was on. I heard and saw approximately 6 Song Sparrows on my way back. I thought I saw another Song Sparrow, but I got a really close look. What I was seeing was 1 Chipping Sparrow. As I was looking, the Chipping Sparrow sang confirming that I was actually watching one and that it wasn’t a Song Sparrow. I was walking back, taking a path that went in between the grassland back to the pond. As I approached the pond, I sat down on a rock to take a break. I was hearing a song and wasn’t sure what it was so I decided to stand back up. As I turned around to look through the binoculars behind me back at the grassland, I saw 1 Common Yellowthroat. I was happy I stood up to see what the bird was as I need more practice listening to Common Yellowthroat songs. Near the Common Yellowthroat I saw 2 Eastern Kingbirds perched on a shrub. After this I sat back down on the rock to actually take my break. As I decided to head back again I found 2 American Goldfinches (1 male and 1 female) as well as 2 Mallards (1 male and 1 female). The Mallards were in the little river in the grassland in the water (even though it was directly next to the pond). From there I took a trail that went past the grassland back into the forest.

I took a detour back into the forest and I heard a song that was confusing me. It led me to find 1 Cedar Waxwing in the tree that had lots of white flowers on it. I’ve heard their song before, but it sounded very different. I’m not sure whether or not I was listening to another bird as I was looking at the Cedar Waxwing or whether the Cedar Waxwing call it was making was weird to me. I walked a little further and I found a Spotted Turtle right in the dirt path. I took some pictures and decided to turn around and head back into the parking lot where I left around 12:15pm.

Posted on May 21, 2020 07:59 PM by arcurley arcurley | 27 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

May 20, 2020

Field Orno Journal: Forests

On May 20, 2020, I went to Carolina Hill Trail in Marshfield, MA. The temperature was 42 degrees F and the weather was sunny with clear skies. The habitat consisted of a forest with Eastern White Pines, Oaks and Maples. The forest stand was predominately Eastern White Pine and there were some pine saplings in the lower canopy. A part of the trail ran into a field with power lines. When I first began on the trail, all I could hear was Ovenbirds. Throughout the trail, I heard and saw approximately 11 birds. The second most common bird I saw was about 8 American Redstarts. I heard both species throughout the entire duration of the trail. The next bird I saw was 2 Common Yellowthroats. I kept getting them confused with the Magnolia Warbler like I did yesterday. Next I heard 5 Blue Jays and at one point I saw 2 Blue Jays that were going after a squirrel on an Eastern White Pine tree. This was a very eventful experience to watch. While this was happening, I saw 1 House Finch in the distance that was singing in the pine tree. After this was all over, I continued on the trail and ran into a field with telephone poles. I saw 2 Hermit Thrushes that were on the side of the field and it was the first time I was able to hear them sing before which was a cool experience. The only other bird I saw in the field was 1 Chipping Sparrow that was in the grass. I crossed the field and continued onto the trail on the other side. I found 2 Tufted Titmouses and 1 male Brown-headed Cowbird in the Eastern White Pine trees that were easily identifiable for me. One bird that was difficult for me was the Black-throated Blue Warbler. I actually saw one at the beginning of the trail, but I had no idea what it was. I was able to get a better look and listened to the song on the merlin app as well to double check. I found approximately 2 of them and was happy that I finally figured it out. After this, I walked for a little while and didn’t really find that many birds. At around 9am, I found 2 Scarlet Tanagers (one male and one female). It was cool to see how vibrant the red color was on the male, which made it easy to see in the dense forest. Immediately following the Scarlet Tanagers, I found 4 Ruby-crowned Kinglets that were in the trees, but pretty close to the ground. There were both males and females and I have also never seen them before. The final bird I saw at Carolina Hill was the Eastern Towhee. It was sitting on a perch close to the ground and I was able to get really close to it. For a while, it did not move and was staying in the same position. At about 9:30am I left Carolina Hill and headed for the North Hills Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary.

