nlhardy's Journal

Date: April 29, 2024
Start Time: 6:20 PM
End Time: 7:20 PM
Location: Area walked centered at North St. Burlington, VT 0540: Spanned from Converse Ct to Pomeroy St.
Weather: Cloudy, 50 degrees F, Wind 7mph South, 66% humidity
Habitat: Area walked spanned from very urban setting with lots of street traffic and fewer large trees to a quieter urban area with large bushes and higher tree density given the proximity to a graveyard which had more plant life and less human traffic.

Date: April 21, 2024
Start Time: 5:56 AM
End Time: 6:56 PM
Location: Aiken Forestry Center and bike path beyond that, Burlington VT
Weather: Cloudy, 40 degrees F, Wind 8mph West, 64% humidity
Habitat: Starting at the Aiken Forestry Building which is next to an agricultural area, I walked down the bike path which runs between I-89 and the surrounding woodland area that contains houses, school buildings, and workspaces. Therefore, this area had a decent number of large trees, but also high human activity- particularly in the form of highway traffic.

All notes on observations listed in observation details

Despite the high noise pollution in this area and the large amount of human activity, I still observed a variety of species through calls and appearances. While observing, I noticed that a lot of the individuals I actually saw were in pairs. One sighting that was notable was the set mourning doves which remained together even when I scared them off of the bridge I was crossing into a nearby branch. Although I couldn’t identify the sex of these birds, it’s possible this was a mating pair and they stay in close proximity as a form of territoriality and are potentially monogamous to one another. As far as their placement on the landscape, I found it strange that these Mourning Doves were out near dusk because I usually associate them with early morning, but it’s possible they are planning on nesting nearby given there was a water source in that area and denser tree coverage.
I similarly found Black-capped Chickadees in a pair feeding on some buds that were present on a shrubby species along the edge of a wooded lot. As I approached and some Ring-billed Gulls flew overhead simultaneously one of the birds released a warning “Chicka-dee-dee-dee” cry with three “dees” the first time and four the second time. This was an alarm and may have been indicative of it defending its feeding or nesting territory. It’s likely that given the food source the Chickadee was utilizing at the time it may have felt threatened by the approach of other individuals since this location housed a prime resource going into a cold night. Furthermore, the edge this habitat provided for the birds is ideal for nesting Chickadees which differs from the mourning dove which likes the cover of large evergreen trees. The territorial quality of the Black-capped Chickadee when around good resources indicates its intention to maintain good fitness through the continued cold weather by deterring other species from utilizing the same area.
In higher density than both Black-capped Chickadees and Mourning Doves, were American Robins which were present in more open habitat. One American Robin I observed before entering the wooded area was busy picking up pieces of mowed grass, which it may have been using to build and insulate its nest. However, this grass likely doesn’t make up the whole nest and is simply used to supplement the harder sticks the bird uses for the structure. Furthermore, in residential and highly anthropogenic areas like this, mowed grass is fairly common- making it a good resource for nest packing material.

Sound Map:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Osa_t2cwT97pnMFic6rSWgYJQsVLIlPfaLbkrAQ5XII/edit?usp=sharing

Date: April 10, 2024
Start Time: 11:05 AM
End Time: 12:05PM
Location: Converse Ct., Burlington, Vermont
Weather: Cloudy, 57 degrees F, Wind 11mph South, 66% humidity
Habitat: Urban area- strictly the ten foot radius around my house and what I could see from there. Included some old growth trees with one being directly next to the house and some others being within viewing distance. There are also some small yards within the area that have flowers beginning to bloom and the waterfront is relatively close.

European Starling:
I heard four European Starlings chattering at each other in a nearby tree.
American Crow:
I heard and saw three American crows cawing and flying overhead- where one eventually landed on the roof of a house and the two others landed in a tree.
European Starling:
I saw six European starlings perched in a tree where they seemed to be eating buds.
Cedar Waxwing:
I heard the faint, thin call of the cedar waxwing.
Osprey:
I observed an osprey flying toward me overhead from the direction of the waterfront and heard its high-pitched screeching call which may have been its display call.
American Robin:
I heard a few American Robins calling and observed three flying overhead.
House Sparrow:
I heard at least two house sparrows calling from a nearby tree.
Northern Cardinal:
I heard a Northern Cardinal calling from close by.
European Starlings:
I heard at least three European Starlings chattering again and using their high-pitched call as well.
Tufted Titmouse:
I heard what sounded like a Tufted Titmouse calling from far away.
Cedar Waxwing:
I heard the same high-pitched, thin call of the cedar waxwing again from far off.
Ring-billed Gull
I heard the call of the ring-billed gull coming from toward the waterfront at least twice.
American Crow:
I heard another American Crow cawing from overhead.

