quillynp's Journal

Date: May 9, 2021
Start: 6:00 pm
End: 7:30 pm

Location: Redstone woods
Weather: Overcast, no breeze
Habitat(s): thin forest, golf course nearby, residential (near campus), nearby stream

Date: April 26, 2021
Start: 12:15 pm
End: 1:45 pm

Location: Centennial Woods
Weather: Chilly (~35℉), overcast and windy
Habitat(s): dense forest, nearby stream, on incline

I decided to observe bird activity along the Centennial Woods nature path. The habitat is made up of both deciduous and coniferous trees and declines in elevation as you get further from the roadside entrance. I passed a few clearings made up of grass and brush as well as some marshy areas once you get to the bottom of the hill. At this point, it’s rather flat with a nearby stream and a field of reeds/cattails. It was a bit cold during my trip and I believe this to be the reason why bird activity was pretty low. I saw only six different species and only a few individuals of each kind.

I heard quite a bit of birdsong along my walk. In particular, I recall hearing two distinct chickadee “hey sweetie”s repeatedly calling to each other. I could tell they were different birds because one song was higher pitched than the other. I assume this to be two males either competing for a mating or defending their own territories through use of song. This took place a bit off the path while I was sitting beneath a large evergreen tree. Based on the apparent competition and dense vegetation of the area, the spot seemed to be prime territory. Other factors that led to my conclusion is the distance from human interaction (the path) and nearby access to the stream. The fitness of these two birds, because of the quality of the territory and eagerness of both birds to defend it, is probably high.

During my trek, I noticed multiple different nests. One was found in a smaller tree with pinecones. It was small, about 5 inches in diameter, and made out of tightly woven twigs and grass, likely belonging to a small songbird species such as a chickadee. Another nest I saw was high up in a tree and looked much larger, maybe about 10 inches in diameter. My view of it was from quite a distance, but I believe it was crafted from larger twigs and leaves and possibly down feathers (this is based off the fact that I noticed a lot of down feathers on the ground). Because of the height and proximity to the trunk of the tree, I think this could have been a crow’s nest. I also spotted a crow flying overhead not too far away at the end of my walk.

Date: April 19, 2021
Start: 1:30 pm
End: 3:00 pm

Location: South Prospect St and South Willard St
Weather: Cloudy, breezy, warm in the 50s
Habitats: Residential, suburban, near the road, bunches of trees

Date: April 3, 2021
Start: 3:00 pm
End: 4:30 pm

Location: Mad River Path in Waitsfield, VT
Weather: A bit chilly, clear skies, no breeze
Habitat: Riverside, fields, clumps of trees, around house

Species List
White-breasted Nuthatch: 3
Black-capped Chickadee: 8
American Robin: 33
Turkey Vulture: 12
Mallard: 2
Common Grackle: 1
Hairy Woodpecker: 4
Song Sparrow: 10
Red-winged Blackbird: 3
Tufted Titmouse: 1
Dark-eyed Junco: 2

I went home this Easter weekend so my birding journey took place along the Mad River Path in Waitsfield and ended in my yard. It was interesting to see how the biodiversity shifted when I walked from the fields beside the river back to my house which holds two busy birdfeeders. The most common siting in the fields were the American Robins, which gathered in flocks of about a dozen of individuals to forage on the ground. Near the river, it was much quieter (possibly because the water made it hard for songs to be heard) but I spotted a pair of Mallards (male and female) riding the current. I also noticed a large group of Turkey Vultures circling overhead together when I walked closer to the road.
Near the house, and especially the feeders, there a variety of smaller birds such as Chickadees and Song Sparrows, but a few larger birds as well, including Hairy Woodpeckers, a few Red-winged Blackbirds, and one noisy Grackle. The sparrows seemed to prefer hopping along the leaves on the ground and collect fallen seeds. Meanwhile, the chickadees were competing with the woodpeckers to keep a spot on the feeder, occasionally allowing a Dark-eyed Junco or Tufted Titmouse to have a turn.
A few examples of year-round residents of Vermont that I saw are the Black-capped Chickadee and the White-breasted Nuthatch. Both of these birds are generalists which allows them to depend on a variety of foods to make it through the Vermont winter (as opposed to herbivorous migratory birds that need to follow their food source). These species also interestingly have similar color pallets (black, gray, white, and tan) and display disruptive coloration with the black marks on their heads. This makes it so their outline is more difficult to detect, especially in the snow where their white bellies would be camouflaged. Chickadees and nuthatches also have elliptical wings to maneuver through brush, making flying long distances more energy-consuming.
Some facultative migrants I saw were the American Robin and Song Sparrow. These birds are likely coming from the southern United States/Mexico towards Canada to breed. They are mainly ground foragers, so a winter with lots of snow would make finding food more difficult. Due to the recent snowmelt and the beginnings of insect activity, robins and Song Sparrows are able to thrive in Vermont spring.