At approximately 9:45am I arrived at the North Hills Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary in Duxbury, MA. The weather was still clear skies and sunny and the temperature was 57 degrees F. The habitat was similar to Carolina Hills: Predominantly Eastern White Pines with Oaks and Maples. I did not find a telephone field, but there was a pond that was next to the forest. The first trail I went on went alongside with the road. I saw 2 Black-capped Chickadees, 1 Ovenbird, 1 Northern Mockingbird, and 1 American Crow that was flying by. I decided to head inland at around 10am and this other trail arrived at the pond. I saw 3 Canada Goose that were wading in the water and 1 Great Blue Heron that flew to go in the water. There were trees along the edge of the water and I saw 1 Red-winged Blackbird and 2 Eastern Kingbirds. I found out that the Eastern Kingbirds were using a wooden bird house that was along the water. I even found more bird houses towards the center of the pond. When I decided to head back on the trail, I saw 1 Song Sparrow. The trail was leading back into an Eastern White Pine stand. This is where I saw 1 Tufted Titmouse and 1 Baltimore Oriole. I looked really quick and thought the Baltimore Oriole was actually an American Redstart until I looked more closely. Another bird I had difficulty analyzing was 1 Red-eyed Vireo until it started singing making it easier to analyze. I thought it was some type of warbler at first. After, I saw 1 male Northern Cardinal quickly fly by in front of me. There was a part of the trail where it seemed a little open and grassy which would be good for an American Robin. Then, 1 American Robin landed on the trail directly in front of me. Towards the end of the trail around 12:15pm, I found 1 American Redstart. Getting in the car I started listening to some bird recordings and there was one I had a difficult time trying to determine, but I believe it was 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler.

Posted on May 20, 2020 06:54 PM by arcurley arcurley | 30 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

May 19, 2020

Field Orno Journal: Grassland and Shrubland

On Tuesday, May 19, 2020, I went to Hoyt-Hall Preserve in Marshfield, MA. I stayed there from 6:30 am-12:15 pm. The weather was sunny and the temperature was 48 degrees F. The habitat ranged throughout the trail. When entering, there is a patch of trees and you walk to a trail in between a marsh on your left and the pond to your right. There was a thin line of saplings on both the left and right side of the trail and the trail was very thin in this area. The rest of the habitat (maybe about 50%) was the forest. Some areas you could see some people’s houses with private property signs that were marked off the trails. There were a few areas that had a little bit of shrubland in-between parts of the forest which primarily had Eastern White Pines, Maples, American Beech, Paper Birch, Yellow Birch, and some Oak trees. I also saw a small river or creek in the forest.

Beginning at 6:30 am I arrived at the part of the trail that was in a patch of trees and by the marsh and pond. The first bird I found was 1 Tufted Titmouse in an Eastern White Pine singing as well as 3 Gray Catbirds that were also singing. The last bird I saw in this area was 1 Blue Jay in the trees. After passing through this area to get to the main trail next to the marsh and pond, I spotted 1 male Mallard that was flying over the pond. While this was happening, I heard many Red-winged Blackbird calls and I saw approximately 11 of them. They were constantly singing, flying to parts of the pond and the marsh. I heard them the entire time I was at the preserve. Looking at the saplings and short vegetation along the trail bordering the marsh and pond, I was able to find a good amount of warblers. I noticed they weren’t calling or singing, so I had to be really silent and wait a while to see them. During this, I found 1 Chestnut-sided Warbler, 2 Magnolia Warblers, and 2 Canada Warblers. I could tell they were all warblers, so I used the merlin app to tell the difference between the warblers. After I looked in the marsh and saw 2 Common Grackles flying and saw 2 Song Sparrows.

Continuing through I arrived at the forest section of the trail around 8 am after spending lots of time analyzing the warblers. The first bird I saw was 1 Eastern Phoebe. I then got distracted because I heard tons of calls that I recognized was a Blue Jay and it sounded like they were freaking out. I believe I saw 1 Red-tailed Hawk that was possibly going after the Blue Jays. I was able to see 1 Blue Jay during this, but there might have been more. After this, there was a call I had never heard before, but I believe it was 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher after listening to songs on the merlin app. Another song I didn’t recognize was of 2 male Baltimore Orioles I saw. I did recognize 3 Black-capped Chickadees and 2 White-breasted Nuthatches on the Eastern White Pines.

Around 8:45 am I walked into a shrubby area that was in between parts of the forest. I saw something that caught my eye and used my binoculars to see that I found 1 female Canada Warbler in the shrubs. The warbler had a yellow underside with gray on its back. This area was small, so I did not see any other birds.
At 8:50 am I arrived back into the forested part of the trail which had Eastern White Pines, Maples, and American Beech. I was able to see the pond from some areas and I saw 1 Herring Gull just flying over the pond (I did not see it again later) as well as 4 Canada Goose. In the forested part, I saw 2 American Crows flying above. After I spent some time watching 1 Downy Woodpecker on an Eastern White Pine tree. I could tell it was a Downy Woodpecker and not hairy due to the length of its bill that was very short and less than 1 ½ length compared to its head. At the end of the trail, I found one more Blue Jay.

