08 de maio de 2023

5/8/2023, Ornithology Journal 7

Evan Griffin
• Date – 5/8/2023
• Start time – 1:30 PM
• End time – 2:30 PM
• Location – Sucker Brook Hollow Country Park, Williston, VT
• Weather (temperature, wind speed/direction, precipitation) - ~59°F, partly cloudy, breeze blowing west. No precipitation.
• Habitat(s) – A wooded area with the main trail going mostly due east with a southern bend toward the beginning. Path encompassed several bends and slopes, some rocks and gnarled roots. The path went over a brook and a small creek that connected with the brook. Beech, pine and maple trees, some naturally felled, some with snags.

I drove over to the path, once again missing the entrance because the position of the sign is stupid, at around 1:30. After getting ready I began walking the path due south. Among the first birds I heard were the calls of a Northern Cardinal and a Song Sparrow. I did my best to make them out with the sounds of the wind and passing cars. I continued forward and reached the bridge overlooking the brook at around 1:40, I stood there to take in the scenery for a little, I crossed paths with a couple of other people. Eventually I crossed the second bridge and reached the straight path beside a clearing where I’ve seen birds before, I managed to hear another Song Sparrow and also a Downy Woodpecker’s laugh. I met multiple nice dogs going along the path, all of whom weren’t on their leashes.
I went a little further than a flat area with tall skinny trees and a narrow wooden path, about three or four hundred meters from the beginning. There were some flickers of songs, but I couldn’t isolate a whole lot, so I turned back at around 2:05. When I made it back to the clearing, I heard both the call and song of Black-capped Chickadees. I heard maybe 4 or 5 total as I was heading back towards the first bridge where I waited around a little bit more. I headed back up the beginning of the path where I heard a Blue Jay’s chirp, a Tufted Titmouse’s mechanizations, and through the trees I saw what I believe to be an American Crow soaring across someone’s backyard just above the ground. At around 2:30 I got back to my car and drove home.
This was the last field journal I needed to do for the class. I’d say I’m more interested in watching birds than I was at the beginning. I don’t know if I’d make a whole hobby out of it, but I’d still like to use what I learned in the class for something fun or interesting.

Posted on 08 de maio de 2023, 09:04 PM by egriffin102701 egriffin102701 | 7 observações | 0 comentários | Deixar um comentário

24 de abril de 2023

4/23/2023, Ornithology Journal 6

Evan Griffin
• Date – 4/23/2023
• Start time – 1:00 PM
• End time – 2:00 PM
• Location – Centennial Woods, Burlington, VT
• Weather (temperature, wind speed/direction, precipitation) - ~48°F, overcast, somewhat light rain that persisted the entire hike.
• Habitat(s) – A well-established place for hiking, the main path going due north and extending east. Very forested with several naturally felled trees. A babbling brook with bridges going over them. The ground was muddy and hade roots sticking out, and there were some signs said there was poison ivy on the ground. There were pine, maple, beech and oak trees, as well as various snags along the trailway.

I arrived at the parking area at about five minutes to 1:00, no other cars nearby. I walked along the road towards the beginning of the path, along the way I saw a Blue Jay that sat on one tree branch, flew to another tree across the road, back to the first tree, and then off somewhere else. I also heard what my app identified as a White-throated Sparrow with a distinct whistling song. I made it to the path at around 1:00 and walked north along the muddy and sloped path. I wasn’t expecting to hear much because of the rain and the car noises but I heard a Red-winged Blackbird, a Northern Cardinal, and a bird which my app said was a Carolina Wren. I continued north, walking over a couple of felled trees blocking the path. At 1:15 I went over the wood bridges on the brook, a little bit later I reached a fork and went left on the northeastern path trying not to slip in the mud. At 1:25, about 1000ft from the entrance, I decided to take a break to do my mini activity. I heard at least 4 different songs and did my best to illustrate them, I stood under a broken tree leaning against another tree to try and draw without as much rain falling on my notepad.

After about 5 minutes, when I wasn’t hearing as many songs, I went back the way I came, up the slopes and across the brook. Along the way I heard a Hairy Woodpecker that seemed to be right over my head and fly off, and I also heard a couple of Black-capped Chickadees singing the same song but at different pitches. I reached the start of the path at around 1:45, wet, tired, and ready to head back. As I walked back towards the parking lot, I heard another Red-winged Blackbird and possibly the same White-throated Sparrow. As I walked back to my car, I saw an American Robin walking on the pavement and got a picture, it flew to a nearby branch and perched there shortly before flying off. I also briefly saw another bird with short white tail feathers, but I couldn’t identify it. Then I sat in my car for a few minutes and drove home.