Date: March 25, 2024
Start Time: 7:00pm
End Time: 8:00pm
Location: Converse Ct, Burlington VT
Weather: Clear skies, 38℉, 3mph wind heading SE
Habitat: Urban with occasional old growth trees that were mostly not coniferous. There were also shrubs and dead grassy plants in gardens.

House Sparrow
I saw three house sparrows eating berries in a bush as I walked down the sidewalk and I heard one calling in its chirpy high and low fashion.

European Starling
I heard an unknown number of European Starlings chattering in a tree.

American Robin
I saw three American Robins flying overhead and then heard one chirping again similar to the house sparrow but a little more song-like.

American Crow
I saw a murder of American Crows flying over head of an unknown number and they were all calling in unison.

Cooper’s Hawk
I saw one Cooper’s Hawk perched on a tree as I was walking. I distinguished this hawk based on its tail pattern and shape.

Black-capped Chickadee
I heard a Black-capped Chickadee doing its chickadee-a-dee-dee-dee alarm call from a nearby bush.

One of the most common year-round residents I've observed is the Black-capped Chickadee. This bird remains in Vermont as a result of its adaptations to cold weather which allow it to remain in a hypothermic state during the night as temperatures drop. Given this adaptation and their ability to scavenge insect eggs and berries in the winter, the energetic cost of migrating would be very large compared to the pay off of more resource availability. Another species that remains in Vermont during the winter is the House Sparrow, which utilizes berries to survive and maintains its body temperature by squeezing into tight spaces within man-made structures and tree hollows. If Black-capped Chickadees and House Sparrows were going to migrate they would be facultative migrants asa result of resource needs, but they would never be obligate migrants given that obligate migrants are essentially hardwired to migrate at the same time and place every year.
A facultative migrant that I have still seen this winter is the Cooper's Hawk. These hawks can migrate farther south in search of more abundant resources, but given the warm winter, it's likely these hawks chose not to travel south as their prey may have been in abundant levels still during the season. If the Cooper's Hawk were to migrate, it would go south to the central or southern U.S. where the climate remains warm and ground prey stays at a steady population. If there were more snow this winter so that ground prey was not as viable then the Cooper's Hawk might be more likely to go south. I didn't come across any obligate migrants, but if one of these migrants were to arrive in early April, it could be beneficial with the number of buds coming out on the trees and insects hatching. However, given the current snowfall on the ground, the weather could be a negative factor for these species as they may not have cold adaptations like the Black-capped Chickadee does so that they can survive cold nights.

Given that this week I chose to do observations around my house in order to look at the birds that’s are present in a more urban setting, it makes sense that I saw more common resident birds as they are likely adapted to a broad range of environments. Of all the birds I saw, only the Cooper’s Hawk was out if its general winter residence. However, Massachusetts had winter habitat and I calculated that Boston is about 226 miles from here where there would be winter habitat for them. The Cooper’s Hawk I saw was likely present because of the uncharacteristically warm climate that we’ve experienced this winter.

Date: March 8, 2024
Start Time: 3:26pm
End Time: 4:30pm
Location: Blundell House and Redstone Pines, Burlington, Vermont
Weather: Partly cloudy, 44℉, 7mph wind heading SE
Habitat: Urban with old coniferous canopy trees and some suburban landscaping trees

Linked Observations:
American Crow- 1 Observation Site
1) I spotted one American Crow at this point and simultaneously heard it cawing from a tree across the road.
Black-capped Chickadee- 1 Observation Site
1) I heard a lot of cheeping and twittering going back and forth, which I identified as a Black-capped chickadee based on the tone and some of the longer songs.
American Robin- 1 Observation Site
1) I heard one American Robin which I identified from a far away chirp that had the same tone.