At 10 am I decided to go through the trail a second time in hopes of finding more bird species in which I did. The only two repeats I had were 4 more Gray Catbirds and 5 more Canada Goose. When I went back to the marshy and pond area I found another warbler being 1 Yellow Warbler. The bird did not stay for very long, but just enough time to identify. Looking over the pond I saw 2 Ospreys that were circling around trying to find food. Proceeding back into the forest, I found 2 Eastern Kingbirds which took me a while to identify. I went on the merlin app to try to find a bird that described the one I was looking at which I believe was the Eastern Kingbird. I continued through the trail not finding any different species from before. I only found two more. When I arrived in the shrubland in between the forest and had just passed it, I found 2 Brown-headed Cowbirds. One was a male with a brown head and black body and the other was a female that was all brown. They were on an Eastern White Pine standing next to one another. Lastly, I did not find different species towards the very end of the trail at 12:15 pm. I found 2 Northern Cardinals with one being male and the other female. The male was all red, while the female was brown with red on its beak and wing.

Posted on May 19, 2020 07:29 PM by arcurley arcurley | 25 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

May 18, 2020

Field Orno Journal: Waterbirds

On May 18, 2020, I went to Humarock Beach in Scituate, MA. I arrived and settled on the beach at 6:57am and stayed until 9:47am. The weather was cloudy and windy and the temperature was 52 degrees F. The habitat mainly consisted of the beach with lots of rocks, the ocean, and a seawall. Directly behind the seawall were people’s houses with grass yards and some areas had shrubs and grasses. When I first got on the beach and throughout the whole time, I saw lots of seagulls and Double-Crested Cormorants. I mainly saw Herring Gulls (28 total) that were in large groups on the beach, in the ocean, and flying above. The Double-crested Cormorants were diving in the water and flying above and I saw approximately 18 of them. Other types of gulls I saw were the Great Black-backed Gull (14 total) and Ring-billed Gull (2 total). They were also flying above or on the beach and on the water. I thought I saw another type of seagull, but I used the merlin app to determine that I saw 3 Gull-billed Terns that were flying over the ocean. I also spotted 6 American Crows that were flying over the beach in the direction of the houses behind me. While I was sitting, I heard about 2 song sparrows that were singing for the duration I was there. They were in the shrubby areas by the seawall. From time to time I would see 4 Barn Swallows that were flying on all sides of me trying to catch some insects. Lastly, I found 5 Common Loons that were in the ocean wading and sometimes diving in the water. After spending almost 3 hours on the beach, I decided to walk to the river that was nearby.

At 9:51am I arrived at the south river which only takes a few minutes to walk to from the beach. At this time the temperature was 57 degrees F and the weather was cloudy but raining a little bit. The habitat consisted of a river with some salt marshes around. I had to walk through a basketball court which led to a sandy patch on the side of the river. There were small rocks that were not as large and frequent as on the beach. I saw some scattered grass, Northern White Cedars, and some pine trees (not Eastern White Pine) that were bordering the basketball court and on some of the sand. There was a small section that had a few Staghorn Sumacs as well. From the river you could see a bridge in which one side is Marshfield, MA and the other side is Scituate, MA where Humarock Beach is. I was on the side of the river that was in Scituate still. You could see houses, a convenience store, and some restaurants from where I was standing along the river. I saw some birds that I saw at the beach as well as some I did not previously see. I saw 4 Song Sparrows that were in the marshy areas. I found 3 Common Grackles that were in the marshy area as well. There were 2 European Starlings in the basketball court and one was by the trash barrel. I saw 7 Rock Pigeons that were walking along the side of the river or were flying by the bridge. One of the Rock Pigeons had to have been the fattest pigeon I have ever seen in my life and I wish I had taken a picture. There were 2 Mourning Doves on the ground by the river and I got too close, so they flew away. There were 5 Double-Crested Cormorants where one was diving in the water, 2 were flying, and 3 were sitting on wooden objects that were very slightly above the water. There was an 1 Osprey flying by holding a fish. In addition, I saw 1 Chipping Sparrow and 1 Northern Cardinal on a pine tree. Lastly, I stayed till approximately 11:15am and decided to walk over back to the beach.

