mikaingerman's Journal

Time: 2:30 pm
Date: 5/2/17
Location: Red Rocks Park, VT.
Habitat: Forest with little under brush and a lot of conifers.

Weather: 58°F, Wind calm. Mostly cloudy.

I visited Red Rocks today. It was gray and rainy and there were not many birds visible in the woods but there was a lot of singing and calling. I briefly saw a Northern Cardinal near the trail head, and a little while later, I saw a Red-tailed Hawk come flying in. It tried to perch on a snag, but was very clumsy and after a couple of seconds it flew off. I also saw a small flock of little birds bouncing around up in the trees. They looked and sounded a lot like Pine Grosbeaks, but I am still not 100% sure that is what they were, since those are usually winter residents. I heard both a White-breasted Nuthatch and a Red-breasted Nuthatch, a Northern Cardinal, a Downy Woodpecker, an Ovenbird, and several Black-Capped Chickadees, a Blue Jay and an American Crow. Right before I left, a Great Blue Heron swept by, very low over the trees. Unfortunately, all the birds that I saw today moved so quickly that I was not able to take any pictures.

Time: 12:00 pm
Date: 4/28/17
Location: Images Morgans in New Haven, VT.
Habitat: Mixture of woods and agricultural land with a creek running through it.

Weather: 79°F, Wind SW, and 10 mph. Partly cloudy.

I went birding on a property with a mixture of woods and open grassy areas with a small horse barn and a creek running along side it. I observed nest building behaviors and lots of territorial singing. There are lots of trees and small shrubs around the property, and I think they would be great nesting locations for small song birds. There are also some reeds near the creek where Red-winged Blackbirds could nest, and the rafters in the barn are a great location for European Starlings and Barn Swallows.
I found two Barn Swallows defending their territories. They were both perched on rafters in the barn. Their territories are in a very good location because they are only a few yards from a small creek where they can find mud for nest building and hunt for insects. The barn also attracts flies and other small insects which they can eat, and the roof keeps their little nests dry. Barn swallows with territories farther away from a water source would have to spend more energy building their nests. A Barn Swallow with a good territory will spend less energy raising its family, and be in better condition at the end of the breeding season.
I also saw a European Starling building its nest in the roof. It was using twigs and straw which it found on the ground near the barn. I think it might also be using hair from the horses.
I heard songs from a Rock Pigeon on the barn roof, European Starlings in trees and on a fence, Barn Swallows in the barn, an American Robin in a tree and a Red-winged Blackbird in the reeds. While I was walking around the property, I observed European Starlings, Barn Swallows, an American Goldfinch, a House Finch, a flock of House Sparrows and a pair of Mourning Doves.

Date: 4/18/17
Locations: Ethan Allen Homestead.
Habitat: Woodlands, wetland, and river.
Weather: 43°F, Wind W, and 3mph. Partly cloudy.

I started looking for birds near a wetland and saw a flock of Common Grackles and heard a lot of Red-winged Blackbirds singing in the cattails. When I went into the woods, I found several American Robins, and a Harry Woodpecker drumming on a hollow tree (it was so loud that before I spotted the bird, I thought the sound must be coming from a larger woodpecker). I also found a small flock of Black-capped Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, Pine Siskins and American Goldfinches all foraging together. I also saw a pair of Northern Cardinals. There were a pair of Canada Gees honking and dabbling in a flooded cornfield, and when I got closer to the river I saw a flock of four Mallard Ducks flying overhead. I also heard a Killdeer and an American Crow. Right before I left I saw a Turkey Vulture. It was a lot of fun to see so many birds in such a short space of time.

Time: 4:45 pm
Date: 4/9/17
Locations: Oakledge Park
Habitat: Shoreline and Wooded areas.
Weather: 72°F, Wind W, and 10 mph. Sunny.
Note: This report is late because because of a scheduling error. I wrote down that this assignment was due on the 14th.
I returned to a birding location that I had visited when it was very snowy. Some of the year round residents were still there. I heard a Black-capped Chickadee calling and a Northern Cardinal singing his territorial song. I also saw a Hairy Woodpecker climbing about on a tree branch. The Northern Cardinals eat berries and seeds, both of which are abundant in the South End in winter. The Hairy Woodpecker forages for grubs and beetles under the bark, and they are also available all year round. The Black-capped Chickadee has developed a strong caching behavior. These caches help these birds survive if their favorite seeds become less plentiful.
I also saw a new group of tiny birds who I had never seen before. There were about six of them flitting around in a pair of pine trees. After some time, I identified them as Pine Siskins. Pine Siskins are a facultative migrant. They spend most of their time roaming in open areas, but in the spring time, they seek out pine trees to nest in, and there are plenty of those along the Burlington waterfront.
Mini Activity. The three winter residents probably spend most of the season within a range of a few miles. The Pine Siskins, on the other hand though found in Burlington year round, sometimes choose to winter 50 or so miles away in Southern Vermont, and sometimes as far away as Florida (1,266 mi).

Time: 12:45 pm
Date: 3/15/17
Locations: Oakledge Park and Sailing Center.
Habitat: Shoreline and Wooded areas.
Weather: 22°F, Wind W, and 22mph. Light Snow.

Observations:
Today I started birding at the Northern end of Oakledge Park. Even though yesterday's blizzard was mostly over, winds were still high, visibility was limited and the lake was covered in white caps. There were still plenty of birds to be heard and seen.

I heard a Black-capped Chickadee and an American Robin singing. I also saw a trio of Rock Pigeons circling over the creek. They would fly West, into the wind, and then wheel around, fold their wings, and rocket back East again. I was also fortunate enough to see a flock of about eight Snow Buntings, swooping around right on the shoreline. I have never seen them this close to the city before.