Mini Activity: Migrants’ Distances

American Robin: (FL to VT) 1,386 miles
Turkey Vulture: (NC to VT) 774 miles
Mallard: (GA to VT) 1,142 miles
Common Grackle: (MA to VT) 175 miles
Song Sparrow (TN to VT) 1,114 miles
Red-winged Blackbird: (CT to VT) 208 miles
Dark-eyed Junco: (MD to VT) 476 miles

Total: 5,275 miles!

Date: March 20, 2021
Start: 9:30
End: 11:00

Location: Burlington bike path, south of ECHO
Weather: Clear skies, breezy
Habitats: Residential, lakeshore, some trees

Species List:
Ring-billed Gull- ~30
Mallard- 19
Common Merganser- 3
Common Grackle- 15
Merlin- 1
Common Goldeneye- 3
Canadian Goose- 1
Northern Cardinal- 2
Black-capped Chickadee- 1

I went birdwatching on Saturday morning with the Ornithology group starting at the ECHO center and walking south along the Burlington bike path. While the sky was clear and sunny, it was still a bit cold (~35 ℉) and the lake made it quite windy. Most of my observations were made up of shorebirds such as Ring-billed Gulls and Mallards.
In terms of vocal communication, I noticed the Ring-billed Gulls specifically were very noisy. As about a dozen circled, soared, and dove overhead, they let out several bursts of caws. It seemed directed at each other and one would occasionally chase another. Based on my knowledge and the aggressive nature of this communicative behavior, I would guess this could be a way of protecting territory/food. Since Ring-billed Gulls usually breed during the months of May-August, it is too early in their circannual cycle for these to be mating attempts.
In response to their circadian rhythms, I observed varying behaviors such as foraging from Ring-billed Gulls and Common Mergansers as well as resting from Mallards on shore. A group of Mallards of mainly females were sitting on a rocky and icy beach near the bike path bridge. I think this behavior could have also been to maintain body temperature in response to the wind by basking in the sun since it was still pretty early and the day still had a few hours to reach its peak temperature.
To compare plumages, I will contrast the stars of my birdwatching journey: the Mallard and the Ring-billed Gull. Both are birds that spend most of their time in/around water and yet their plumages are vastly different. While the gull is mostly a bright white, the duck is mainly brown/darker colors. These colors aid in their different feeding techniques. Ring-billed gulls spend a lot of their time flying to spot their food, so their white coloration allows them to blend in with the bright sky and clouds above. Mallards are dabbling ducks so search for food on the water in ponds, lakes, and rivers. Their earthier tones let them blend in with the reeds around them, which hides them from predators so they can focus on dabbling.
Near the end of my walk, while in a thin spread of trees away from the shore near the water treatment plant, I spotted a male and female Northern Cardinal fluttering together. It is the start of the cardinal breeding season so they were likely a mating pair. They looked to be foraging for seeds on the ground together.

Mini Activity: Spishing

Since learning about this technique, I have tested it and gotten positive results (on birds and cats alike). I’ve had chickadees and a robin approach and look around curiously. The sound to me resembles the quiet squeaks/rustlings of a rodent or perhaps another small bird. These sounds could communicate that there is food available nearby. Rodents and small birds seem to have similar diets and many species of rodent stash food away for winter. So, if a bird hears this sound they might know to look around for this stash.

Date: March 20, 2021
Start: 9:30
End: 11:00

Location: Burlington bike path, south of ECHO
Weather: Clear skies, breezy
Habitats: Residential, lakeshore, some trees

Species List:
Ring-billed Gull- ~30
Mallard- 19
Common Merganser- 3
Common Grackle- 15
Merlin- 1
Common Goldeneye- 3
Canadian Goose- 1
Northern Cardinal- 2
Black-capped Chickadee- 1