I arrived back at the beach at 11:21am and went on a 30 minute walk until 11:51am, but in the other direction on the beach. The habitat and temperature was the same as before at the beach earlier. It started to rain a little bit again (it was off and on since 10am). I found 25 Herring Gulls standing close to each other on the beach, 1 Great Black-backed Gull, 1 Song Sparrow, and 1 American Robin. I think I saw 2 Grasshopper Sparrows as well.

Lastly, I decided to walk back to the river until 12:15pm. The weather was still cloudy and the temperature was the same as when I went to the river before. The habitat was a little different because I walked to the side of the river that’s in Marshfield, MA. This side had more rocks that were very large and brown along the side of the river. There were some grassy areas and I saw some hay on the rocks for some reason in which I spotted 2 male House Sparrows on. You could see all the boats that were in the marina in the river. I was able to spot 3 Mallards (2 male and 1 female) wading in the water. There were 2 Tree Swallows flying around.

Posted on May 18, 2020 08:25 PM by arcurley arcurley | 21 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

April 26, 2020

1May- FJ8 Field Observation 7 (9 pts)

Date: April 26, 2020
Time: 10:17am-11:47am
Location: Marshfield, MA at my house
Weather: Cloudy
Temperature: 48 degrees
Habitat: Maples, Oaks, Eastern White Pines and a Japanese Maple Trees. We also have two small blueberry bushes, azaleas, hydrangeas, and a small rose bush.

Birds:
6 House Sparrows- 3 male that were being territorial and 3 female all eating bird seed
5 American Crows- flying
1 American Robin - On a tree sitting and then foraging on the grass
2 Blue Jays - 1 was flying and 1 was sitting on the Japanese Maple
3 Northern Cardinals- 2 male fighting over territory and 1 female
2 American Goldfinch- Both were eating bird seeds
1 Mourning Dove- Foraging for food on the ground

Birds I saw for the first time in my yard:
2 male Brown-headed Cowbird- Eating from bird feeder
1 White-throated Sparrow- Flying and singing
1 Grackle- Eating from bird feeder
1 White-breasted Nuthatch- Was on a tree and trying to eat from the bird feeder

Posted on April 26, 2020 04:25 PM by arcurley arcurley | 11 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

April 21, 2020

22 April - FJ7 - Field Observation: Reproductive Ecology and Evolution (16 pts)

On April 19, 2020, I went to Braintree Municipal Golf Course in Braintree, MA. The weather was sunny with clear skies, the temperature was 57 degrees, and I was there from 12:15 pm to 1:45 pm. The habitat of the golf course contained lots of different tree species: Paper Birch, Oak, Maples, Eastern White Pines, Northern White Cedar, Ash, American Beech, an American Elm, Black Cherry, a Hickory tree, and lots of willows. There were lots of different tree species as there were rivers and lakes throughout the golf course as well as areas with no water at all. There were many small dirt paths that had rivers and trees on each side. There was lots of green grass in open areas used for golfing.

The bird species I found most during the course of the visit was American Robins where I found approximately 42 of them. They were in all parts of the golf course mainly foraging for food in the grass. I found an American Robin that was defending a territory. I think it was defending a poor territory compared to other members of its species. American Robins are the most abundant species on the golf course, so there is less territory for them to occupy as there are so many of them. This particular spot was in a small patch of trees and was close to a water resource. The spot was still a significant distance away, where the American Robin would be going into another bird's territory if it actually wanted to go to the water. There were plenty of better areas on the golf course the bird could have chosen. This indicates this particular American Robin has poor fitness and is likely going to have a more difficult time surviving compared to the other robins there. American Robins nest in trees mainly towards the lower half, but can sometimes be built higher. They usually nest on branches that stick out horizontally or under dense leaves. Sometimes they can nest in man-made structures like gutters, but I did not see that at the golf course.

There was also 1 European Starling and 2 American Crows foraging for food as well. The 2 Song Sparrows were singing a song by the river. There were 6 Tree Swallows flying above me. I saw 1 Red-tailed Hawk was circling around a tree and appeared to be looking for prey. There were 2 Northern Cardinals that were singing in the trees by a body of water.

I saw 1 Great Blue Heron in one of the lakes that was sitting in the water and then flew away once it saw me. The Great Blue Heron would be nesting in the trees, the ground, or on bushes on the property.

There were 9 Canadian Geese that were foraging for food on the grass and swam in the river. They did not make any calls the whole time I saw them, so they are likely used to seeing people. Canadian Geese like having an unobstructed view when nesting. They will nest on the ground on an elevated site by water which is in many areas of the golf course.