For this field journal, I want to focus on one site on the Redstone campus I sat at for a long time near Blundell House. This area was at the intersection of the old pines with tall canopies, the road which breaks out into a grassy area, and the back of a suburb which has a fair amount of landscaped trees. At this site, the first sound that caught my attention was constant twittering which I couldn't identify at first. What allowed me to initially come up with an identification was a two-toned shrill chirp which sounded identical to the dee-dee-dee of the Black-capped Chickadee. However, this twittering was not characteristic of their usual songs that I know.
I'm not sure how many chickadees were involved in this communication, but given it was late afternoon, I didn't expect them to be very active. However, this twittering could be a sign that they aren't active in mating or other rituals where they would usually use their distinct song. Instead, they may have been twittering back and forth just to communicate their presence as communication is very important for birds to understand if large predators are in their midst. Generally, I would say this chirping sounds like the human version of chatting- it's simply normal communication between birds to interact and let each other know they are present. The American Crow that was cawing was likely doing something similar but its call is a little louder and uniform across the board. These generic sounds that both bird species were making are likely bird's way of keeping in contact throughout the day without communicating something extremely specific.
In this same area, I pursued the mini-activity, and it seemed the birds quieted for a second and then the Black-capped Chickadees responded with more intense twittering. I would guess they might respond to this pshhhh sound because it mimics that of wind rustling vegetation or insects calling. These sounds might be enticing to birds because they are a sign of a food resource potentially being present.
At a different site on the Redstone campus, I spotted an American Robin, which I could only vaguely hear earlier. This Robin had a darker grey head and tail with a medium grey back and burnt orange underside. This robin was perched toward the top of a tree and soon flew to perch on a nearby residential building. It was potentially looking for food at the time although I can't quite be sure because it was only perching for short amounts of time and then moving to a new location. The plumage of this robin is likely useful for it to blend into forested and urban environments with its slate colored back, while I would assume the orange chest is used to attract mates as it's a flashy color that doesn't camouflage.
Comparatively, I also saw a Black-capped Chickadee flying to one of the large coniferous tree trucks, where it quickly perched and then flitted to another tree trunk. This bird had its distinctive black cap, brownish-grey wings, a whitish-brown breast, and triangles of white around the black on its face. These plumage colors are much harder to see against the backdrop of trees than that of the robin, which is likely a survival skill given the small size of the chickadee and its frequent settlement around wooded areas. Furthermore, the fast fluttering movement of the chickadee may allow its colors to blend together into an even earthier tone that allows it to better blend into the backdrop. Given the Black-capped Chickadee's small size and neutral colors, it seems camouflage is a major priority in survival skills for this bird, which would make sense given how active they are during the day. The American Robin on the other hadn't is larger and flashier meaning they may value mating rituals more greatly than hiding from other species as a survival skill.
When I saw each of these birds, they were moving from place to place, which indicates to me they were maybe ramping up for dusk when activity picks up. They may have also been finding more inconspicuous spots to sit before this time of high activity. Furthermore, they may have been trying to avoid the human activity going on in the area. Therefore, I would say each bird was in a transition period between high activity functions such as intense foraging, and was therefore moving to improve survival. The constant perching for each was likely a way of reducing energy usage in order to preserve it for peak activity periods. On the flip side the constant movement from perch to perch may have been a means of warming up and increasing metabolism in preparation for high activity, but this seems less likely.

Date: February 21, 2024
Start Time: 3:25pm
End Time: 4:30pm
Location: Intervale Center, Burlington, Vermont
Weather: Partly cloudy, 37℉, windy- 13mph
Habitat: Silver maple-ostrich fern floodplain along the Winooski river

Observations:
American Crow- 2 Observation Sites
1) I spotted three American Crows flying over the tree line toward the east and heard them calling.
2) I first heard and then spotted over twenty American Crows flying over the tree line toward the east.
Downy Woodpecker- 1 Observation Site
1) I spotted one Downy Woodpecker climbing up a dead snag, pecking at the bark as it went.
American Robin- 1 Observation Site
1) I heard two American Robins calling, and then subsequently saw three of them fly overhead.
White-breasted Nuthatch- 1 Observation Site
1) I heard one White-breasted Nuthatch calling loudly.
Common Merganser- 1 Observation Site
1) Standing on the bank of the river, I could see one male Common merganser swimming up river to the right and two other Common Mergansers swimming farther down river, with one being male and the other a female.

For this field journal, I went to the Intervale and observed a range of species including the American Crow, American Robin, White-breasted Nuthatch, Downy Woodpecker, and Common Merganser. The most active of the species I observed was the American Crow. At the time of observation, the American Crow could first be heard cawing and then emerged flying over the tree canopy. After the first crow appeared, two others followed in the same direction. Later in my observation, twenty-five more flew overhead, with the whole group heading in the same eastern direction. Given the time of day, I would guess the crows were leaving the area to find their roosting site for the night. Roosting is a habit crows utilize to maintain body heat when it’s cold and dark, and in winter they may roost earlier given the low temperatures and limited sunlight. This means the crows rest more during the winter season- likely in a group of large trees just beyond where I could see past the river.

