adrianfor's Journal

Time - 9:50am - 10:22am
Date - April 28, 2024
Location - Burlington, VT on UVM campus
Weather - light rain, some wind, 64°F
Habitat - urban area, mixed deciduous and coniferous trees

Date - April 20, 2024
Start time - 2:19 pm
End time - 3:15 pm
Location - Catamount Drive, Burlington, VT, 44.47419° N, 73.18652° W
Weather - Cloudy, light wind, 50°F
Habitat - Road, mixed deciduous/coniferous edge, marsh

For my bird walk, I went to the DoubleTree and the road behind it. During my past visits to Centennial, there was significantly more bird activity near the edge, so I wanted to explore the surrounding area a bit more. Walking down Catamount Drive, I saw and heard a male Northern Cardinal giving a mating call, though I couldn’t see any females in the area. I passed a small marshy area and heard a couple Red-winged Blackbirds calling conk-la-reeeee!, but I couldn’t spot them among the reeds and sedges, so their calls could have been territorial or in search of a mate. They typically nest among the reeds, which provide plenty of materials. I heard and spotted an Eastern Phoebe giving its classic phoe-beee! call, my first time identifying one in the wild. Being a resident of the woods, the Phoebes construct their nests out of debris from the forest floor in the sides of alcoves, a considerably different method from the Red-winged Blackbirds, who build nests woven from the marsh’s grassy vegetation close to the water’s surface. Both species take advantage of the materials and natural features that are a part of their different habitats, and likely don’t have to search too far.
There was a lot of activity by the parking lot behind the DoubleTree. What appeared to be White-throated Sparrows were rummaging through the leaf litter, seemingly in search of food. They weren’t carrying any debris away, which leads me to believe they weren’t constructing nests. However, their nests may have been close by, since they build them fairly close to the ground. I identified them based on their black and white striped caps and their call appearing on my Merlin ID app, but they could have been White-crowned Sparrows, which have a similar appearance and behavior. Most notably, I heard and saw a male Northern Flicker at the top of a tree giving a loud, repetitive call. It seemed to be a territorial display, as another male was not far off in the grass, as well as a Blue Jay flying between trees. They nest fairly high up in trees, so its nest might have been close by if not in the same tree it was calling from. There were some female Northern Flickers in the area as well, so it could have been a mating display. This display demonstrates the species’ fitness and ability to defend its territory.
I saw a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and heard its jumbled song from a pine tree, possibly as a mating display. It didn’t flash its characteristic red crown, so it could have been a female. Some Dark-eyed Juncos were calling to each other as well, with their distinct, high-pitched chirping, encouraging each other to move between bushes. Northern Cardinals and Black-capped Chickadees were also out and about, traveling between trees together and singing their usual songs. I could hear some Chipping Sparrows and Song Sparrows in the distance as well. Occasionally, an American Crow would fly high above and give a strong caw caw caw. What seemed to be a Hairy Woodpecker was pecking along the side of a tree in search of food. I couldn’t get a clear look at the length of its beak, but its size indicated that it likely wasn’t a Downy Woodpecker.

Time - 9:48am - 10:24am
Date - Saturday, April 6, 2024
Location - Burlington, VT on UVM campus
Weather - cloudy, some wind, 40°F
Habitat - urban area, mixed deciduous and coniferous trees

Date - March 25, 2024
Start time - 3:42 pm
End time - 4:50 pm
Location - Centennial Woods, Burlington, VT, 44.475031559574255, -73.18814416159285
Weather - 40°F, sunny, no wind
Habitat - mixed deciduous and coniferous forest

