April 19, 2021

Field Journal #6

• Date – 04/18/2021
• Start time – 12:30
• End time – 3:30
• Location – Five Rivers EEC
• Weather (temperature, wind speed/direction, precipitation) – moderate cloud cover, with spots of sun, 60 degrees F, on and off light rain, N wind ~10mph
• Habitat(s) – wetlands, fields, meadows, ponds, large dense forest, low dense brush

Posted on April 19, 2021 09:00 PM by isabellamantica isabellamantica | 26 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

March 8, 2021

Field Journal #3

• Date – 03/07/2021
• Start time – 10:30
• End time – 12:00
• Location – Downtown Burlington, Old North End, Hungerford Terrace, Pearl St, Loomis St, North Ave
• Weather (temperature, wind speed/direction, precipitation) – Sunny, mild/moderate cloud cover, 25 degrees F, No precipitation, N wind ~5mph
• Habitat(s) – Urban, Busy streets, smaller buildings mostly residential, young trees and shrubs, most trees are bare

I decided to bird a little closer to home this time, so I took my dog on a long walk Sunday morning all around Burlington. It wasn’t the earliest so the streets were already pretty busy so there wasn’t too much bird activity. It was quite cold and windy which made things worse, so both me and my dog had coats on. I also noticed that our resident Northern Cardinals that hang out in the tree next to our house were also puffed up. They looked like bright red fluff balls. I also noticed some House Sparrows doing the same thing. They sit in dense shrubs or pine trees that still have needles on them and huddle together to keep warm and minimize heat loss. Rock Pigeons were also huddling together of roof lines around the city.

I also noticed a lot of birds eating. I saw a number of American Crows and Rock Pigeons scavenging for things on the streets. There have also been a large number of Black-capped Chickadees at our bird feeder recently. Birds are most likely spending most of their time eating to try and bulk up fat sources for the colder months. They may want to be eating foods that have a higher fat content in them like seeds or nuts.

I didn’t see any snags on my walk since I was downtown. But I know some birds do utilize them and the holes in them for cover and to keep warm. They can keep out of harsh weather and it can also be used as a safe space to raise young. Snags are also used as a food source for insect eating birds.

Posted on March 8, 2021 06:04 PM by isabellamantica isabellamantica | 9 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

February 23, 2021

Field Journal #2

Date - February 21st 2021
Start time - 9:10 am
End time - 10:45 am
Location - Burlington, VT - UVM Redstone Campus, S Prospect St, College St, Hungerford Terrace
Weather (temperature, wind speed/direction, precipitation) - 21 degrees F, sunny, minimal cloud cover, no precipitation, NW wind ~7mph
Habitat(s) - Suburban, mild to moderate vegetation density, both young and mature trees and shrubbery

While walking around campus and my neighborhood on Sunday I was able to identify a number of different birds. It was still relatively quiet since I went in the morning and weather conditions were mild so many birds seemed to be out and about. There was a Common Raven sitting upon the UVM water tower calling out, a few Rock Pigeons sitting on rooftops soaking up the sun, and a number of Herring Gulls, young and mature, soaring together in a thermal above Redstone campus. I was also lucky enough to witness a few female Red Crossbills gathering in a Conifer on S Prospect st and a number of male and female Common Redpolls enjoying someone's bird feeder. There was also a Cooper's Hawk sitting in the large tree in our driveway!

I got to witness a few species more up close and personal and my own bird feeder. Black-capped Chickadees are a regular at our house. They make very sudden and acrobatic movements. Their wings are slightly pointed as well as their long tail, making them more agile and aerodynamic. They will quickly grab a seed and fly somewhere close by to eat it before coming back for more. They have very rapid wing beats when moving only short distances from one perch to another. When flying longer distances they seem to tuck their wings to their sides after doing an occasional shallow wing beat. When they fly it is in a very bouncy, up and down pattern, usually solo.

American robins on the other hand are seen in larger groups, especially in winter. I saw a large group of them on Redstone campus eating berries off a Crab Apple tree between buildings. Their flight patterns are stronger and more direct. American Robin wings are more rounded with a more fanned out tail, which make them slightly less agile and fast than the Black-capped Chickadee. They make swift bounds across areas as if they are flying with a purpose. They don't have any bounce like the Black-capped Chickadee. They always seem very aware of their surroundings when darting from one spot to another.

Posted on February 23, 2021 01:51 AM by isabellamantica isabellamantica | 13 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

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