In the lake, I saw a pair of Mallards (1 male and 1 female) that were swimming together on the lake. To build a nest, female mallards will begin with making a small depression in the dry ground close to the water and pull vegetation she can reach near her, and add tall vegetation over herself and the nest. This could include leaves, twigs, and grasses nearby. Particularly during incubation, down feathers could be used to line the nest. Since Mallards like nesting by the water, they would need to go somewhere that has a good water resource to find their materials. Being on the outer bank of the water would be accessible to grasses, twigs, and leaves (from the trees along the water). There are lots of areas at the golf courses that have water whether that be a lake or a river.

At the golf course, they have goats. I went to go see them and I heard 1 Black-capped Chickadee and 1 Tufted Titmouse when I went to go pet the goats. I did not really see many behaviors that indicate mate, nest or territory selection. I only saw territory selection when the Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Northern Cardinal, and American Robins were singing. I did not find any nests at the golf course and didn’t see any behaviors of mating among the different species I saw.

I observed the habitat requirements of the Mallard, Canada Goose, Great Blue Heron, and American Robin. Mallards are found in wetland habitats like marshes, lakes, reservoirs, etc. This is different from the habitat of the American Robins which are also on the golf course. They prefer fields, lawns, and other places like woodlands, forests, and more. As they are both on the golf course, the American Robins stay around the areas with lots of trees, whereas the Mallards will stay in the lakes and rivers throughout the golf course. I also saw the Canada Goose in which their habitat is usually near water and in grassy fields. They like being able to have a source of food- grass and the lawns give unobstructed views. The golf course has many open lawn areas by sources of water that the Canada Goose prefers. The last bird I will mention is the Great Blue Heron which likes both saltwater and freshwater habitats. They enjoy agricultural fields and use a stalking technique as a way to get prey. They can be near lakes and ponds which are around forests which were like at the golf course. All of these species, and the other species I listed earlier in the field journal, all have different habitat requirements and can all live near one each other at the golf course.

(I added my mini activity as a picture to the Northern Cardinal observation)

Posted on April 21, 2020 06:41 PM by arcurley arcurley | 12 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

April 11, 2020

15 April- FJ6 - Field Observation (9 pts)

On April 10, 2020 from 2:49 pm to 4:19 pm I went to the Cape Cod Canal in Bourne, MA to do my field assignment. The temperature was 46 degrees and the weather was cloudy and a little bit rainy. The habitat consisted of a canal in which I was between the Sagamore Bridge and the Bourne Bridge which leads into Cape Cod. The parking lot I was in had picnic tables, a small patch of grass with pine trees and deciduous trees. I could see the Bournedail trail had a cement path that was along the canal. There were rocks and grass along the water and across the canal had pine trees and deciduous trees. These deciduous trees in the area were likely Oaks and Maples. Before I stepped out of the car, I could already see birds. There were 8 American Robins foraging in the grass for food. I saw 1 Great Black-backed Gull sitting on a wooden pole in the water. There were approximately 35 Great-Black backed Gulls flying across the canal during the majority of my walk. When I walked down to the path, I heard a Song Sparrow coming from one of the bushes. I didn’t end up seeing it as the bush was very green and dense, but I recognized the song from studying it for the ID quizzes. A Double-crested Cormorant had then caught my eye by diving into the water. I saw them also sitting in the canal or flying overhead in the distance finding about a total of 12 during my trip. I then thought I saw another Double-crested Cormorant, but it ended up being 2 Common Loons. Considering this was my first time ever seeing a Common Loon I got very excited in front of my dad. I honestly didn’t think I would get more excited until I saw a bunch of ducks laying on the rocks and swimming together in the water. There were 8 Common Eiders that were breeding males, non-breeding males, and females. I have never seen them before, so I assumed there were three different species at the time until I did more research. I spent a lot of time looking at the ducks because I was tempted to keep them. It was probably best I didn’t, so we turned around and headed back to the parking lot. I saw a herring run along the way back which I passed when I was staring at the ducks on the other side. Past the herring run, I saw maybe 5 Ospreys across the other side of the road in the deciduous trees. Approximately 2 of them were perched on a branch and 3 were flying around. It was difficult to tell if they were actually Ospreys. I originally thought it might have been a Sharp-shinned Hawk or a Cooper’s Hawk, so that’s what I first put on iNaturalist. Luckily someone helped me identify that it was likely an Osprey, which I have definitely seen in the area. The Osprey had a white head and a brown body. I didn’t have binoculars to get a close look at them. Passing them on the way back to the car, I saw 2 American Crows flying above me. Lastly, there were 3 European Starlings I saw with the 8 American Robins I had seen previously foraging before I had begun my walk.

