Diario de clarasarantopoulos

Due to health issues these past few weeks, I was only able to get to bird watching today, April 8th, between 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm. It was rainy and cold, about 41 degrees, and there was heavy wind. I walked to Red Stone campus, hoping to find the flock of American Robins that I have been following the past few weeks. I was able to hear them hiding in the pine trees, but I was unable to get any good pictures of them. I then walked past the Southwick Music Hall and saw a Red-tailed Hawk playing in the wind. It glided past the building and towards the athletic fields, not flapping its wings but rather using its tail to guide it through the air currents. I walked behind the Catholic center, over to the ROTC building, and then up towards LnL, only hearing faint calls and songs of American Robins and Black-capped Chickadees. On my way past the Honors College Dorms, I heard bird calls that I was not familiar with, and so I recorded them and have put them up for identification. I am hoping to learn their identity soon. On my way back towards the Red Stone Lofts, I saw a large flock of approximately 14 Ring-billed Gulls flying towards the athletic fields.
The Ring-billed Gulls that I saw do winter over in Vermont. We are located between their breeding and non-breeding territories, but it is possible that we have year-round residents. There is plenty of food here in Burlington for them and there is access to the lake, which also has water routes both to the south and to other parts of New England. When they migrate they do so along water routes, so Burlington is a perfect place for them.
The Red-tailed Hawk that I saw commonly do not migrate, although some northern hawks will migrate south. They are common year-round residents. They hunt their prey, and the snow does not cause any hindrance they cannot overcome. They have high-calorie diets that can keep them warm in the winter.
The American Robins breed in Vermont, and commonly flock migrants, but do not always travel far from their breeding grounds. They may go just a few miles south for the winter. They flock together to keep warm and staying close to breeding grounds would allow for them to ensure territory and an early start to the breeding season.
The Black-capped Chickadees are a resident species and winter over in Vermont. They are small and eat high-calorie seeds, and also have lots down and the ability to puff up to keep warm.
A long-distance migrant is a Scarlet Tanager, which bases its migration off of changes in the length of day and changes in hormones. They come up from the south, which is warm and has more food available in the winter. They might not have the ability to keep warm in the winter or have trouble finding enough calories to sustain themselves in the snow and cold. THeir color might also give them a disadvantage in the white snow.
Some advantages of migrants arriving in April are they get a jump start on claiming territory and they will experience mud season. There will be new growth to find food in and breeding can happen earlier. However, there is always the chance of a rouge snowstorm that will freeze everything over for a long period of time, which could be deadly if the birds are not able to keep warm or find food.

On April 22, 2019, I went birding between 4:00 pm and 5:30 pm. It was sunny and around 65 degrees with a slight breeze. I started my walk at the Redstone Lofts and made my way onto the Redstone green. There I encountered Song Sparrows in the shorter trees. They were solitary and singing from the higher branches, possibly marking their territory or trying to attract mates. I then walked along the low bushes that surround the green and saw American Robins foraging for food. They were not calling nor were they alone, which could indicate that they were a collective of males and females that shared territory or that they were females who had chosen the male who claimed that area for his own. I made my way around Wright Hall and past Slade Hall. I stopped in a small grove of fruit-bearing trees to complete the mini Activity, and while doing so saw more American Robins and Common Grackle. These trees are potential nesting sites for these birds for the American Robins, and so were the tall shrubs that made a barrier between the grass and South Prospect Street. Other potential nesting sites include the tall pine trees that are closer to the dorms and the taller trees across the street.
I then moved on and walked along South Prospect Street, where I heard Black-capped CHickadees, Tufted Titmouse, and Northern Cardinals calling and singing. These birds were most likely marking their territories or trying to attract mates. I reentered Campus near Robinson Hall and proceeded to walk along the sidewalk towards Southwick Music Hall. I concluded my walk where I started it at the Redstone Lofts.
The American RObins that I saw usually sing in the trees alone, although they were also seen in flocks. This could indicate that their territories overlap and that their nests could be closer together. They were at various heights when I observed them, but they were usually only singing in shorter trees, which indicates that their nests are not that high up. The Common Grackle I saw were only in large groups, which indicates that their nests will be closer together. They also tend to gather in high trees, which could be an ideal place for their nests. The Song Sparrow was in a shorter tree as it sang, and was solitary. This could indicate that they have lower nests and are not flocking, which means their nests may be found in large shrubs of shorter trees.