After spending some time at Oakledge Park, I went to see If I could find more birds in the wooded area near the Blodgett Oven Company. I saw a Bluejay flying South, and three American Robins and a lone European Starling sitting in a tangled hedge near the railroad tracks. There, I got to see some very interesting bird behavior. One of the American Robins was eating little red berries that were growing in the hedge. The other two were sitting still with their feathers fluffed. The European Starling was very near one of the sitting Robins, and even though the wind was picking up sharply and sow was starting to fall again, is was enthusiastically bathing in a clump of snow. According to a paper by J.M. Stainton, while some birds bathe more often during warmer seasons, Starlings bathe frequently, year round. They usually enjoy bathing in the morning, and often move to a sunny place to dry, and cold weather does not bother them, as the article documented European Starlings bathing in ice water (Stainton, 1982). The starling's glossy black and gold plumage might help it blend in with it's surroundings while roosting in a tree. The American Robin's brown back would make it difficult to spot from above, and the bright red under belly is probably attractive to other Robins.

Before I went home, I stopped at the Sailing Center, and there, I saw several Herring Gulls flying low over the water and a pair of American Crows, huddled side by side in a crab apple tree, preening each other. Mutual preening can strengthen bonds between birds. The pair could be preening each other as part of courtship.

Activity:
The sounds I made did not do more than make the birds that I saw look up. It was very windy today, and therefore, not the best weather for "pishing," since the "pish" sound is easily muffled by whistling wind and crashing water. I imagine the sound affects birds because it sounds a bit like a bird yelling at a cat or some other predator, and other birds in the area, that hear the sound, will come closer to see what the matter is, and perhaps help to drive the predator away.
Sources:
Stainton, J. M. 1982. Timing of bathing, dusting and
sunning. British Birds 75:65–86.

Time: 7:30
Date: 3/8/17
Location: Old North End
Habitat: Fenced in backyards with trees, shrubs, and grass.
Weather: 36°F, Wind SE, and 6mph. Light Rain.

At 7:30 this morning it was raining steadily, but it did not deter the neighborhood Rock Pigeons from setting out on their morning foraging expedition. They roost in and on the gabled rooftops across the street and in the mornings they often fly up together and circle the neighborhood a few times before leaving. Today I counted seven flying together in a clockwise direction, and two going the other way.

After I saw the Rock Pigeons, I heard several piecing calls from a gull, and the sounds of two American Crows. I also heard the calls and general chatter of a flock of House Sparrows. They were all sitting in a very leafy evergreen shrub about a dozen feet from my bird feeder, but if were not for their loud chirping and the occasional bouncing branch, one would not know they were their. Sitting out a rainstorm together not only strengthens social bonds, but also helps keep the birds warm and dry. When many birds huddle together, they all conserve energy used to produce body heat, and by keeping their feathers dry, the birds are better able to retain heat and protect themselves from the wind. While the Sparrows were in their shrub, I noticed a Common Grackle in the top branches of a deciduous tree in my neighbor's yard.

When the rain finally lightened to a gentle drizzle, the House Sparrows emerged. First a lone female came and sat on top of a post in my yard and after a careful scan of the yard, flew on to the feeder and ate a few seeds. She went back into the evergreen, and after that, the House sparrows began coming out in twos and threes to eat at the feeder. I imagine the House Sparrows in my neighborhood spend a lot of time eating at bird feeders over the winter. I have also seen them picking through the dried asters in my yard. In the summer and autumn they probably spend more time foraging for wild grass seeds.

There are not many old snags in my neighborhood at the moment. There used to be one in my yard, but it finally fell down last year and had to be hauled away. While it was there, I frequently saw both Downy and Harry Woodpeckers looking for grubs under the bark.

Date: 2/16/17
Location: Oak Ledge Park
Habitat: Deciduous woods and underbrush surrounding a running creek
Weather: 28°F, Wind 8mph from the North. Partly overcast with light snow.
During the first few minutes of birding, the forest was relatively quiet. I saw two individual birds flying, silhouetted against the tree tops, and after a few more minutes a small flock of them swept by. Unfortunately, they were far away to identify, but they flew in a strong, direct manner with lots of flapping, and little swooping or gliding.
After a little waiting, I saw a female Northern Cardinal, moving about in a tree top, taking short fluttering hops from twig to twig and knocking down clumps of snow as she went. She disappeared from view for a while, but then a male appeared a few yards from where she had been and started climbing around in the branches. He found a spindly piece of vine in the tree top and, grabbing hold of it, swung gently back and forth on it a few times, like a big red pendulum. Perhaps the vine had berries on it. The female reappeared and they spent several more minutes hopping around near each other. In that time, I also saw a rock pigeon fly over the trees, and heard Black-capped Chickadees, American Robins, and a woodpecker somewhere overhead.
Presently, a flock of six or eight robins erupted out of the understory and rushed over the path and away. They had just passed me when a Sharp-shinned Hawk came gliding in on their tails. All birdsongs came to an abrupt stop and the pair of cardinals quietly disappeared from view. The Hawk settled onto a sturdy tree branch and waited. Nothing happened, so it picked up one of its feet, made a little fist, rotated it around, and then stuffed it into it's feathers. The Sharp-shinned hawk has very short, deep wings, and a long tail. These features enable it to fly and hunt through wooded areas with great agility.
The Hawk and I waited, but the forest was very still, and all I could hear was the faint "tic - tic" of snow melting off the branches. After a little while, I heard a Harry Woodpecker. An American Crow flapped overhead, cawing repeatedly. Eventually it was answered from somewhere with a husky gurgling sort of crow squawk. It was getting chilly, so I started back to the car. The Sharp-shinned Hawk also decided that now further developments would be forthcoming, and dove off into the trees.