I went birdwatching on Saturday morning with the Ornithology group starting at the ECHO center and walking south along the Burlington bike path. While the sky was clear and sunny, it was still a bit cold (~35 ℉) and the lake made it quite windy. Most of my observations were made up of shorebirds such as Ring-billed Gulls and Mallards.
In terms of vocal communication, I noticed the Ring-billed Gulls specifically were very noisy. As about a dozen circled, soared, and dove overhead, they let out several bursts of caws. It seemed directed at each other and one would occasionally chase another. Based on my knowledge and the aggressive nature of this communicative behavior, I would guess this could be a way of protecting territory/food. Since Ring-billed Gulls usually breed during the months of May-August, it is too early in their circannual cycle for these to be mating attempts.
In response to their circadian rhythms, I observed varying behaviors such as foraging from Ring-billed Gulls and Common Mergansers as well as resting from Mallards on shore. A group of Mallards of mainly females were sitting on a rocky and icy beach near the bike path bridge. I think this behavior could have also been to maintain body temperature in response to the wind by basking in the sun since it was still pretty early and the day still had a few hours to reach its peak temperature.
To compare plumages, I will contrast the stars of my birdwatching journey: the Mallard and the Ring-billed Gull. Both are birds that spend most of their time in/around water and yet their plumages are vastly different. While the gull is mostly a bright white, the duck is mainly brown/darker colors. These colors aid in their different feeding techniques. Ring-billed gulls spend a lot of their time flying to spot their food, so their white coloration allows them to blend in with the bright sky and clouds above. Mallards are dabbling ducks so search for food on the water in ponds, lakes, and rivers. Their earthier tones let them blend in with the reeds around them, which hides them from predators so they can focus on dabbling.
Near the end of my walk, while in a thin spread of trees away from the shore near the water treatment plant, I spotted a male and female Northern Cardinal fluttering together. It is the start of the cardinal breeding season so they were likely a mating pair. They looked to be foraging for seeds on the ground together.

Mini Activity: Spishing

Since learning about this technique, I have tested it and gotten positive results (on birds and cats alike). I’ve had chickadees and a robin approach and look around curiously. The sound to me resembles the quiet squeaks/rustlings of a rodent or perhaps another small bird. These sounds could communicate that there is food available nearby. Rodents and small birds seem to have similar diets and many species of rodent stash food away for winter. So, if a bird hears this sound they might know to look around for this stash.

March 8, 2021
Start: 1:00 pm
End: 2:30 pm

Location: Redstone woods
Weather: Clear and sunny
Habitat: Woods between campus and golf course (now used as snowshoe/ski trail)

Species List:
Black-capped Chickadee- 10
American Crow- 4
Hairy Woodpecker- 1
White-breasted Nuthatch- 1

For this field journal I observed birds along the path through the Redstone woods. Behavior-wise, I mainly saw birds foraging for food. This was first noticed with the chickadees, which I saw pecking at small branches and stalks near a pond. Similarly, I distinctly heard two woodpeckers attacking some trees. I was only able to find one to confirm it was a Hairy Woodpecker based off of how high up in the tree it was. The nuthatch also looked to be searching for food, as I saw it travelling around a large tree's branches and pecking at the bark. Other birds, such as the crows and a few unidentifiable gulls were seen flying overhead.

I also noticed, specifically with the crows and chickadees, that the birds were very talkative during my walk, perhaps to warn others of my presence.

I did not see any specific behavior related to retaining heat. It wasn't too cold today (around 30) and there was little to no breeze. It seems as though most birds were using this time as an opportunity to find food.

(Mini Activity- Snag Watch)
There were many snags in the Redstone woods, and many had between 5-10 cavities that I could spot. Cavities usually were found near the top of large tree. I would guess most of them, due to the size and texture of wood around them, were from woodpeckers. I did not see too many small snags, but cavities found in them were proportionally smaller (although large snags also contained smaller cavities as well as large ones). I tried to hit a few of the dead trees with a stick but didn't see any birds emerge. I did, however, disturb a sleeping squirrel from its nest (sorry!).

While some snag holes are likely used as nests for cavity nesters, I would also assume that many are due to woodpeckers (and others that peck at wood) looking for food.

February 20, 2021
Start: 1:30 pm
End: 3:00 pm

Location: along Redstone running path
Weather: Cloudy, slight breeze, few snowflakes
Habitat: thinly wooded area between road and field

Species List:

• Black-capped Chickadee: 9 individuals
• Mallards: 3
• American Crow: 1
• Blue Jay: 1

I decided to birdwatch along the running path that goes from the Redstone Lofts down towards the UVM Research Barn. Birds were mainly spotted in the narrow swath of trees on either side of the track or flying overhead. Because the path was pretty busy and ran alongside a road, I didn't get too much of a close look at many birds. I did hear many, but because of the lack of wind and snowy ground it was difficult to pinpoint where the noise was coming from. However, I did get some close observations of Black-capped Chickadees, which populated lower branches and brush.

While watching the chickadees, I noticed they seemed to be feeding of berries growing in the trees. They would hop and flit from one branch to the next, nibbling every now and again. When flying, they easily maneuvered through the branches with quick turns. I also noticed they were rarely alone, with at least one other in the same proximity.

While walking past the barn, I saw three mallards fly overhead. They were easily identifiable due to their long necks and the way they flew. The ducks had triangle-shaped wings and needed to constantly flap to keep flying. They did not glide. Like the chickadees, they were also in a group flying together.

I heard the crow and blue jay before I saw them, as their calls are very distinctive (caw! jay!). I saw the crow near the top of a high tree and watched it fly off. Its wings were broad and flapped slowly. I saw the blue jay in the sky after hearing its call and its white belly and neck ring confirmed the identification. It would flap a few times then glide.