jonsolomon's Journal

March 7, 2021
Start: 1:09 pm
End: 3:04 pm
Location: Intervale
Weather: Sunny, 25 degrees fahrenheit, 4 mph wind NNE, no precipitation
Habitats: Trees, power lines, open field

While most of the birds I observed were flying by me, there were a few notable observations. The European Starlings and House Sparrows I observed were in bushes or trees in groups and were looking for food on the ground (House Sparrows) or resting in the trees (European Starlings). The Northern Cardinals I saw were flying around between trees and it was hard to keep track of any one of them, but they seemed to be looking for food. I could hear their calls and songs to each other and the males seemed to be much more active than the females. The European Starlings, House Sparrows, and Northern Cardinals all went to the ground to eat a few seeds before jumping to their perch. The two Red-tailed Hawks I saw were circling over the highway by the Intervale together searching for food. Finally, the Mourning Doves I saw were resting on power lines next to each other.

All of the birds I saw seemed to have very little concern for the cold temperatures outside, which indicates to me that these birds are well-adapted for a cold climate and their body heat combined with the insulation of their feathers seems to be sufficient for the climate. The Mourning Doves I saw seemed to be making a point of sitting in the sun which they may have been using to absorb heat, but they could also simply have perched there as a vantage point to scan for food. It seems to me that most, if not all of these birds come here for food, because I'm starting to notice that when I come to the Intervale closer to dusk, I don't see many birds other than American Crows and perhaps European Starlings. This suggests to me that none of these birds overnight here and if they do, they do so in the very distant trees I don't have access to. Due to the cold climate, I think most of these birds subsist on seeds, as there doesn't seem to be much insect life available this time of year. The Red-tailed Hawks, however, were probably looking for small rodents such as voles, rats, squirrels to eat.

I had a hard time finding any significant snags in the Intervale and the few I did find were lacking any significant cavities. The lack of snags with cavities here is probably a good part of the reason why birds don't seem to overnight here. Snag cavities are important micro-habitats for many bird species to overnight in because they provide shelter from predators and the elements which can make spending the night in the open dangerous. I haven't paid enough attention to the presence of snags here in the past, and if I were to repeat this observation day, I would go somewhere I know has more snags so I can get a better understanding of their relationship to bird activity.

Start: 2:21 pm
End: 4:43 pm
Location: Centennial Woods and Waterfront Park
Weather: 61 degrees Fahrenheit, 3 mph southerly wind, no precipitation, clear skies
Habitats: Eastern White Pine stand, deciduous tree stand, Lake Champlain

I started this observation period at Centennial woods, expecting to see a lot of birds. While I was there, however, I saw none except for what I could best identify as a far-off Downy Woodpecker through my binoculars. I was really disappointed to find so few birds, despite the fact that I could hear so many. I was in Centennial woods for about an hour, and having seen only one bird, I figured I should go to the waterfront where Allan met students for this field journal. While I was in Centennial woods I was able to catch a few vocal interactions between birds. Specifically, I could hear Black-capped Chickadees calling to each other in separate trees, as well as two very distant "honking" birds. I could not identify these, but the best description I can give is that of a very succinct duck call - similar to a Mallard's but not quite. Additionally, I was able to catch an audio recording of a bird's call/song which was very similar to that of the White-breasted Nuthatch but was softer and smoother than the "hank" sound they make.

At about 3:40 pm I left Centennial woods for Waterfront park, frustrated that I had seen only one bird in the woods. At Waterfront park, I saw a several pairs of Ring-billed Gulls flying over Lake Champlain. They would come in and out of sight, occasionally calling to each other. At one point, though, I noticed a pair fly over me and circle out over the lake. They were making similar calls back and forth frequently, until one of them gave a very distinct and short call, at which point both birds descended to the water. Within a couple of minutes, five other Ring-billed Gulls approached the two original birds and descended out of sight as well. These birds were clearly searching for food and when one gave the call that they found food, the rest came in. This fits into the circadian rhythm of Ring-billed Gulls as they spend the day searching for food near bodies of water.

Ring-billed Gulls have mostly white plumage with grey wings and black tails. These birds search for food out in the sun all day, which having reflective, white plumage is advantageous for keeping the heat off. Downy Woodpeckers, however, have mostly black plumage with white spots and red on the head. This plumage is probably useful for blending into the dark under-story of a forest.

Mini activity: Spishing
While in Centennial woods, near where I heard the unidentified call and the "honk" in a stand of Easter White Pine, I had great results spishing. Even though I couldn't see any birds in this location, when I spished I was met with a choir of various calls and songs. Some I was able to identify, such as a Tufted Titmouse and what I could best identify as a Cedar Waxwing, but most I couldn't identify. Upon further spishing, some of the birds did not call back, so I wasn't able to record what they sounded like. Having seen so few birds though, I was amazed at the results spishing brought me.

I think I could be better at choosing my timing and locations for bird observation however. I am noticing a trend of me going out to places I have previously found an abundance of birds in the mid to late afternoon, only to be disapointed by how few birds I find (relative to what I've noticed in the past).