tbrown10's Journal

On Wednesday, April 20th 2016, I went bird watching in Ethan Allen Park. I was with the UVM ornithology group. The day was sunny and the temperature was in the high 50s. 15 species were identified. I uploaded each observation in real time using the iNaturalist app.
A notable observation of the morning was of a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. It was jumping around in the branches of a tree. It was occasionally pecking at the tree’s bark. In the same area, a pair of Pileated Woodpecker were identified. They were flying between a couple trees and were making the sound they usually make.
My favorite observation was of a Barred Owl. It was perched very still in a small pine tree. It was calling to another Barred Owl in the distance.

On Thursday, March 24, 2016, I went bird watching in the Burlington Urban Reserve. The day was damp with overcast skies; the temperature was in the high 30s. I started my search at the EHCO Center and made my way north before circling back.
The first notable bird I encountered was a Great Black-backed Gull. It was circling over Lake Champlain in a flock of other gulls. I observed seven Double-crested Cormorants standing on the breakwater. I also saw a pair of Common Mergansers swimming off North Beach.
I encountered a Song Sparrow hopping through a small bush while calling. Further into my walk, I heard the distant nasal call of a Fish Crow. I noticed a Mourning Dove perched very still in a branch at eye level. I was able to get very close to it and it did not fly away. My most memorable sighting of the afternoon was of a Pileated woodpecker. It flew through the woods while making a repetitive sound.
Through my walk I came across many common birds such as Ring-billed Gulls, a Northern Cardinal, a Tufted Titmouse, American Robins and American Crows. At the very end of my walk I noticed a small tree filled with a flock of Cedar Waxwings.

On Thursday, March 24, 2016, I went bird watching in the Burlington Urban Reserve. The day was damp with overcast skies; the temperature was in the high 30s. I started my search at the EHCO Center and made my way north before circling back.
The first notable bird I encountered was a Great Black-backed Gull. It was circling over Lake Champlain in a flock of other gulls. I observed seven Double-crested Cormorants standing on the breakwater. I also saw a pair of Common Mergansers swimming off North Beach.
I encountered a Song Sparrow hopping through a small bush while calling. Further into my walk, I heard the distant nasal call of a Fish Crow. I noticed a Mourning Dove perched very still in a branch at eye level. I was able to get very close to it and it did not fly away. My most memorable sighting of the afternoon was of a Pileated woodpecker. It flew through the woods while making a repetitive sound.
Through my walk I came across many common birds such as Ring-billed Gulls, a Northern Cardinal, a Tufted Titmouse, American Robins and American Crows. At the very end of my walk I noticed a small tree filled with a flock of Cedar Waxwings.

On Tuesday, March 15, 2016, I went birding in Centennial Woods in Burlington Vermont. The afternoon was cloudy, calm and 53 degrees fahrenheit. I began bird watching on East Ave, near the entrance of Centennial Woods. I observed two Herring Gulls standing atop light poles in the parking lot of the Jeffords Building. I also notice two Ring-billed Gulls flying high over head. As I entered Centennial Woods, I was flooded with the calls of multiple Tufted Titmouses. I got a look at one perching in a deciduous tree. It hopped to another branch before flying away. I observed a Black-capped Chickadee in the same vicinity. It was hopping through the understory of an Eastern White Pine.
Further into Centennial Woods, I spotted a White-breasted Nuthatch on a tree trunk. In the same area, I heard the call of an individual Golden-crowned Kinglet. I heard its call multiple times before it flew to a nearby tree. I also heard the call of a Winter Wren many times, however I never got a good look at it.
I visited a bird feeder as part of my afternoon birdwatch. On the way to the feeder, I saw a male Northern Cardinal dart through the woods and out of sight. At the feeder, I got a close look at an American Goldfinch, a Tufted Titmouse and a couple Black-capped Chickadees. I observed an American Robin hopping along the ground beneath the feeder.

On Tuesday, February 23, at 13:45 I began my observations. It was a fairly typical day in in Vermont; the sky was overcast and the temperature was slightly below freezing. I walked from my house on Colchester Ave and to the Burlington waterfront. I identified an American Crow on the hospital grounds along Colchester Ave. It was walking along the ground back and forth. It was observing the traffic and pedestrians and it certainly took note of me. As I made my way, I passed the Waterman building. I observed a flock of starlings as they flew overhead. I also identified a tree full of 20 or so Cedar Waxwings. A loud truck drove by and scared the birds off to a different tree. It appeared that birds other than Cedar Waxwings, but similar in size, were in the flock that flew away.

The water front was free of ice. I observed some Common Merganser, Mallards and Common Golden Eyes. They were not doing anything exciting, just swimming along. My favorite siting of the day was of a cormorant. It was standing motionlessly on one foot. There were two Rock Pigeons hanging out on the board walk. They were biting each other's beak. At first I thought they were stuck together, but they released each other and flew away. They flew back a couple minutes later and went under the boardwalk.

I began my field observations on Thursday, February 4, 2016 at 13:00. It was a beautiful day. The sun was out, the air was calm and the temperature was in the high 40s. I entered Centennial Woods Natural Area in Burlington, Vermont through a small path off of Grove Street. I sat in one spot in an eastern white pine stand for approximately 30 minutes. I heard a variety of different bird calls including Northern Cardinal, White-breasted Nuthatch and Tufted Titmouse. There were also several other calls that I was not familiar with. The only identifiable birds that I clearly saw were 3 Black-capped Chickadees that were jumping around on lower branches of the pines. One chickadee jumped onto the ground in front of me and pecked at the ground before flying away.
On Friday, February 5 at 07:30 I continued my field observations. It was a cold, cloudy morning with a wind out of the west. I was able to identify American Crows, European Starlings and American Robins in the parking lot behind Jeffords. There were about 25 crows that were all flying in the same direction, north. Multiple European Starlings flew overhead and one perched on the rudder of the University’s wind turbine. The American Robins were feeding on crab apple trees that lined the side of the parking lot.
The majority of the birds seen that morning were conjugated around a bird feeder in Centennial Woods. The feeder was located in a subtle ecotone between a deciduous forest and an eastern white pine stand. There was a small stream that ran through the area. White-breasted Nuthatch, Tufted titmouse and Black-capped Chickadees were seen occasionally feeding on the seeds. The birds were calling frequently as a result of an owl call played through speakers.
Mallards and American Black Ducks were spotted in a retention pond just outside of Centennial woods. These were my favorite birds seen that morning. Two pairs of mallards slowly swam around the outside of the pond. The American Black Duck was swimming amongst the Mallards. It stuck its head under water a few times before quickly returning for air.
A second bird feeder was visited in Centennial Woods. On the way to the feeder a Cooper’s Hawk was briefly seen flying over head. The feeder was located near the edge of the natural area. Many sumac trees were present along with other deciduous trees. Northern Cardinals, American Goldfinch and Downy Woodpeckers were sharing a single small tree adjacent to the feeder at one point. The birds came alive with chirps and calls after recorded bird calls were played through a speaker.