When I saw the Blue Jay, it appeared to be vigilant, making its calls loudly and flying from one spot to another in a similar location, possibly trying to find a mate or defend that area from competing birds. A Blue Jay may likely nest up on a tree branch towards the edge of the forest, while a Red-winged Blackbird may nest on the ground or in grass in a lower area, and a Black-capped Chickadee could prefer a snag deeper in the forest. The territory Blue Jay I saw may have been prime for what Blue Jays prefer, so it could have had a good chance of finding a mate for reproduction. If the American Robin I saw was to build a nest, it would need twigs, grass, and mud. It may not need to go very deep in the forest since these would be available more towards urbanized areas where they may not need to compete with other bird or animal species.

Posted on 24 de abril de 2023, 01:54 AM by egriffin102701 egriffin102701 | 8 observações | 0 comentários | Deixar um comentário

16 de abril de 2023

4/16/2023, Ornithology Journal 5

Evan Griffin
• Date – 4/16/2023
• Start time – 1:00 PM
• End time – 2:00 PM
• Location – Sucker Brook Hollow Country Park, Williston, VT
• Weather (temperature, wind speed/direction, precipitation) - ~77°F, partly cloudy, breeze blowing east. No precipitation.
• Habitat(s) – A wooded area with the main trail going mostly due east with a southern bend toward the beginning. Path encompassed several bends and slopes, some rocks and gnarled roots. The path went over a brook and a small creek that connected with the brook. Beech, pine and maple trees, some naturally felled, some with snags.

I drove over the parking area by the path, which was more crowded than last time because it was warm and sunny. The street was still noisy. The path was rougher than it was last time without the ice and snow covering the rocks and roots, but I was glad that I wouldn’t slip anymore. I began on the path heading downhill, the first birds I heard were the calls of a Northern Cardinal, a White-breasted Nuthatch and a Black-capped Chickadee. Eventually I made it to the bridge overlooking the brook, and I stood there until about 1:05 taking in the scenery. I saw a small snake by the brook which I thought was cute. I walked past the second bridge and came to the flat part of the slope where I saw and heard a lot of birds last time. While going there I heard a unique piercing song, I couldn’t record all of it, but my app said it was a Winter Wren, I can’t confirm it. I walked up the path and heard more Black-capped Chickadees, a couple of Song Sparrows, and at least one Red-winged Blackbird. I stood around there for about 5 minutes while going slowly up the path, people kept walking by, I made it further now that the path was walkable.

At the top of the hill was a wooden walkway through a flat area with several skinny trees. I got to another steep hill, aside from some faint sounds there didn’t seem to be as many birds deeper in, which I found disappointing. I walked up some stone steps to another bridge overlooking a dry stream and decided to not go further up. I looked around a bit until 1:30 before heading back down slowly, along the way I heard a Tufted Titmouse. I made it back to the hotspot and stood there for a bit, I heard a couple more Song Sparrows. I made it back to the brook and I managed to finally see some Black-capped Chickadees, 2 pairs bounding between branches and twigs near the brook. I managed to get some pictures of a couple. I walked back up the beginning of the path, hearing the song of a Northern Cardinal, I made it back to the car at 2:00, and I headed home.

This was the first time I went birding in particularly warm weather. I think I prefer to bird in places with fewer people around, since they can make noise and interrupt me, although it’s nice to occasionally meet dogs. I planned to go earlier in the morning, but I decided to sleep later. I saw a lot of the same species that I saw at the same trail a few weeks ago, but I also observed another of the spring migratory birds from class.

Posted on 16 de abril de 2023, 09:38 PM by egriffin102701 egriffin102701 | 7 observações | 0 comentários | Deixar um comentário

27 de março de 2023

3/26/2023, Ornithology Journal 4

Evan Griffin
• Date – 3/26/2023
• Start time – 10:00 AM
• End time – 11:00 AM
• Location – Sucker Brook Hollow Country Park, Williston, VT
• Weather (temperature, wind speed/direction, precipitation) - ~39°F, overcast, little wind. Mostly no precipitation but a little sleety towards the end.
• Habitat(s) – A wooded area with the main trail going mostly due east with a southern bend toward the beginning. Path encompassed several bends and slopes, there was a sheet of ice covering most of it as well as some muddy areas. The path went over a brook and a small creek that connected with the brook. Beech, pine and maple trees, some naturally felled, some with snags.

