dannybouwens's Journal

Location: Mud Creek in Alburgh, VT
Time: 7:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Weather: Sunny, little to no clouds, 70 °F, slight wind blowing west to east.
Habitat: At Mud Creek I followed a gravel/grass trail going west to east. At some parts the trail was gravel, and at others the trail was grass. Bordering the trail on both sides were different hardwood species and shrubs. Some of the hardwoods I could identify were silver maple, oaks, and what I believe were ashes. The trail had wetlands on both sides. The south side of the trail had cattails, phragmites, and lily pads. The south was also were most of the water was. The north side of the trail consisted of phragmites, hardwood snags, and other shrubs I couldn't identify. There were what looked like little vernal pools on the north side, but there was not much water overall on that side.
Birds Spotted: 8 Canada geese, 18 red-winged blackbirds, 5 American robins, 6 song sparrows, 4 common grackles, 1 mourning dove, 3 common yellowthroats, 15 yellow warblers, 2 blue-winged warblers, 3 American goldfinches, 1 northern cardinal, 4 great crested flycatchers, 6 gray catbirds, 1 osprey, 6 tree swallows, 1 Wilson's snipe, 2 downy woodpeckers, 1 hairy woodpecker, 1 great blue heron, 1 eastern wood-pewee, 2 eastern kingbirds, 4 northern waterthrushes, and 3 swamp sparrows.

Location: Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge, Swanton, VT
Time: 6:45 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.
Weather: Sunny, hardly any clouds, 65 °F, no wind.
Habitat: To get to the opening of the trail, I had to walk through a grassland (roughly 3 acres). The trail followed through two streams until the streams finally converged. There were very little coniferous trees (most of the coniferous trees were pines). It was mainly deciduous trees and ferns. Some of the deciduous trees I saw were oaks (presumably swamp white oak), silver maples, shagbark hickories, and others. The main fern present in the under-story was ostrich fern. There was also raspberry bushes, poison-ivy, and other unidentified shrubs.
Birds Spotted: 10 American robins, 7 song sparrows, 5 red-winged blackbirds, 1 white-breasted nuthatch, 6 downy woodpeckers, 3 Canada geese, 1 dark-eyed junco, 6 great crested flycatchers, 2 unidentified woodpeckers (I only heard the drumming), 5 eastern phoebes, 1 eastern wood-pewee, 2 great blue herons, 2 broad-winged hawks, 9 tree swallows, 3 northern waterthrushes, 1 mourning dove, 1 Baltimore oriole, 3 scarlet tanagers, 3 American redstarts, 1 blue-headed vireo, 1 blue jay, and 4 gray catbirds.

Location: Hard'Ack, St. Albans, VT
Time: 6:45 a.m. - 12:30 a.m.
Weather: Sunny, little to no clouds, 60-65 °F, very little wind.
Habitat: Hard'Ack is a small mountain, more like a hill, and is covered in deciduous trees. The majority of the trees are ironwoods, American beeches, and oaks, with some pines scattered throughout. To get into the wooded area, I had to walk through a short "shrubland." The shrubland area had staghorn sumac, short (roughly 15 feet) deciduous trees, raspberry bushes, and other unidentified shrubs. Roughly 75% of Hard'Ack's forest edge is surrounded by houses which is likely the reason I saw some suburban birds (i.e. northern cardinal and tufted titmouse).

Birds Spotted:4 American robins, 7 ovenbirds, 6 black-capped chickadees, 4 European starlings, 2 song sparrows, 4 gray catbirds, 6 cedar waxwings, 6 American redstarts, 2 red-breasted nuthatches, 4 yellow warblers, 2 black-throated green warblers, 3 hermit thrushes, 5 red-eyed vireos, 2 rose-breasted grosbeaks, 3 scarlet tanagers, 1 white-breasted nuthatch, 3 white-throated sparrows, 1 wood thrush, 1 northern cardinal, 2 tufted titmouses, 1 American crow, 1 chestnut-sided warbler.

Location: Franklin County Airport in Swanton, VT
Time: 7:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Weather: Sunny, little to no clouds, 55 °F, no wind.
Habitat: A classic shrubland. There were short trees (roughly 20 feet) that covered the land. The tree species included quaking aspens, American beeches, some pines, and other unidentified trees. Under the trees were saplings and an abundance of thickets.
Birds Spotted: 6 American robins, 12 song sparrows, 4 wild turkeys, 11 gray catbirds, 4 eastern towhees, 1 indigo bunting, 13 yellow warblers, 1 woodpecker (only heard it drumming), 6 black-capped chickadees, 1 American crow, 8 vesper sparrows, and 2 chestnut- sided warblers.

