natalielaible's Journal

For my first bird walk, we went to East Woods. It was a fairly cold winter day and there was a bit of wind. We saw and heard a bunch of different species. I saw an American Crow in flight, and its flight pattern was slow and steady with firm wing flaps. The wings are partly rounded and asymmetrical. It was flying high above the trees, but sometimes would stop to perch. Other times I have seen American Crows, they were perched in trees or walking on the ground. Its habitat niche is usually treetops, fields, roadsides, open woods, beaches, and town centers. It is fairly easy to identify an American Crow in flight due to its deep wing beats and solid black color; its tail also fans out in flight, which distinguishes it from other species. Its wings in flight are quite thick and its primary feathers fan out and are easy to identify.
Another species I saw was a Ring-billed Gull, which has a very different flight pattern than the American Crow. It soars very gracefully and makes few wing flaps. It glided over the trees without flapping and it did not stop to perch on any trees. Ring-billed Gulls have very long, skinny wings. Their wings are very streamlined compared to the American Crow; their wings have a strict, smooth outline. They are found in urban and suburban areas as well as coastal areas. The gull I saw was most likely heading to a nearby source of water.
I saw a fair amount of birds in my walk, but when the weather starts getting warmer and birds start to migrate back, I will be able to see more species. We played a Barred Owl call to attract the species, but we had no luck. We would have a greater chance of seeing or hearing one if we went out for a walk at dusk or dawn, as they are a primarily nocturnal species.