I drove to this area and arrived at right about 10:00 AM. The beginning of the pathway was in close proximity to the road and the cars were audible, so I didn’t think I’d see much yet. The path was icy so I did my best not to slip. In the earliest part of the trail I managed to hear the dee-dee-dee of a Black-capped Chickadee, which I briefly saw flying high above. I continued on while still hearing Black-capped Chickadees, then I crossed two wooden bridges overlooking the brook and a smaller creek respectively. By about 10:10 I saw a brief clearing where the sounds of the Black-capped Chickadees were as loud as ever, so I walked over and saw several, no fewer than four or five, and got pictures of one. I went a little further up the trail where I briefly heard the cawing of an American Crow and an unfamiliar song which my bird app identified as a Song Sparrow, of which there were several by the sound of it.

I would have gone further up the trail but it went up a windy steep hill and the ice made it hard enough to walk up so I turned back, and slipped along the way nearly losing my phone. By about 10:20 I decided to just wait around that area to recuperate, and I heard more of the Black-capped Chickadees and Song Sparrows, plus one or two more American Crows. On the way back I crossed two people letting their dog walk without a leash, of which I didn’t approve, and I stood on the bridge for a little while to enjoy the sound of the brook. By about 10:50 I was on my way back to the beginning, in the early part of the trail I heard more Song Sparrows as well as a Hairy Woodpecker, then I called it a day and went back to my car and went home.

Black-capped Chickadees are one species I’ve encountered that do not migrate for the winter. The shape of their wings and their style of flying from nearby tree to nearby tree shows that they aren’t adept at flying far distances, and they may also be more territorial and prefer to stay in familiar areas. However, they can make it through the cold winter months thanks to their thick layers of feathers and induced hypothermia to conserve energy. American Crows and Hairy Woodpeckers use thick feathers and storing/conserving energy to stay warm in winter so they don’t need to migrate. Next take the Song Sparrows I heard which may migrate from Vermont in the months of autumn to go further south. These birds likely migrated from the Southern U.S. or possibly even Mexico to get to the Norther U.S., Canada, and possibly as north as Alaska. They likely left to avoid the winter cold and conserve energy, and are likely coming back near Vermont around now because they may not like the coming southern heat, they can breed which would have been a drain on energy in the cold, and the north will likely have a lot of insects emerging from the winter to eat. One possible benefit for an obligate migrant arriving this early is that they’d have first claim on the emerging insects and plants. Some cons are that it could still be cold and snowy in April which they may not be prepared for, and they may have even had to deal with storms along their migration.

Posted on 27 de março de 2023, 01:32 AM by egriffin102701 egriffin102701 | 4 observações | 0 comentários | Deixar um comentário

18 de março de 2023

3/18/2023, Ornithology Journal 3

Evan Griffin
• Date – 3/18/2023
• Start time – 10:00 AM
• End time – 11:00 AM
• Location – Henry Gerber Reist Bird Sanctuary, Niskayuna, NY
• Weather (temperature, wind speed/direction, precipitation) - ~36°F, partly cloudy and sunny, light breeze blowing east. Ground was covered with several inches of snow from storm last Tuesday.
• Habitat(s) – wooded area with trees bunched closely together, ground was damp from the sheet of snow, some naturally felled trees, paths in various directions with the main one going South, oak and maple trees, some lichen.

My mother and I pulled up to the beginning of the pathway shortly before 10:00 PM. It was difficult to walk through as easily as we did last time because our feet would sink through the damp snow and some surfaces were icy and slippery. We walked south along the main path but at first glance it was difficult to see any birds around. I managed to hear the mechanical songs of some Tufted Titmouses, the laughing call of a White-breasted Nuthatch, and the dee-dee-dees of a couple of Black-capped Chickadees, one of which I saw maneuvering from tree to tree. At about 10:15 I began walking by myself in an eastern path, I went a couple hundred feet but I failed to see any birds or distinguish any calls. Sometimes I thought I heard a bird but it was just the sound of the trees creaking in the wind.

