leahcawthorn's Journal

We did this bird watch on the University of Vermont Green. We began around 4:15 PM and it was cold and windy, about 30 degrees and cloudy. On our walk over to the green, snow began to fall. We saw one Ring-billed Gull that was walking around picking up pieces of popcorn that someone had spilt. As we walked around the green we saw a few more Ring-billed Gulls, some on the ground and some flying over head. As we walked towards Waterman we saw five Cedar Waxwings flying in flock formation overhead. At this point it began to snow a bit harder and it didn't look as if we would see many birds but we stayed out and walked around a little as well as stood around to see if we could hear or see anything. We saw an American Crow fly overhead as well and land on the top of waterman. We continued walking around a bit and saw some more Ring-billed Gulls as well as one more American Crow. None of the Ring-billed Gulls were spotted together, each of them were in separate areas doing separate things, and none was too close to another. We continued to walk and spotted a birds nest (not sure what type) in a Red Maple, and then in another Red Maple next to that was another birds nest. After this point we waited outside for more birds until about 5:45 and at that point it was just more snowy and more windy and it didn't seem as if any more birds would come (or want to be in that weather), so we walked back. It was not the best weather to be outside birding in, but it was still fun to see the birds that we did see and next time we will pick a better day!

On Thursday April 21st it was about 70 degrees and super sunny. We went out around 3 PM to the woods behind WDW dorm on Redstone near the golf course. I just got new binoculars, and I was excited to try them out. As soon as we walked outside we immediately heard a red-winged blackbird, but could not find it. We walked through the small path in the woods and immediately saw a white-crowned sparrow that was just walking on the path. It flew away as we got closer. We then got to the golf course and kept hearing a bird noise that I could not identify (and am still trying to figure out). Then I heard a black-capped chickadee in the distance and walked back into the woods. We stood on the path for a bit and saw a chickadee through the binoculars. Then we saw a robin on the path ahead of us and it was walking around. We kept standing on the path and a bird flew right by and I grabbed my binoculars to try and see it closer but it landed near and I could see it was a yellow warbler and it flew away very quickly. We then hear another chickadee and spotted another robin and decided to go sit on a rock and keep listening/looking. We saw two mallards come up the hill from the (really nasty) pond that is near redstone and waddle over to the tiny stream that was near us. There was one male and one female. They sat in the stream and seemed to be bathing or looking for food possibly. We spotted a bird on a tree kind of far away so I looked through my binoculars and saw it was a woodpecker. I determined it to be a downy woodpecker as it flew/walked on the tree and pecked at the tree a bit. It stayed on the tree for a long while. As we were about to leave we heard a common grackle in the distance but could not spot it. Throughout this entire time we either heard or saw ring-billed gulls flying in the distance. The mallards were still in the stream as we left. On the way out we heard another bird that I could not identify by sound and also could not spot. It was a beautiful day for birding and hopefully I can figure out with the two birds are that I heard!