Journal #7
I went on a bird walk on Wednesday, May 2nd. It was around 11am and I walked around campus. It was the warmest day we have had so far, also very bright and sunny.
As I was walking down South Prospect Street toward campus, I observed two Common Grackles, a female and a male, both perched on the same branch in a medium sized tree. The male puffed up its feathers and raised its tail features to appear to look larger and more dominant. The female was smaller and more grayish brown in comparison to the darker male, who also had more fluorescent feathers. After this courtship display, the male mounted the female for about three seconds. It was interesting to see the mating process since I have never observed something like this before, especially in birds and this species.
Near Old Mill, I heard a loud Northern Cardinal singing and calling. It was at the top of a extremely tall deciduous tree, although its bright red plumage made it easy to spot. It kept singing for over fifteen minutes, and occasionally flitted away to sing in other high trees. Other birds I saw in the nearby area on the lawn, were Common Grackles, American Robins, and American Crows.
On the University Place green, I saw two American Robins in the same area foraging for food. I observed one robin yank a long worm out of the ground and swallow it. A Common Grackle was calling in a fir tree. I saw a European Starling standing on the green by itself, which I thought was unusual due to the fact I usually see them foraging and flying in large groups. I also saw a Ring-billed Gull flying above the University Green towards the waterfront.
On Thursday, May 3rd around 2:30pm I was able to see the Snowy Owl on top of Jeffords. It was a cooler, cloudy day. The Snowy Owl was white with black spots, and it occasionally swiveled its head around. It was very cute and so many other people had gathered to look at it. I was super excited to have seen it because I have never seen a Snowy Owl in real life before. I also borrowed someone’s binoculars to get a closer look.