At the Franklin County Airport I was confronted by a worker who expressed is uneasiness with me being there. For this reason I left the location and went to the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge.

Location: Tabor Road, Franklin County, VT
Time: 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Weather: Sunny, no clouds, 65 °F, no wind.
Habitat: A narrow trail with two very different sides. The north side of the trail was bordered with thick grass. The grass covered roughly six acres. And on the south side of the trail, there were more hardwood trees, and it was a little more marshy. I say marshy because it had cattails, phragmites, and vernal pools.
Birds Spotted: 12 bobolinks, 14 song sparrows, 7 yellow warblers, 9 gray catbirds, 2 black-capped chickadees, 2 Canada geese, 8 American robins, 5 common yellowthoats, and 11 red-winged blackbirds.

On my way to the Missisquoi Refuge I stumbled upon a good spot to find water/wetland birds so I decided to stop for a bit.
Location: Black Bridge, St. Albans Town, VT
Time: 6:45 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.
Weather: Sunny, some clouds but not many, 50 °F, no wind.
Habitat: The location was at a delta of a local stream that runs through St. Albans City. The delta winds through phragmites and cattails. On the water there was duckweed, algae (most likely blue-green algae), and lily pads. At the end of the delta there was a small bridge that was frequently used by cars. The edge of the delta was lined with deciduous trees, but I was unable to identify the trees because I was too far away.
Birds spotted: 15 red-winged blackbirds, 2 Canada geese, 8 common loons, 2 double-crested cormorants, 3 American robins, 1 woodpecker (I didn't see it, only hear the pecking), 1 spotted sandpiper, 3 American crows, 3 dark-eyed juncos, 2 ring-billed gulls, 1 northern waterthrush, 1 northern cardinal, 2 red-tailed hawks, 4 mallards, 1 common yellowthroat, 2 common terns.

After my time at my first spot I continued on to the Missisquoi Refuge.
Location: Missisquoi Refuge, Swanton, VT
Time: 9:35 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.
Weather: Sunny, hardly any clouds, 60 °F, no wind.
Habitat: The trail followed through two streams until the streams finally converged. There were very little coniferous trees, mainly deciduous and ferns. The main fern present was ostrich fern.
Birds spotted: 1 American goldfinch, 4 red-winged blackbirds, 4 song sparrows, 3 black-capped chickadees, 1 golden-crowned sparrow, 1 white-breasted nuthatch, 1 common yellowthroat, 2 American robins, 2 downy woodpeckers, 1 yellow-bellied sapsucker, 4 eastern phoebes, 2 Baltimore orioles, 2 Canada geese, 2 great blue heron, 1 ring-billed gull, 4 tree swallows.

Time: 5:00p.m. - 6:40p.m.
Location: St. Albans Town, VT
Weather: Cloudy. 53 degrees Fahrenheit. Few drops of rain here and there but nothing much.
Habitat: On the bay shore of Lake Champlain. Not many hardwood trees, there are some that lined part of the coast. I didn't get a close look at the type of trees they were. In the water, there was duckweed, cattails, and phragmites.
Birds Spotted: 2 Canada geese, 1 double-crested cormorant, 10 red-winged blackbirds, 1 Cooper's hawk, 1 great blue Heron, 4 American robins, 1 downy woodpecker, 3 rusty blackbirds.

Posted: 4/29 at 9:40p.m.

Time: 2:45 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.
Location: St. Albans City, VT
Weather: Cloudy. 35 degrees Fahrenheit. 13 mph winds blowing west to east.
Habitat: Suburban/rural city. Walked along the streets. There were a lot of cars driving. Trees consisted of northern white cedars, several types of maples, birches, ashes, and oaks. Not many natural shrubs, mostly ornamental.
Birds Spotted: 2 American robins, 7 mourning doves, 2 rock pigeons, 2 rusty blackbirds, and 1 black-capped chickadee.

Unfortunately I did not come across a wide variety of birds during my walk. I did see a good amount, but I would of liked to see more variety. The reason I believe not that many birds were out was because of the weather conditions. It was cold on my walk, and the wind chill made the temperature feel like it was 25 degrees F° out. When I looked up into the trees I rarely saw any birds. The only birds I actually saw in a tree were the rusty blackbirds and some of the mourning doves.

Some of the the behaviors I saw that were related to mate selection had to deal with the American robins and the mourning doves. For the American robins, mainly saw them scavenging for food on the ground. The reason I saw this deals with mate selection is because it is common for the male American robins to gather food and feed the female American robin they are trying to mate with. The reason they do this is because when female American robins are incubating their eggs, they need the extra weight for two reasons. One, because the extra weight produces more heat for the eggs. Two, because they will not be an active hunter as much because they are tending to their eggs.

