nlhardy's Journal

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: 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 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.