I went back to Centennial Woods for my field journal today. The snow on Saturday threw off my plans to go to East Woods for a change in location, so I hope to travel there next time. At the entrance to Centennial, I heard a couple Black-capped Chickadees calling to each other and chirping, though I couldn’t spot them. They continued singing as I walked down the path, and I saw two up in the trees talking to each other. Since Chickadees are year-round residents of Vermont, I had expected to see a few today, and they were definitely the predominant species I observed. Continuous access to food and physiological adaptations for surviving the cold have allowed Chickadees to forgo migration. Regulatory behaviors such as facultative hypothermia are essential for energy conservation and success in such cold weather. Today was fairly warm compared to the weekend, so all the Chickadees I saw were flying around instead of shivering on tree branches.
As I continued walking down the path, I saw and heard three White-breasted Nuthatches up high, seemingly foraging along the trees. Consistently, I heard calls from Northern Cardinals in the distance, but wasn’t able to spot any up close. There were a few instances where I heard some kind of woodpecker pecking at a tree, but with the absence of a decipherable call or any visuals, I couldn’t determine the species. Additionally, Pileated, Downy, and Hairy Woodpeckers are typically non-migratory, so it could have been any of those. I heard the “peter-peter” of a Tufted Titmouse, as well as the song of a Brown Creeper. I was able to spot two Tufted Titmouses (Titmice?) up in the trees, talking to each other, but I couldn’t find the Brown Creeper. It was interesting to see and hear so many non-migratory species today after some quiet trips to Centennial in the past. Knowing that these species typically stay close to home, I would have expected to see them more consistently over the past few months.
On my way back from Centennial, I passed the Marsh Life Science building and saw about six American Robins in the trees eating berries. I saw a Cedar Waxwing join the group and eat as well. Robins are largely facultative migrants, moving with changes in weather and food availability, so I had not seen any for the past few months. They likely traveled up from more southern states, having sought warmer climates and more food at the start of winter. With the abundance of berries on the trees outside Marsh, food availability seems to be the primary reason for their return. While the weather was (relatively) warm and sunny today, this season is still unpredictable, as demonstrated by the snowfall this past weekend. Thus, a warm, stable climate is probably not the reason for the Robins’ return to Burlington. All About Birds’ distribution map shows that American Robins travel as far south as Florida, Texas and Mexico for the winter, meaning that they may be migrating over 2,000 miles to get from here to there!
My past journeys to Centennial have been fairly uneventful, so I was glad to hear so many birds around today. Their songs remind me that spring and warmer weather is coming. East Woods will be my next spot, and I’m interested to see if there will be any variation with species abundance between there and Centennial, especially as it continues to get warmer.

Date - March 8, 2024
Start time - 4:16 pm
End time - 5:28 pm
Location - Waltham, Massachusetts, 42.380177, -71.205846
Weather - 47°F, sunny, light wind, no precipitation
Habitat - suburbs, scattered deciduous and coniferous trees

For my observations this week, I waited a bit last minute so I could observe some birds from my hometown, Waltham, MA. I wanted to move away from Centennial Woods for this expedition, and what better way than to go to a completely different state? I stayed within my neighborhood, which is very suburban and contains no patch habitats for wildlife aside from scattered Sugar Maples, Red Oaks, and Hemlocks. Even so, I saw and heard more birds today than my past two walks combined. Relegated to my own backyard at first, I didn’t see any birds. I heard what sounded like distant House Sparrows and decided to venture towards the sound. As I walked up my street, I heard a myriad of calls, including those of Northern Cardinals, House Finches, Black-capped Chickadees, and Mourning Doves. The Merlin Bird ID app was very helpful today, and allowed me to identify calls I wasn’t familiar with, like Red-winged Blackbirds and Song Sparrows. It was difficult to spot these birds up close, but I caught a glimpse of two House Sparrows gathered in the bushes and 3 other individuals flying overhead. I gave a small “pssssh” sound when I saw them, but they seemed pretty unbothered and continued to talk to one another. The noise pollution of the area potentially drowned me out. I imagine this sound can be enticing because it is similar to existing songbird calls.
With so many different species of birds talking to each other, it was difficult to focus on one group. Additionally, the noise pollution in the suburbs can be distracting, with cars driving on main roads close by and neighbors operating chainsaws. Still, the birds continued to sing and I decided to focus on a group of House Finches I heard pretty distinctly. From their warbled song and characteristic trill, I identified them and took a short audio recording of their call. I also heard them singing similar but more lengthy songs. Unfortunately, I couldn’t spot any individuals to determine their sex or note any advantages of their plumage. After comparing the calls I heard with recordings of mating calls from the House Finch Audubon page, I’d hazard a guess that the individuals I heard were males singing courtship songs. With spring approaching and birds returning to my neighborhood, nesting seems like a fair explanation for what I heard today. My observations took place in the afternoon, so it's likely that these House Finches spent the earlier portion of the day looking for food.
It was very exciting to hear so many birds today and be able to identify them by their songs alone. It’s interesting to me that there is greater abundance and more species variation in the suburbs, since it’s in such close proximity to human activity. I grew up being accustomed to all the different bird sounds of the neighborhood, so they’ve faded into the background over the years. With the identification skills I have now and the notable absence of birds near my dorm in Vermont, I have a new appreciation for the species that live near me, as common as they may be. My next birding trip will be in Vermont, and I hope to go to East Woods for a change in location.

