maggiegrady's Journal

Start time: 12:22 pm
End time: 1:22 pm
Date: 2/4/2024
Locations: Woods and pond near Burlington Country Club, Redstone Campus, Redstone pines
Weather: Clear and sunny; 28-31 F, 8 mph south wind
Habitats:

1. Open pond with marshy vegetation
2. Smallish copse of mature deciduous trees, mostly Northern red oak; some deciduous understory as well
3. Copse of planted Eastern red cedars bordered by a fence. Paths and mowed fields on either side of trees
4. Mature Eastern white pines with very little understory besides a magnolia shrub. Some mature-to-intermediate deciduous trees nearby with more understory

For much of my walk, birds were somewhat few and far between. In the woods near the country club, I saw several Black-capped Chickadees, which I drew in my field notebook. Chickadees have high contrast markings (black cap and chinstrap) which made them easy to portray on paper. I saw a few other Black-capped Chickadees during the course of my walk, as well as many Dark-eyed Juncos and a Northern Cardinal seemingly foraging in a copse of planted Eastern red cedars. I saw no birds as I walked across Redstone campus from the country club to the pines.

Conversely, the end of my walk in the Redstone pines had an almost overwhelming number and variety of bird species. Their close proximity to each other made it easier to compare and contrast their flight patterns and wing shapes. I saw several Mourning Doves and noticed that their wings had a higher aspect ratio than most of the other birds I observed. They flew very swiftly, which makes me think their wings fall under the "high speed" category. They beat their wings powerfully and in an even pattern (i.e. beat-beat-beat).

Nearly every bird I saw on my walk was a species that I had encountered many times before, so I felt fairly confident in my identification. However, one bird's song was identified by the Merlin app as either a Ruby-crowned Kinglet or Pine Siskin, neither of which are birds I felt confident identifying. I observed the individual to the best of my ability and the main identifying characteristics are as follows: pale yellow-brown color, little contrast or identifiable markings from a distance, solitary, did not vocalize except for the one recording, and perched high on a deciduous tree. It was about 1/3 the size of the Mourning Doves and had more elliptical wings with noticeable gaps in the primaries during flight. It also had a more asymmetrical flapping pattern (beatbeatbeat-pause-beatbeatbeat). The Pine Siskin has a very streaky pattern, so I believe it can be ruled out as a possibility. Therefore, it was likely either a Ruby-crowned Kinglet or another species which I cannot identify.

Based on my experience today, I believe sunny weather increases the likelihood of encountering birds. Early afternoon seemed to be an adequate time to search, although I would like to try going earlier in the morning as well. Finally, the distribution of birds was seemingly focused around food sources like seeds and berries, particularly from evergreens.

Date: 2/19/2024
Start time: 14:00
End time: 15:16
Locations: Redstone campus and Centennial Woods
Weather: 23 F, Sunny, 9 mph Southeast wind
Habitats: Open lawn with ornamental trees such as Highbush Cranberry and Eastern Red Cedar; Northern hardwood forest dominated by mature Eastern White Pines and deciduous understory

The weather for this week's bird walk was sunny but cold, so birds were actively feeding to gain energy and conserve heat. On campus, I saw several Black-capped Chickadees feeding on the seeds and berries of what appeared to be a Highbush Cranberry tree. Additionally, I saw a variety of birds foraging around the higher branches of Eastern White Pines in Centennial Woods. Black-capped Chickadees, Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatches, and a Brown Creeper were likely feeding on pine seeds, while Hairy Woodpeckers drilled holes in branches and bark in search of insects.

Overwintering birds such as these often form heterospecific flocks which are thought to increase foraging efficiency and protect the group from predators. At the edge of the woods, I also observed a flock of European Starlings and a flock of American Crows. Flocking behavior is important for generating warmth, particularly overnight, when both of these species are known to roost in trees in huge numbers. Smaller species like Chickadees, Nuthatches, and Woodpeckers typically spend nights in cavities and use their feathers as insulation.

Snags were difficult to find on campus due to landscaping, but I did observe a Black-capped Chickadee emerging from one small cavity in a deciduous tree. Conversely, Centennial Woods had an abundance of snags and cavities of all sizes. Many snags seemed to be too small to host cavity nesters, while large snags were often toppled and therefore also unusable. However, there were a few cavities that appeared suitable for both bird and small mammal residents. Although I knocked on several, I did not notice any activity inside. Perhaps if I returned and tried again at dusk, I would have better luck.