Diario de gushay

Date: 3/23/23
Start time: 3:04 PM
End time: 4:17 PM
Location: Woodside Natural Area, South Burlington, VT
Temperature: ranged from 31° F to 29° F
Weather:
Clear, bright day, partial cloud coverage but strong sunshine! No precipitation and very little/mild wind. Ground almost entirely covered in snow (not fresh)
Habitat:
-Dense wooded area, bare white and red oak trees, small red berries growing all over! Dense bare brush, varying heights. Ground covered with snow, and berries! Winooski River nearby, small stream of running water underneath snowcover further down trail

Today I went to the Woodside Natural Area in Essex and had such a pleasant experience!! We arrived at the trail head around 3pm and as soon as we got out of the car, I could hear so many birds!! Another bird-watcher told us to look out for the Bohemian Waxwing "eating berries and making funny calls" as she was leaving. She was very sweet, put very good energy into the air! There were 4 other people down the straight path that starts the trail, 3 of which were accompanied by a dog. As we walked down the path, I was stunned at how many birds there were! Upon further consideration I think there were only about 12 Black-capped Chickadees but they were continuously flying around from tree to tree being very active and vocal! The dense, wooded forest that surrounds the path arches slightly above you as you walk down, creating a perfect atmosphere to observe the friendly birds that inhabit them! I got so many great pictures and lots of videos! As we walked further down the path , another birdwatcher with a huge camera offered us some bird seed to feed the birds and get some good pictures! These birds were very cautious, but they would eat right out of your palm! A few would sit in the branches above and around and scope you out for a bit, chirping to eachother before and after taking short trips down to observe you a bit closer. I got a good look at their bright white wings, with pronounced, very scalloped primary feathers! They are very swift birds, yet seeing them fly up close and looking back at videos, you can see how the rest of their body and legs kind of jolt around as their powerful wings steer and stop them abruptly, yet very precisely! Very neat experience I would definitely recommend this location for the opportunity to see flight patterns so closely!
We continued to walk down the trail and stopped to listen to what sounded like crows for a bit. I saw 2 large, what looked and sounded to be murders of crows flying in the distance. At this point we were standing overlooking the Winooski River from the Northwest shore, and both of the flocks of birds were flying Southward. We stayed for a bit and practiced some bird calls, but did not receive many replies. We continued walking down the trail and crossed a bridge over a small stream. The fauna resembled that which we had seen at the start, although this area was not as dense. At around 3:45 we made our way back and spent some more time on the first section of the trail, infatuated by these friendly Chickadees yet again!! At one point, we heard a flock of birds flying overhead. We identified these birds as Bohemian Waxwings, based on their repetitive, wharbly?, and shrill calls. I was excited to observe these birds, despite not seeing them eating the red berries!! Further down the trail, we observed another photographer place a handful of seeds on a stump to get some good photos. When he was done we observed this area for a bit and saw a lot of activity! There were a bunch of Black-capped Chickadees, possibly the same group from before. Hiding in the trees further back, we spotted what looked like a Downy Woodpecker. His red eyebrow/ head patch alerted our eyes and I could then see his black and white , checkered, wings. Through my binoculars I couldn't see his beak very clearly, but based on its small size I identified it as a Downy vs a Hairy Woodpecker. What a great surprise! Slightly further down the path, sitting on a fallen tree, I spotted a Dark-eyed Junco!! I was able to snap a picture but it took off shortly after. Like the Chickadees, this Junco flew very fast, powered only by a few, powerful flaps!

The ground was fully covered with snow during this trip, and little foliage remained on the trees. However, I did notice a handful of nests throughout the bare forest, mainly made of twigs and small piney looking branches. I noticed many dead trees and fallen branches scattered all over the ground, but did not venture to observe them very closely, as I was already seeing so much activity! I did notice that right on top of many fallen logs and exposed stumps, clumps of small twigs and the piney branches looked intentionally nestled. I imagine birds and other critters have been using these nests to stay warm and off of the cold snow! This birding excursion was quite successful and I'm excited to return to this location and explore more! I wonder what this area is like in the morning and in the Spring when the fauna starts growing back in!

3/10/2023
Start: 2:43 PM
End: 4:02 PM
Location: Wheeler Nature Park Shelburne, Vermont
Temperature: 34 degrees
Weather: Party cloudy, windy
Habitat: Open field, covered in snow, patches of trees and brush running between road and trail. Farmlands on either side of property. Dog park located nearby, lots of dog activity

