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.
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