Posted on April 11, 2020 05:04 PM by arcurley arcurley | 9 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

April 8, 2020

FJ5 - Field Observation: Migration

On April 4th, 2020 I was planning on going to the beach, but the beaches are currently closed (at least for parking) for my field journal. Instead from 1:48 pm to 3:18 pm that same day, I went into my backyard in Marshfield, MA to look at birds once again. The temperature was 43 degrees and the weather was cloudy. The habitat of my backyard has lots of Eastern White Pines, Oaks, and Maples. There are hydrangeas, azaleas, and a Japanese Maple tree.

At the very beginning, I saw a breeding American Goldfinch and later found a non-breeding American Goldfinch. I was not sure whether or not they were both males. I saw them both feeding and were also on my Japanese Maple tree. The breeding American Goldfinch had significantly more of a vibrant yellow color than the non-breeding American Goldfinch. The American Goldfinch is a short-distance migrant. They are year-round residents across the United States towards the North but mostly to the East. They breed in parts of Canada and the Northwest parts of the United States. The non-breeding American Goldfinches are in the southern parts of the United States.

I saw 7 House Sparrows in which 5 were male and 2 were female. They were on the bird feeder, on a bush, and bathing in a heated birdbath. House Sparrows are year-round residents in all of the United States, Mexico, lots of parts in Latin America, as well as Canada (scarce) in which they will stay in my area during the winter.

I quickly saw 1 Tufted Titmouse on my bird feeder and flying away into the Eastern White Pine trees. The Tufted Titmouse is a year-round resident of the eastern side of the United States. Their wintering range would be in my area as they would stay all year long.

There were 3 Mourning Doves that were sitting on the ground facing a squirrel that was hanging from a different bird feeder in my yard. They ended up eating the birdseed once the squirrel left. I saw another Mourning Dove going in the heated birdbath later on. Mourning Doves are a year-round resident in the United States and in parts of Mexico. They can also be long-distance migrants. Birds in the North fly south as far as the southernmost part of Mexico. There are some Mounting Doves in the central and southern U.S. that may move a few hundred miles compared to a few thousand miles the northern Mourning Doves make, but some don’t move at all. As they can move south for the winter, most Mourning Doves in my area will likely be residents all year and that is the case with the majority of the United States and Mexico.

Also in my backyard were 3 Black-capped Chickadees that were getting food from the bird feeder and flying between trees. Black-capped Chickadees have physiological and ecological adaptations for winter survival such as nocturnal hypothermia (reducing body temperature overnight). They need to save energy because the birds won’t burn fat to maintain their daytime temperature during the night. Also when they shiver they create heat, they over-winter in heterospecific bird flocks and forage at lower heights for increased wind protection. Other species that do not migrate are Northern Cardinal, House Sparrows, Tufted Titmouse, and Blue Jays. There are other species I saw that are mostly year-round residents, but they still do migrate like American Robins, American Goldfinch, Mourning Doves, House Finch, and Dark-eyed Juncos. Most species migrate because they may not be able to survive the cold harsh winters, the lack of food availability, and need places to nest. Some species may stay as long as they have adequate food supply and can survive the weather conditions and temperatures. If Black-capped Chickadees had to migrate, sometimes young birds will move in years where there are large amounts of reproduction. The movements are called “irruptions” and are irregular. The Black-capped Chickadees live year-round in the Northern part of the United States (including parts of Alaska) and Canada. Adult Black-capped Chickadees do not migrate at all, so they would stay in my area during the winter.

I thought I spotted 1 Dark-eyed Junco with them on the feeder, but the bird wasn’t there for enough time to tell with enough confidence. The Dark-eyed Junco is a year-round resident but can be a medium-distance migrant. For their wintering range, Juncos that are breeding in Alaska and Canada will migrate to the southern parts of the U.S. They can even range to the Rocky Mountains where some Juncos are short-distance migrants to the Appalachian Mountains and in parts of the West where some don’t migrate.
This was also the case with 1 House Finch that I did not have enough time to look at, but made an educated guess. A House Finch is a year-round resident in most of the United States and Mexico. There are parts in the Central U.S. and Florida where there are no house finches. They can also be a short distance migrant. For their wintering range, some will move south for the winter from the northeast and Great Lakes areas, but many will stay in the area.