The mate selections I saw in the mourning dove was tied to their nest selection as well. I saw three mourning doves flying around close to each other. I thought nothing of this until I did some research. It is common for mourning doves to chase each other away from an area they would like to nest in. Once a mourning dove establishes its nest, it then starts calling until a mate arrives. Generally when they call for a mate, their songs are a little bit louder than an usual mourning dove song. I did not hear/notice a louder mourning dove sound, so I believe I just saw them competing for a nesting spot.

The mourning dove nesting "competition" I saw shows that they are trying to defend a territory. The mourning doves are trying to defend a prime territory. I am considering this a prime territory for mourning doves because they like to feed from bird feeders consisting of millet, cracked corn, and sunflower seeds. There are many bird feeders in my neighborhood, and if the mourning doves cannot get to one, there is not much other natural food for them to eat.

Mourning doves are generalists when it comes to nesting. They tend to nest in either deciduous or coniferous trees. If there isn't a suitable spot for them in the area, they are known to nest on the ground or in flowering pots. As for where I walked, they were not seen in any conifers. I believe that the mourning doves, on the property I walked, would nest is deciduous trees as they are more common. Since deciduous trees are more common, there will be a lesser chance of their nest/territory being interfered by others. This nesting is very different from the rusty blackbirds because they prefer to nest in coniferous forests and not as much deciduous. This means that the rusty blackbirds in my area will have more competition for nesting space because there is a significantly lower population of conifers than deciduous trees.

Now I would like to look into how American robins build their nests. American robins do not require much to build their nests. The main materials they need are grass of mud. First they make the frame of the nest using pieces of grass. Then they will add a layer of mud on the inside, followed by another layer of grass (preferably find grass). These materials are very common in Vermont, especially during Spring (or the mud season). The American robins can simply go down to residential homes to collect grass. And as for the mud, the American robins need to go to a wet place; ditch, ponds, stream, etc, or the ground after a rainfall.

Mini-Activity: I really liked this mini-activity. It was a fun way to sharpen my sense of hearing. However, it was rather difficult for me to participate in this due to the high winds and traffic. I was only able to hear calls to the north-east of my position. I believe this is the case because the wind and traffic combined caused it to be very hard for me to hear calls from the west. I do not have an explanation for why I didn't hear many calls to my south.

Time: 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Location: St. Albans City, Vermont
Weather: Overcast with patches of sun. 40 degrees F. Slightly windy (wind going west to east)
Habitat: Rural/suburban city. Trees running along the road. The trees consisted of maples, pines, spruces, and oaks; along with miscellaneous trees. There was a fair amount of houses with bird feeders.
Birds Spotted: 5 American robins, 1 blue jay, 3 black-capped chickadees, 5 rusty blackbirds, 4 song sparrows, 4 European starlings, and 1 rock pigeon.

While I was birding, I noticed that there were not many birds in flight. I partially believe this was due to the weather. It was cold outside, so most of the birds were most likely taking shelter. When I saw birds they were either on the ground or in trees. The birds I saw on the ground were the American robins, European starling, and the song sparrows. The rest of the birds I listed where spotted in trees.

Time: 3:40 p.m. - 5:10 p.m.
Location: Hard'Ack Forest, St. Albans, VT
Weather: Sunny. 58 degrees F. No wind.
Habitat #1: Open grass field next to I-89 on exit 20. The field was surrounded by trees on three sides. Planted spruces on the side near the interstate. Paper birches along a small brook. Several different hardwoods on the third side, including ironwood, several maples, and a few miscellaneous. The final side of the field was bordered by a plant similar to feather reed grass.
Habitat #2: Residential area next to a quiet street. The trees that were near were blue spruces, a red maple, and a weeping willow.
Birds for habitat #1: 2 American robins, 3 black-capped chickadees, 3 American crows, 19 cedar waxwings.
Birds for habitat #2: 2 mourning doves and 4 European starlings.

Unfortunately for this bird watching I was restricted to my house due to a family member possibly having COVID-19. I was able to go out for a little bit, but was forced to leave when more and more people started to show up to my location. To clarify my two different locations, "habitat #1" is located at a local forest, and "habitat #2" is located at my house.

Out of the birds I spotted, most of them migrate except for the black-capped chickadees. Three of the bird species where facultative migrants (some migrate and some stay); American crow, American robin, and the mourning dove. From my research I read the majority do, but it is still common to see some in the North during the winter. The reason that birds forego migration is to find prey. The smaller birds in the northern part of the Northern hemisphere tend to migrate south to find insects because they cannot penetrate through the ice and frozen ground. Since the smaller birds are absent from the northern part, the larger birds will also migrate south to find smaller birds to prey on.