For this weeks assignment, I went to the Wheeler Nature Park on Dorset Street. I work further down on Dorset street and had seen this park on the map, as well as the dog park situated at the start of the trail heads, but never explored it. I arrived at 2:40 PM and could hear bird calls and dogs barking right off the bat. I started on the trail and immediately spotted 2 American Crows soaring around some tall trees. A 3rd crow was perched in the trees, calling to the others it seemed. I followed the trail as it veered to the right and away from the trees. I was slightly disappointed as I wanted to get closer to all the bird song I was hearing! But as I continued to walk into the open field I started to hear some other birds in the distance, seemingly coming from the right of the open field, where there was another chunk of forest.
I continued along the trail for a bit longer and decided to turn left and cut through the field a bit to get to the corridor of trees I had seen the crows in before. Around 3pm I made it to the path along the trees, and was so surprised to see so much activity! I heard lots of mixed bird song and calls, mainly that of the American Robin. The right of the path was lined by a wall of dense brush and trees. There was little foliage left on the live trees and dead trees and fallen logs littered the ground. As I walked, I counted 5 American Robins in the trees, hopping from branch to branch, chirping, and 4 American Robins foraging on the ground where the snow had melted. I was able to get a good look using my binoculars and noticed that their chests were much more yellow than I thought they would be! Compared to the coppery-brown feathers I’m used to seeing, their plumage was definitely more yellow-orange than red-orange, perhaps these robins were immature males or females. I continued along the path and as I moved further down, I counted 14 American Robins all on the ground foraging! As I moved closer they flew away/ moved down, but didn’t seem too disturbed by my presence.
Around 3:30 PM, I noticed a smaller bird with much quicker dips in flight fly across the path. Shortly after, I began hearing different bird chatter than that of the Robins. I observed the brush that the little bird flew to and saw 3 Black-capped Chickadees perched together. As I approached, their chatter got much louder and they began flying around more actively. Definitely Black-capped Chickadees! Around 3:45PM I headed back as I had to go to work. I followed the path beside the trees the entire way back and I continued to see Robins in the brush, and lots of squirrels too! At one point, I began to hear pecking on a tree above me, and sure enough in a taller tree I saw a black and white striped bird. As it hopped around the diameter of the main tree trunk, I saw a splotch of bright red by the bird's eyebrow. I identified this bird as a Hairy Woodpecker, its eye catching plumage and its mainly its Robin-like size led me to this. As I approached the beginning of the trail, I saw 2 crows in the sky, I wondered if they were the same ones I had seen before! I was so pleasantly surprised by the level of bird activity I had observed here! And dog activity as well! I noticed as I returned to the trailhead that I was walking along the Goldenrod trail. I definitely plan on returning to this location and hopefully as the weather gets warmer I can see some Goldenrods!

3/25/2023
Start: 12:15 PM
End: 2:06 PM
Location: Mills Riverside Park Jericho, VT
Temperature: 39°F
Weather: Overcast, windy, light snowfall began around 1:30 PM
Habitat: Open field with patches of dense forest, trails lead up and through heavily wooded hillside. Most trees and brush bare, fallen trees and logs littered throughout. Ground covered in snow, partially melted. River running along and small snow melt streams throughout hillside. High levels of human and dog activity.

This week I traveled to Mills Riverside Park in Jericho, VT. I arrived at 12:15PM and began walking along the trail. The first section of the park featured a wide open field with a large, covered pavilion set further back. Looking back now, I wish I had scoped this structure out to see if any birds had built nests in the ceiling beams, as it would provide great protection from elements, wind, and other predators. I did not hear much bird activity as I walked around this field, I saw some birds fly overhead, but I was unable to capture footage or identify them on the spot. I followed the path through a wooded area and into another section of open field. This section of the park was a designated off-leash area for dogs, and sure enough I saw 3 dogs running around playing fetch here. Despite the high level of activity, this was the only place where I clearly heard and saw birds! At around 12:45PM I heard the distinct "cheeeeeseburger" call of a Black-capped Chickadee! I listened for a few minutes before walking by the trees where the sounds were coming from. Sure enough, I saw 3, small, white, grey, and black birds flying from tree to tree. Despite my presence, the birds continued chatting and I was able to capture a pretty clear audio recording.

After a little while of bird and dog watching, I exited the off-leash area and continued along the path. The trail lead up into a more densely wooded area and continued increasing in elevation. I expected to hear and see a lot more birds in this area, but to my dismay I saw none. I walked up the path for about 45 minutes and saw maybe 6 or 7 more dogs and a few humans, but no birds aside from those flying above the canopy. A few times I thought I heard pecking noises, but it turned out to be noises from the trees swaying and creaking in the wind. At around 1:30PM, it began snowing lightly. I kept following the path and eventually started going downhill. I made it back to beginning area and saw some more dogs and people, but no birds. By this time, the snow had started to come down a bit harder and the wind picked up. I got to my car at 2:06 PM and concluded this bird excursion with only one true sighting! Bummer but I was glad to have recorded some good audio.

I have been seeing Black-capped Chickadees here in Vermont all winter! According to the National Wildlife Federation and research done by biologist Susan Sharbaugh, Black-capped Chickadees have adapted extremely effective behaviors and traits that allow them to survive in the cold winter months. First, Black-capped Chickadees have the ability to go into regulated hypothermia at night, meaning their body temperature drops significantly at night to reserve energy stores. In addition, Black-capped Chickadees have thick, insulated winter coats that help them retain heat and stay at the necessary body temp even in below freezing temperatures. I think the most interesting thing I've read about Black-capped Chickadees is that they have a great memory and will hide food around their territory to retrieve later. How neat is that! Pair these adaptations with a good roosting spot and these birds are set for the winter!