Geese demand social distancing

Mill River Falls
May 22, 2020 - 6:38 – 12:33

Weather:
Sunny and clear - 53 degrees Fahrenheit to 75 degrees Fahrenheit

Habitat:
The Mill River Falls has a mixed habitat containing a field, hardwood forest, and mixed hardwood and conifer forest. Most locations had an understory of ferns, sugar maple, honeysuckle, and American beech. The overstory contained Red cedar, Eastern White Pines, Paper birches, Ironwood, and Red Maples. There is a wide river with fish, turtles and birds. The terrain is mostly flat with some small hills.

List of Birds
Mourning doves x2
European Starlings x1
Red-winged Blackbird x4
Male Northern Cardinal x1
Field sparrow x2
Brown-headed Cowbird x1
Black-Capped Chickadee x7
American Robin x10
Male and Female Downy Woodpecker x3
White-breasted Nuthatch x3
Eastern Wood-Pewee x3
Common Yellowthroat x2
Pileated Woodpecker x1
Song Sparrow x2
Ovenbird x2
American Crow x1
Common Grackle x10
Wilson’s Warbler x1
Red-eyed Vireo x3
Male Blue Jay x1
Female Red-bellied Woodpecker x1
Cedar Waxwing x1
Baltimore Oriole x3
Canada Goose x4

• There were many fledglings I did not get to count because the geese were staring at me
  Belted Kingfisher x2
  Green Heron x1
  Osprey x1

The beginning of the trail was a small field near some homes, which would explain the mixed variety of field birds, such as the Red-winged Blackbird, and suburban birds, such as the European Starlings. Also, many of the species found in the field were also found at the river or in the woods right next to the field. The Red-winged Blackbirds were commonly found around the Common Grackles on the shore of the river.

The Cedar Waxwing was found along the river. I first thought the bird was an American robin, but it has a large crest. I was momentarily confused until I heard the call of the Cedar Waxwing. I’m still a bit skeptical of the find, as I might have heard what I wanted to hear, but the bird’s physical appearance matched almost completely with the Cedar Waxwing.

The Wilson’s Warbler is another bird I was surprised to find. I observed a black cap and the mostly yellow body on a small bird, which led me to believe I had found a warbler. The bird also made a call which sounded almost exactly like the Wilson’s Warbler.

I finally followed the advice of following on bird’s call to find others. I understood birds traveled in mixed flocks but did not truly apply the knowledge until now. Finding the birds was much easier when I followed the sound of a song I could recognize. Following a constant noise which I knew the pattern of was much easier than trying to follow all the random noises I could hear.

I would just like to note I would have seen more shorebirds if I could have gotten to the delta, but the four geese and their massive gaggle of goslings were walking down the path and no one messes with Geese with kids. True, I could have gone off path but I don't trust geese to let some trees and brush stop them.

Posted on May 22, 2020 07:45 PM by tormiller