allieableman's Journal

Date: April 8th, 2024
Start Time: 2:00 pm
End Time: 4:00 pm
Location: Waterfront Park

Weather: Mostly sunny, warm high of 62 degrees, low of 33. SOLAR ECLIPSEEEEE
Habitat: City park, on the waterfront. A thin park stretching across the edge of Lake Champlain, a few trees scattered around the edges.

I went down to the waterfront to view the eclipse. It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. The energy of everyone gathering, the live music playing, the beautiful weather, the day was perfect. I wanted to pay attention to how the birds responded to the eclipse, and unfortunately the only birds I saw were a few seagulls. There were ring billed and herring gulls flying around, acting normally in the hours before the eclipse. However, when partial began, I noticed the birds all started flying low, and fast! They were flying below the tree line, at some points even soaring almost at the ground. They were moving noticeably fast, almost frantically. And then it got too dark to really observe! And I was too wrapped up in the eclipse, it was insaneeeeee.

Date: April 22nd, 2024
Start Time: 11:30 am
End Time: 1:15 pm
Location: Centennial Woods

Weather: Day high of 48 degrees, low of 31 degrees. Sunny all day, but windy. Coldest day in a little while, ready for warmer weather!!
Habitat:Northern Hardwood Forest transitioning to Pine forest, marshy clearing with a stream surrounded by pine. Reeds growing, marsh is in a valley.

It's Earth Day!! The sun is shining bright and the wind is blowing! I woke up at sunrise, a bit unfortunate but it ended up being beauttifulll. I love welcoming the sun right as she wakes up! And I heard the birds begin their songs, sharp and sweet through the quite morning, European Starlings and Black-capped Chickadees, Robins and House Finches, Northern Cardinals and more. The trees outside Jeanne Mance are always full birds, but devastatingly, people recently cut down ten towering trees for what I’m guessing is new housing. Waking up to construction rather than the birds was a bit nasty, and in just 48 hours these massive Maples and old oaks that have been standing for decades, were gone. I was afraid my mornings wouldn’t have the same music I’ve been listening to all year, but the birds have still been nearby every time I wake up. However, the sound has changed, the birds are singing different tunes. Springtime brings bird song, as mating and territorial behaviors emerge for the breeding season.

After hearing the songs this morning, I couldn’t wait to go out into the woods after class. I set off deep into Centennial Woods and stopped at one of my favorite spots, the beaver pond/clearing towards the center. My entire walk, the sun was shining brightly, warming me up as the wind blew through my hair. The ground was muddy and squelched under foot, and more than a few times I nearly fell right on my ass. When I got to my chosen location, I was pleasantly surprised to hear twitters and tweets, chirps and cheerups all around me. I sat down on a little bench, and closed my eyes. The songs of the season filled my ears. As spring warms the country, mating songs and territorial calls, and new migratory arrivals fill Vermont's air. The chickadees are flying frantically around, as they usually do but perhaps more frantically now; and they sing the songs associated with breeding season. The mating calls ring through the air, with alarm calls sprinkled amongst them in fights over territory. One chickadee was flying around a snag, singing loudly, perhaps defending this prime spot for building their nest. This chickadee shows strengths amongst its species, telling all who come near not to mess with his spot. The Robins sing the song I have long associated with spring, bringing me back to childhood mornings. And perhaps my favorite of all, the Cardinals are singing loudly, high in the trees. They go to the very top of the highest trees, and sing a clear mating song, spreading it as far as they can. My grandfather's favorite bird was the Cardinal, and after he passed away, a Cardinal flew into our backyard and stayed for the entire time we sat shiva. Every time I see or hear that beautiful bird, I think of him. Every morning recently I’ve heard a Cardinal singing loudly, and for many hours. It always makes me smile. I imagine it's the same Cardinal, calling out that he's found a wonderful spot, and would like a wonderful lady! Today, in the woods, I heard two Cardinals singing to each other, matching each other note for note, back and forth, a love song. I spotted a flash of red, high in a budding maple tree, but couldn’t find his partner. Listening to a duet always makes me imagine the rest of their season, the babies they’ll hatch and those tiny fledglings taking their first leaps! Spring is such a special time for new beginnings and a vision of better things to come.
The end of the semester has definitely been getting to me, the stress of finals and the craze of living in a dorm room has me itching for the semester to end; however, the birds and just Mama Earth have been helping me along. Taking time to just listen to the birds or feel the sun on my face, walking through the woods or just laying on the grass, connecting to the natural world has helped me get out of my own head and just breathe.

Date: April 29nd, 2024
Start Time: 9:30 am
End Time: 10:00 am
Location: Parking lot of Jeanne Mance

Weather: Day high of 57 degrees, low of 43 degrees. Its a calm day. The morning started with light rain and it was warm, muggy, and cloudy for the rest of the day.
Habitat: Urban landscape, the parking lot of Jeanne Mance on Pearl street. There's a big grassy backyard to one side, two smaller backyards with trees, and a small woody patch of old hardwood trees.

I’ve been waking up every morning before sunrise, for reasons unknown, and as my roommate sleeps on, the birds and emerging traffic are my only companions. I typically hear Robin first, the whistles rising and falling through the dark sky. As I watch the sun rise, and the sky slowly brighten, I hear the birds get louder and louder, a symphony of songs join the early Robin’s, and their dark shadows become magnificent displays of spring plumages and ritualistic flights. The residents of Jeanne-Mance’s-parking-lot-and-surrounding-areas have included House Finches, the aforementioned American Robins, European Starlings, Chipping Sparrows, Black-capped Chickadees, Eastern Phoebes, Ring-Billed Gulls, Northern Cardinals and more. This morning, I had the urge to go out and sit in the small patch of grass in the center of the parking lot, and take in the morning’s birds, taking in the light rain as it began to fall.