I walked back towards the main path and met back with my mother at around 10:30. We went on a path heading west, I heard some more Tufted Titmouses, and briefly what sounded like a murder of American Crows, as well as a Hairy Woodpecker which I briefly saw fly by. We walked along that path until a dog in a nearby yard started barking at us so we went back. It was about 10:47 and we decided to walk around the main path more and find our footing, I briefly saw another Black-capped Chickadee and, most exciting of all, a Downy Woodpecker of which I managed to get a semi-decent picture. Once it reached 11:00 PM, we walked back North to the car and left.

Birds, like all animals, employ communication, mainly audio and visual. Often birds will use there calls to alert other nearby birds that a predator or threat is nearby, like disruptive humans such as myself. Birds may also use specific calls or alternate-colored plumages to attract mates during their species’ mating season. The Downy Woodpecker I saw had a black and white speckled abdomen, which I think helps it to blend in with the oddly-shaded trees of brown, black and white that occupy the forest in which it lives in order to blend in and avoid predators. I think the Black-capped Chickadee, with its shades of black, white and grey, also has its plumage for similar reasons, but the differences in patterns could mean that the two species might be better at blending in with different looking trees. Like the Black-capped Chickadee might be better with a more solid-colored tree or surface than the Downy Woodpecker. The Downy Woodpecker flew to one tree where it started pecking at the base and working its way up towards the top before flying over to another nearby tree. I believe it was foraging, looking for insects that might have been on or in the tree. This is likely part of the bird’s circadian rhythm and daily routine of gathering sources of energy to survive as well as generate warmth in the colder weather.

I attempted multiple times during my outing to pish, I did my best to replicate it from YouTube videos I found. I did lower volumes, higher volumes, falsetto, low pitch, whistling. Unfortunately, nothing really happened, no birds came near when I tried it. I’m sure some more experienced birdwatchers might have done a better job. Maybe birds come to the sound because it might resemble some form of audio communication they’re used to, like calls for danger or injury or congregation.

Posted on 18 de março de 2023, 09:32 PM by egriffin102701 egriffin102701 | 6 observações | 0 comentários | Deixar um comentário

02 de março de 2023

3/1/2023 Ornithology Journal 2

Evan Griffin
• Date – 2/26/2023
• Start time – 1:00 PM
• End time – 2:00 PM
• Location – Centennial Woods, Burlington, VT
• Weather (temperature, wind speed/direction, precipitation) - ~28°F, overcast, a light flurry and fresh snow on the ground from the previous night, breeze blowing north or northwest.
• Habitat(s) – A well-established place for hiking, the main path going due north and extending east. Very forested with several naturally felled trees. A babbling brook with bridges going over them. The ground and trees were covered in snow, but some signs said there was poison ivy on the ground. There were pine, maple, beech and oak trees, as well as various snags along the trailway.

I drove to the woods’ parking area at around 1, and walked along the road to the beginning of the trail. While on that journey I was near some trees on the side of the road when I heard the A-G pitch song of two Black-capped Chickadees, as well as the mechanical call of a Tufted Titmouse. I saw one of the Black-capped Chickadees but couldn’t get a proper picture. I made it to the beginning of the forest path at about 1:10, and I continued due north. There weren’t really any birds to be seen or heard so I walked further towards the center, over a fallen tree, down a snow-covered slope on which I slipped and fell, and across some bridges over a brook. As I walked the path that stretched more to the east, I heard the caws of a murder of American Crows, one of which flew directly above me very quickly. Eventually I saw about 4 American Crows chase after a different bird, which might have been a Hairy Woodpecker because I heard the call of one just before they flew away. I also gazed upon a Red-Breasted Nuthatch in a tree high above me. At about 1:40 I walked back to where I started but I still couldn’t find any birds, I suspect because of the nearby street noise. I walked a little more up and down the path until 2:00 PM and then I walked back to my car.
Birds such as the American Crows and Black-capped Chickadees can have multiple adaptations for staying warm in the winter. They have dense coats of feathers, they can store enough food to keep their weight up and can even regulate their body temperature at will to conserve heat. These birds will likely be spending more time of the day sleeping and resting than they would in the summer, gathering food just to stay warm, and waiting until the warmer months to breed to conserve their own energy. Birds such as Black-capped Chickadees might tend to eat seed and berries and certain insects that could be out in the winter, American Crows might also try to eat people’s trash. This would be different from the summer when there’s a wider variety of plants, insects like caterpillars and small animals like mice. At night, American Crows might roost in the trees towards the edge of the forest, while other birds might sleep in snags.
While walking along the trail I saw multiple snags. I saw a couple at around 1:11, the first one was pretty much a stump with no prominent holes and the second one had a whole about an inch wide and a couple of inches long. Another one I saw at 1:14 had a series of holes, some were less than an inch in diameter but one was about 2 or 3 wide. I took a gander inside, there weren’t any birds but some of the wood within the hole was twined like the bird was trying to make a nest out of it. I saw a snag at 1:18 with two necks, the right one had a cavity a couple of inches wide, it too had shaved twined wood shavings. One snag I saw at 1:28 had just a large chunk of the bottom gone, over a foot long, I don’t even know if one bird could do it, it too had no birds in it. I saw one other prominent snag that had several cavities going very high up but I couldn’t walk over to it. It’s possible that a smaller snag will have smaller cavities so that it maintains its integrity and isn’t lost to the birds who use them. Snags are important because birds can use the cavities as a place to sleep or hide from a predator, to store food that they may need later, and possibly keep their young. Birds like woodpeckers and nuthatches may be likely to use snags because they eat insects and insects can be found in the cavities.