While some mourning doves can be seen over the Gulf of Mexico during their migratory pattern, others will endure the harsh winters of the north. One behavioral adaptation that allows them to do this is that they will rely on the food that they find from bird feeders. Black-capped chickadees on the other hand rely on physiological adaptations to survive the winter. The main adaptation they have is their insulating feathers. They have a half-inch coat of feathers that can keep their body temperature upwards of 100 degrees Fahrenheit, even if the outside weather is 0 degrees Fahrenheit.

The reason that the facultative migrants are coming back is because because there is a larger food supply. When they left for warmer places, it was partially due to the fact that there wasn't enough food for them. The environment has changed since then, the trees have began budding, and the berries have appeared again.

The obligate migratory bird that I would like to focus on is the cedar waxwing. The birds that I saw likely arrived in March, especially because it has been in the forties for a month. These cedar waxwings likely resided in the southeastern part of the United States. I say this because there are some cedar waxwings that go as far as Panama, and those cedar waxwings will be arriving around May. There are benefits for the cedar waxwing to arrive in early April. One of the main benefits is that the birds which arrive earlier than others are able to breed. Another advantage to coming back early is that there is a more abundant food source for the birds to rely on.

Mini-Activity:
For the cedar waxwings, the distance they could have migrated from (Panama) to my location in St. Albans, VT is 2,497 miles (for one) or 47,443 miles combined for all 19 birds.
For the American robins I saw, they possibly flew from Florida, all the way to St. Albans, VT which is 1,256 miles. Or 2,512 miles combined for the two robins.
I am not going to calculate the distance for the mourning doves because I have been hearing them all winter.

Date: 3/25/2020
Time: 2:50 p.m. - 4:20 p.m.
Location: Rail Trail, St. Albans, VT
Weather: Overcast with little sunshine. 45 degrees F.
Habitat: Gravel trail running through shrubs and trees. Trees consisted of paper birches, bigtooth aspen, buckthorn, and staghorn sumac. There was also a vine species that I could not identify.
Birds: 2 American robins, 1 Northern cardinal, 7 red-winged blackbird, 1 mourning dove, 2 American goldfinch, 5 black-capped chickadees

The birds were very interactive with one another. Every time I saw a red-winged blackbird I would end up seeing at least one more next to it. The different flocks of red-winged blackbirds seemed to be communicating to each other. There was one flock on the right side of the trail, and another on the left. The flock on the right would chirp a lot and eventually stop. Then the flock on the left would start chirping. The chirping kept alternating sides. I am not sure, but I believe the red-winged blackbirds were warning each other that I (a possible predator) was nearby. The black-capped chickadees also always seemed to stay in a little cluster. It was the same case as the red-winged black birds; when I saw one, I could find others close by. I believe this was the case for the black-capped chickadees because they are small birds, so it is safer for them to stay in groups.

Looking at all the American robins I saw today, most of them were on the ground. I believe the time I went was the part of their circadian cycle when they normally feed. I say this because I have walked this trail before and saw American robins mainly in the trees, but this time they were on the ground. The colors I saw were a nice bronze/orange. This is a part of their circannual rhythm because they are getting ready for their breeding season (starts in April), so they will get their "breeding" plumage.

There are two plumages that were very interesting to me. The first plumage was that of a red-winged black bird. I had trouble identifying the bird at first because it was mainly just black. After closer examination I saw a small yellow line along the wing. It was only when the birds started to fly that I was able to see red on the wing. I later confirmed that I was seeing a red-winged black bird by comparing their calls to a virtual call. I believe the reason behind why the wings were absent of a dominant red color was because they are in the middle of changing into their breeding plumage. This is the same case for the two American goldfinch I saw today. I was not sure what bird I was looking at until I was able to spot it through my binoculars. I was able to see the gold color start to appear under its wings and on its breast. It is the same reason as the red-winged black bird; the American goldfinch is transitioning to its breeding plumage.

Mini-activity: I came across a handful of black-capped chickadee groups, and each time I did I voiced a "pshhh" sound, and every time they had a similar reaction. I would make the sound, and they all looked right at me for a few seconds and then carried on with their regular life. They were not scared, and sometimes they came even closer to me. I think they reacted this way just to see if I was a predator or not. It is not a sound that they are all too common to, so they wanted to check me out, then they realized I was not a threat, so they carried on with their day. This sound is so enticing to them, and other small birds, because it replicates leaves moving. Normally when leaves are moving there is something big (e.g. predator) making them move. This sound warns the smaller birds that there might be a predator nearby.