Field Journal #4 - M. Joyall

Destination: Winooski Gorge Park
Date: 4/13
Time: 8:55-10:30am
Temperature: 47 F , slight breeze from N
Habitats: Mixed deciduous/coniferous forest with lots of cedars in riparian zone --- I looked at the Winooski Valley Park District Page and apparently it is called a Limestone Bluff Cedar-Pine Forest

For field journal #4 I ventured out to Winooski Gorge Park which runs between the river and some industrial buildings on Lime Kiln Road in Colchester. The footpath there features several outlooks that provide a view of the gorge and river below. As soon as I stepped into the woods from the parking lot, I heard the familiar bleating of the Canada Goose as three flew past on the far side of a wall of cedar. Further down the trail a Turkey Vulture swooped low overhead, its’ seemingly undersized head taking stock of me.

Two Herring Gulls were perched on the rooftop corner of a nearby building on the east side of the park. As I walked deeper into the wooded area, a Northern Cardinal sounded the alarm on me as I walked too close to its’ perch. He jumped to another nearby tree and continued to call. In one of the rock outcroppings that provided a clearer view towards the river, I caught a glimpse of a Blue Jay jumping from tree to tree in a patch of cedars. It is interesting contrasting the near monochromatic Herring Gulls with the vibrant red coloring of the Northern Cardinal. I suspect that the white coloring helps the gulls blend into aquatic environments while the cardinals red plummage serves as a warning to would be competitors and predators; a visual "don't mess with me" or "check out this beak, you don't want any of this"! Near the end of the trail, there was a rock wall with some graffiti. I paused to check out the formation and soon heard the subdued drum of a Downy Woodpecker nearby. He saw me approach and jumped to a tree further away from the trail to continue his search for food.

On my trip back towards the trailhead, I saw a Black-capped Chickadee in a cedar just off the trail. I decided to try my hand a “psssshing” and ended up having great success! Much to my excitement, another Black-capped Chickadee popped up and two Blue Jays swooped in to see what was going on! I suspect that the repetitive nature of "pishing" attracts birds because it mimics an alarm call, hence bringing them in to survey what is going on. Back near the trailhead, a Hairy Woodpecker was drilling away in a deciduous tree. At this point in the morning, I suspect he was drilling to load up on calories for the day. Nearby, a White-breasted Nuthatch canvassed up and down a tree.

Posted on 19 de abril de 2021, 02:28 AM by youngtormund