Posted on 02 de março de 2023, 02:54 AM by egriffin102701 egriffin102701 | 1 observação | 0 comentários | Deixar um comentário

18 de fevereiro de 2023

2/18/2023, Ornithology Journal 1

• Date – 2/18/2023
• Start time – 10:30 AM
• End time – 11:30 AM
• Location – Henry Gerber Reist Bird Sanctuary, Niskayuna, NY
• Weather (temperature, wind speed/direction, precipitation) - ~28°F, sunny, light breeze blowing north.
• Habitat(s) – wooded area with trees bunched closely together, ground covered in leaves and branches, some naturally felled trees, paths in various directions with the main one going South, oak and maple trees, some lichen.

I arrived at the area with my mother at around 10:30, and as soon as I got out of the car I started to hear bird calls, to the west I heard the laughing call of a White-breasted Nuthatch, and to the east I heard the coupled jeering of a blue jay. As we walked further south into the wooded area I heard birds from various directions, it was difficult to isolate many but I heard a Black-capped Chickadee’s call multiple times. The first bird I actually saw was a Woodpecker, I believe it might have been a Hairy Woodpecker because it had a longer beak.
I looked around the same area for 20 or 30 minutes looking for birds of whom I could take pictures. Although some birds flew away so quickly that they escaped my gaze, I managed to get a look at 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 2 Black-capped Chickadees who flew around to various trees, a White-breasted Nuthatch and a Downy Woodpecker. At around 11:00 PM my mother and I walked further along the southern trail, across a small bridge where a couple other people were walking. It was more difficult at this point to see the birds themselves, but I was still able to hear some calls. I heard the mechanical sound of Tufted Titmouses, and I managed to briefly see one. I walked around a smaller trail for anymore birds to see to no avail. At 11:30 my mother and I walked back up to where we started and then left.
The bird I most closely observed was one Black-capped Chickadee. It moved its wings pretty quickly as it moved from one tree to another nearby in a single direction and perched on the side of the tree. It moved its wings in a forward and backward motion, extending its wings towards its head and then moved them back to its sides, while also extending its wings to soar. This is different from the White-breasted Nuthatch I saw, which moved its wings in a loop from forward to backward while flying to a tree further away. It’s possible that the flight pattern of the Black-capped Chickadee helps with maneuvering quickly between nearby trees, it doesn’t need to flap its wings so much to save energy and the shorter length of the wings, when compared to the White-breasted Nuthatch, is adaptive to this short-range flying pattern. If I needed to identify the bird, I could keep track of how it moves its wings as well as how far it may be willing to travel between trees and which trees it prefers.
I think what most held me back from seeing more birds was that it wasn’t too early in the morning, when songbirds are out the most. I think there would have been fewer out if it was precipitating, which it wasn’t, and I might not have seen so many if I was in a different habitat that wasn’t so wooded and isolated. Next time I might want to start earlier in the morning, and try to figure out where the center of the area is too see if ore birds gather there.

Posted on 18 de fevereiro de 2023, 10:16 PM by egriffin102701 egriffin102701 | 1 observação | 0 comentários | Deixar um comentário

Arquivos