Date - February 23, 2024
Start time - 4:03
End time - 5:07
Location - Centennial Woods, Burlington, VT, 44.475031559574255, -73.18814416159285
Weather - 43°, mostly sunny, light wind, no precipitation
Habitat - mixed coniferous, deciduous forest

I went back to Centennial today to hopefully see more birds than last time and observe their wintertime behavior. I aimed to stay closer to the edge of the forest, so I could spot more individuals. I took my trip close to sunset, so the weather was relatively cold and windy when I arrived. My first spot was fairly close to the entrance as well as the path. Surrounding the path are large bushes of bramble and many snags. Inside these bushes, I could hear a chicka-dee-dee-dee-dee call coming from multiple Black-capped Chickadees. I spotted three jumping from branch to branch inside the bramble and flying off to greet other Chickadees in leafless deciduous trees a bit farther from the path. One individual perched in a tree closer to me pecked at the bud of the branch it stood on, potentially seeking food. It may be more difficult for Chickadees to forage this time of year with the absence of insects and seeds. Some birds sat still and fluffed up their feathers, trying to warm up as dusk approached. In a bramble bush farther from the path, I spotted two Dark-eyed Juncos hanging out. They didn’t make any calls, but from their darker face and chest, I distinguished them from the Chickadees. Paired with their calls, I heard a few Northern Cardinals, though I didn’t see them.
I kept an eye out for snags as I was walking down the path, and while it was difficult to distinguish them from leafless trees, I spotted some that were clearly dead. The birds I saw did not seem to have a preference between snags and living trees. Many of the trees had Pileated Woodpecker holes bored in them, though I didn’t see any around today. Snags with cavities are particularly important aspects of the ecosystem because they can house different birds as well as provide food in the form of wood-boring insects. At my next spot, I sat close by running water to try and spot some new species. I heard and saw more Black-capped Chickadees flying around with their wide, sweeping flight pattern. Some American Crows flew overhead and called their characteristic CAW-CAW-CAW. Additionally, a lone Common Raven was circling around close by.
The birds I saw today were fairly active; they were mostly looking for food, communicating with each other, and flying to different locations. Only a few birds seemed to be resting, and when I did spot them, they flew away not long after. Since most of my observations took place later in the evening, the birds were probably preparing to sleep. I didn’t see many birds today, possibly due to the weather conditions and time of day. For my next trip, I aim to go someplace other than Centennial Woods, so I can hopefully find some species I haven’t observed before, and note how species composition varies across sites.

Date - February 8, 2024
Start time - 1:42 PM
End time - 2:46 PM
Location - Centennial Woods, Burlington, VT, 44.475031559574255, -73.18814416159285
Weather - 43°F, sunny, no wind
Habitat - mixed deciduous and coniferous forest

I moved to a few different spots in Centennial during my visit today. My first location was off the path and relatively shady. It was primarily older growth White Pines and Sugar Maples, with little vegetation. Here, I did not see many individuals up close. I heard many different calls, including that of the White-breasted Nuthatch, Black-capped Chickadee, Northern Cardinal, as well as the distant pecking of a Pileated Woodpecker. I spotted two birds far away from where I stood, and though I was using binoculars, I wasn’t able to assuredly identify them. They were silhouetted against the sky, so their coloration wasn’t visible to me. However, from their relative size and shape, they appeared to be White-breasted Nuthatches. Their beaks were longer than that of Chickadees, and their posture was more horizontal. Their flight patterns and movements were much straighter and did not possess the sweeping flight of Chickadees. They were the only individuals I saw while at this spot. There was very little foot traffic and no inclement weather, so the absence of birds was likely due to noise pollution from the jets, the time of day, and possibly the close proximity to the path.
For my next spot, I moved deeper into the woods and close to the stream. This spot was on a hillside in full sunlight, and had a lot of new growth. This area was made up of White Pines. The few birds I spotted were far away, but I determined from their call, size, and flight pattern that they were Black-capped Chickadees. I heard their characteristic chick-a-dee-dee-dee call, and saw three grouped together in a tree. When they flew away, I saw that their wings were elliptical, and they had a quick, bouncy flight pattern. They flapped their wings a few times and swept in wide dips while in flight. The birds perched on relatively low tree branches, which is likely better suited to this pattern. I caught a clear glimpse of these Chickadees, and was able to complete the pattern on my mini sketch. It was fairly easy to fill out my sketch, as Chickadees have distinct coloration, with the black cap and cheek contrasting with their gray wings and white belly. Though I didn’t see them, I heard more White-breasted Nuthatches and Northern Cardinals in this spot, as well as an American Crow. On my way out of the woods, I spotted a Barred Owl asleep on a high branch in a white pine. I was able to identify it based on the white and brown, streaky pattern of its feathers, and its round head. I was surprised to see one at this time of day and in such an open, sunny spot so close to the path.
In the future, I’ll probably have better luck finding more birds earlier in the morning on another sunny day. Since many of the species I heard and spotted today like Chickadees and Nuthatches are able to thrive in suburban areas, I would also stay closer to the edge of the woods. I was short on time today, so I didn’t get to explore too much, but I plan on spending much more time in the woods next time. It may help for me to pick one spot and wait there, as my walking creates a lot of noise and may scare off any birds that are close by. Even though I spotted very few birds today, I consider this a successful trip because I was able to identify many different calls and apply what I’ve learned in class about flight to distinguish between species.