There was one male Northern Cardinal that had a red crest and was a very vibrant red all over. He was on the hydrangea bush for a while and then flew away. The general wintering range for a Northern Cardinal would be on the eastern side of the United States going into parts of Mexico (mostly on the eastern side) and Latin America. This means that the Northern Cardinal is a year-round resident in my area even in the winter.

I saw 2 American Robins in my backyard flying between trees and were also perched on them. I spotted a third robin in my front yard. The bird was foraging for food on the grass near the side of the road. The American Robin decided to cross the road by having frequent sprints and stop and sprint again until reaching the other side. The robin proceeded to forage for food again on a patch of dirt on the sidewalk. An American Robin is a facultative migrant that has arrived in Marshfield, MA. The species was coming from the Gulf Coast or the southwestern portion of Mexico as some American Robins go there for their wintering range. They were coming to the north since spring is coming to head back home in their nesting grounds. Before the winter weather freezes the ground which makes it inaccessible to eat earthworms or insects and they have to resort to berries for the time being. Moving south provides more access to food and shelter if they choose to migrate. Some advantages are if you arrive North first compared to other birds, there is a better opportunity to attract a mate. You have the first pick of a nest site, establish territories, and have food availability. There is usually a change in the environment to facilitate the bird's arrival when the temperature gets warmer, more food is available, nest sites, etc. Some disadvantages are the weather patterns that appear in early April. There is variable, inclement weather, so there could be heavy rain and snowstorms. There may not be enough insects for the robins to survive as well. This means that the birds could die or might have to turn around for where they came from during the winter. These advantages and disadvantages can occur for other migrants like House Finch (short distance), American Goldfinches (short distance), Dark-eyed Juncos (medium distance), and Mourning Doves (long-distance). For the most part, though, the American Robin is a year-round resident or short-distance migrant. They can be found year-round almost anywhere that is south of Canada. There are breeding American Robins in Canada and Alaska which will leave in autumn for the United States. Out of all my species, most are all-year residents that do not travel much.

I used Google Maps to determine the rough total miles between my site and the species wintering location for facultative and obligate migrants. My facultative migrants were: Mourning Doves, Dark-eyed Juncos, House Finch, American Goldfinch, and the American Robin. If they choose to migrate, the rough total miles I got for all of them combined were 10,000 miles! Most decide to travel to the Southern U.S. or Southern Mexico, but they can stay in Marshfield, MA all year round. I did not get any miles for Northern Cardinal, House Sparrows, Tufted Titmouse, and Blue Jays as they are year-long residents and do not migrate.

There was 1 Blue Jay around 3 pm that I saw standing in the part of my yard where there was a lot of dirt, pine needles, wood, and scattered trees. The blue jay saw me and flew away quickly. Blue Jays are a resident year-round from the central to eastern parts of the United States and into some parts of Canada. There are some scarce non-breeding Blue Jay in the northwest corner of the U.S. going into a small part near that area in Canada as well as close to parts of Mexico and close to Texas.

Posted on April 8, 2020 03:42 PM by arcurley arcurley | 10 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

March 24, 2020

FJ4 - Field Observation: Social Behavior and Phenology

On March 22, 2020 I began searching for birds from 10:30 am-11:06 am in both my front and my backyard. The temperature was 34˚F with the weather being sunny with scattered clouds. I began my field assignment in my home of Marshfield, MA, which is a suburban beach town on the south shore of Massachusetts. For this assignment, I will be looking for birds in my backyard. As I exit through the front door to begin, the habitat mainly consists of Eastern White Pines, Oak and Maple trees. One particular tree, the Japanese Maple, is a place where lots of birds like to go because it’s also directly in front of my bird feeder. I have no snags in my yard and there is some downed wood. They outline the majority of my yard along the fences and lack thereof, except for the front. Many plants in my yard consist of hydrangeas, azaleas, and rhododendrons. There is a large green bush which is on my porch (I don’t know the name), but my family has been known to see House Sparrows there in the past.