Walking farther into the forest, I noticed a lot of snags, with more to my right toward the banks of the river than the left in more forested area. These snags were likely more prevalent along the river opening due to the eroding sandy bank and exposure to wind. Once I had passed at least 10 snags, I came across a Down Woodpecker working its way up a small, recently broken tree. The Downy Woodpecker seemed to be foraging for insects within the bark of the tree as it hopped up the main branch it was perched upon. During winter, I’d assume it’s harder for Downy Woodpeckers to make up their whole diet with insects given the cold temperatures, but it’s possible the bark of trees allows insects to survive and maintain the woodpecker’s meals. These insects likely help supplement the lack of more abundant bugs they would eat in the summer.
As far as resting, there were plenty of larger snags with holes and cavities where the downy could nest, and these areas would certainly help regulate body heat and ward off the wind for them and other bird species. In this particular area where the Downy Woodpecker was present, I also observed the large group of American Crows flying over, a White-breasted Nuthatch calling, and three American Robins flying. This area had large Silver Maple trees with a variety of cavities present towards the top of the canopy and a lot of smaller snags like that which the woodpecker was on. Therefore, I would say birds were more abundant in areas with more snags around the bottom of the canopy where there are also large, live trees. These snags likely provide areas of shelter for birds in the winter and maintain habitat for insects and small animals that birds can eat. Furthermore, they have nesting potential for a lot of species that need debris in order to keep their nests hidden. With that being said, I would say small birds that are searching for insects are the most likely to use these habitats such as White-breasted Nuthatches and Downy Woodpeckers. However, I can imagine a bird of prey might target them as well when looking for food.
Comparatively, the areas with fewer snags around the base of the trees seemed to have less activity when going farther into the woods. I will say, one bird I observed which wasn't using the snags was the Common Merganser which were swimming along the river despite the temperatures being extremely low. These birds are adapted to cold water conditions with their feet having no soft tissue and blood flow always bringing warmth to the heart. However, they likely still have to maintain some heat saving behaviors in the winter to survive the cold conditions such as fluffing their feathers out and tucking their heads to reduce heat loss. Being water birds, these Common Mergansers spend most of their time in the water to hunt for fish, invertebrates and other aquatic species, with fish likely making up that majority in the winter due to bugs and fish not being able to survive the colder weather. During the night, these birds likely rest slightly out of water to maintain body heat, such as on the banks and in larger cavities made by fallen trees. In a way, this is the Common Merganser's way of using snags since many trees around the Intervale do fall into the river.

Date: February 8, 2024
Start Time: 10:05am
End Time: 11:05am
Location: East Woods
Weather: 40℉, Sunny, no wind

Account:

I observed a brown creeper moving upwards along a very tall tree. I first noticed the creeper using Merlin bird ID when it made the doo-doo-doo-doo call in an up-down-down-up tone. It then flew very quickly in a very fast paced fluttering motion from around the backside of a tree and landed on the front side of another tree trunk where it was visible to me. At that point I could see the distinctive white belly of the creeper which appeared like a stripe against the bark. It then seamlessly hopped up the tree toward another branch while moving its head before returning to the backside where I couldn’t see it anymore. The wings of the creeper are sharp, but they don’t seem to move very long distances when flying so it’s hard to distinguish their shape well. This fluttery short flight pattern could be used for identification alongside the very white breast given these are pretty distinctive. Their movement climbing up the tree and eating bugs under the bark also makes them distinctive given that other birds like the nuthatch tend to move downward. Although these features are easy to spot in theory, the brown color certainly makes them blend in and I may have had better luck seeing them earlier in the morning.

Comparing this bird to the black-capped chickadee, their flight patterns, movements, and vocalizations seem to be much different. In particular, the chickadee is thicker in stature and splays its wings more when flying so that it can almost float in the air. Furthermore, the chickadee vocalized much more when in the woods, with three to four calling versus only one brown creeper calling while observing. These were interesting comparisons to make given that both are songbirds in the same habitat but take up different ecological niches. The creeper seems to occupy a niche in which is eats the bugs along tree bark and moves less, while the black-capped chickadee seems to eat a more seed based diet closer to the ground where it can swoop.

The next time I go to this area, I want to bring binoculars so I can look upward toward the canopy, as I feel this species may be higher up than I had expected. Therefore, I would like to explore similarly woody areas with tall canopies but earlier in the day and with a way to view the tree bark better in order to spot them. However, if the conditions are windy I wonder whether the birds would be farther down the tree to avoid the movement at the top of the canopy. Given what seems to be poor flight skills, these birds may avoid poor weather so that they don’t have to fly long distances.