When I first started looking for birds, I went to that bush next to my porch. I was able to see 2 female House Sparrows and they flew away because I got too close. After I saw 2 Mourning Doves flying from the Eastern White Pine onto the ground. They were most likely looking for food. There was a song I heard from an Unmated Male Mourning Dove sitting on a perch making a coo-oo sound followed by two or three louder coos. They could have been trying to communicate to attract a female. They can communicate by their wings which makes noise to let other Mourning Doves know that danger may be near. The Mourning Doves I saw were mostly brown and gray with black spots on their wings. They had a pinkish-beige belly which was slightly paler than the wings. Their legs were pink and the bill seemed to be a greyish color. The evolutionary advantage is how they use cryptic coloration. They have a brown color on their backs that can blend in with the bark of trees. Unlike Wild Turkey, I heard noises from the wings, known as a “wing whistle”, which they were able to clap their wings during take off. This method can act as a way for them to communicate with other Mourning Doves that danger is near. Their call could be mistaken for an owl sound which could distract predators or competition. I focused on one of the Mourning Dove’s and it was flying between Eastern White Pine trees. This behavior fits its circannual rhythm which is a biological rhythm and many birds know biologically to migrate. Many birds migrate towards the equator where there is a warmer climate than during the winter up in the North. I saw on another Eastern White Pine that there were 2 Blue Jays that flew from one tree to another. Lastly in my backyard, I saw 1 Tufted Titmouse that was sitting on the Japanese Maple.

Around 10:45 am was when I decided to go see the birds that were in my front yard. I have one large Oak tree in the center of my front yard which is where I saw an American Robin sitting on a branch. Then I saw 3 Black-capped Chickadees fly into my neighbor's yard into an Eastern White Pine. This was in a cluster of Oaks, other Eastern White Pine, and a type of evergreen conifer that was most likely ornamentally planted. I used the ‘sphising’ method to attract them into my yard. “Spishing” is able to work because some species may think that the noise almost resembles an alarm type sound. The flock will work together and join with one another to chase away the intruder and/or predator. There is also a theory that having sharper spishes may attract feeding birds by sounding like insects. This particular sound is enticing to small birds because some species are naturally curious. For example, Black-capped Chickadees are curious and enjoy investigating the noise. Black-capped Chickadees are considered the nucleus of a mixed-species flock and if they think to check something out, other birds from the flock may join in. They could encourage the curiosity of other birds. I wrapped up around 11:06 am and went inside.

Later that same day (from 4:47 pm-5:47 pm), I walked around my neighborhood to find more birds. The temperature was still the same (34˚F) and it was still sunny, but there were no clouds. Walking up to my street I saw that there were 4 American Crows flying above me. I think they were beginning to roost. I saw 2 Tufted Titmouse on different Eastern White Pines and they were calling to one another. At this time, I had to take my dog on a quick walk, so I did not see as many birds as I probably normally would. At 5:17 pm I brought my dog inside and I went into my backyard to find more birds, this time with my mom. We saw 6 Mourning Doves flying between trees and sitting on the branches of Eastern White Pines. I was able to hear them singing and heard their wing flaps. After watching them for a while, I probably backed away by 10ft and some of them flew to the ground. They probably wanted to get food while I was watching them. In the distance, I faintly saw a Pileated Woodpecker which landed on an Eastern White Pine for a second and then flew away.

When I proceeded to walk back inside, there were 2 Wild Turkeys that were in one of my neighbors' yards. I heard lots of Wild Turkeys in the distance, so I think there might have been more turkeys on the other side of their house. The plumage of a Wild Turkey I saw was that it had a red and blue head, dark brown on the back, brown mainly on the tail with a line of black towards the bottom. I also saw a little lighter brown below near the tip of the tail. There was a checkerboard-like pattern containing brown and white on the sides of the turkey. The males had an iridescent like color on the back of them that was more emphasized than on the female. Wild Turkey varied a lot from the Mourning Dove where the turkey was larger, had iridescence, and had a lot more patterns. They both had the color brown, but the Wild Turkey was much darker in brown. Their behavior fits the circannual rhythm for seasonal patterns of reproduction. After I watched a Wild Turkey in my neighbor's yard foraging for food, I watched it ‘strutting’ in which it was displaying courtship. It was trying to show off his plumage and colors in hopes of mating with a female by making the tail look like a fan. This was considered a visual cue to communicate for courtship. ‘Strutting’ is also an evolutionary advantage to the colors and patterns. Males being able to show off their feathers that have better colors and patterns are most likely going to be more successful getting a mate. Specifically, the iridescence of the feathers reflecting from the light is a part they can show off to the females. An audio cue the bird used to communicate was by gobbling which was rapid and loud gurgling noise. This was made by a male Wild Turkey to let hens know he is around. To the hen turkey, this is also another way of communicating courtship. This could also be a way of showing dominance to other male Wild Turkeys gobbling as well. Lastly, I looked at my bird feeder and saw 1 Male House Sparrow concluding my assignment.

Posted on March 24, 2020 11:50 PM by arcurley arcurley | 9 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

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