Archivos de diario de abril 2021

05 de abril de 2021

Ornithology - April 4 & 5, 2020

Date - April 5, 2021

Start time - 7:45 am
End time - 8:49 am
Location - Derway Island Nature Preserve
eBird Checklist - https://ebird.org/vt/checklist/S84865745

Revisited Derway to see if I could pick up anything new that I hadn't seen the day prior. I was lucky enough to see a Belted Kingfisher calling and flying over the Winooski. I also had a large number of Golden-crowned Kinglets who were very active in the tree tops. At one point during my walk, I witnessed what later Googling suggests was an American Robin courting ritual in which a flock of males chase a female. I didn't get a good look to see if the bird being chased was a female but there was clearly a chase going on involving at least 5 robins. At the end of the visit, I heard a unusually loud Red-breasted Nuthatch that seemed, along with his constant calling, to be displaying with constant wing flicks. He seemed to be doing this in reaction to the Downy Woodpeckers and White-breasted Nuthatches nearby. I mentioned the encounter to Allan and he suggested that perhaps one of the Screech-Owls (see notes from April 4 below) was nearby. Of course, like an idiot I hadn't even thought to check for those, but in retrospect it seems likely, as there seemed to be a general commotion amongst all the birds in the vicinity.

Date - April 4, 2021

Start time - 7:46 am
End time - 9:01 am
Location - Derway Island Nature Preserve
eBird Checklist - https://ebird.org/vt/checklist/S84766174

Went birding with a friend and our dogs in Derway Island Nature Preserve. There was definitely a lot more activity even than a week prior. Notable highlights were the mating desplay of a male Brown-headed Cowbird to a female, hearing an Eastern Phoebe singing, and seeing a male Wood Duck in a tree (see photo). Was hoping to see the Eastern Screech-Owls that have been seen there, but no such luck.

Mini Activity- Frequent Flyer: As you assemble your species list, use a trusted ornithology resource (a.k.a. All About Birds or Birds of The World species accounts) to determine the general wintering range for each species you encounter. With the aid of Google Maps or Google Earth, determine a rough straight-line distance between your site and the species’ wintering location. On a napkin or the back of an envelope, add up the rough total miles traveled by all the facultative and obligate migrants that have recently arrived at your natural area for your personal observation!

TOTAL DISTANCE = 7,775 miles

Canada Goose:
Year-round in some parts of Vermont & obligate migrant in others
Distance - 750 miles

Wood Duck:
Year-round in some parts of Vermont & obligate migrant in others
Distance - 1,550 miles

Common Goldeneye:
Obligate migrant
Distance - 100 miles

Hooded Merganser:
Year-round

Common Merganser:
Year-round

Double-crested Cormorant:
Obligate migrant
Distance - 450 miles

Great Blue Heron
Year-round

Bald Eagle
Facultative? I had trouble telling from Birds of the World
Distance - 225 miles

Red-bellied Woodpecker
Facultative? I had trouble telling from Birds of the World
Distance - 100 miles

Pileated Woodpecker
Year-round

Eastern Phoebe
Obligate migrant
Distance - 350 miles

Blue Jay
Year-round

Black-capped Chickadee
Year-round

Tufted Titmouse
Year-round

Red-breasted Nuthatch
Year-round

White-breasted Nuthatch
Year-round

Brown Creeper
Year-round

American Robin
Facultative
Distance - 1,250 miles

American Goldfinch
Year-round

Song Sparrow
Year-round

Red-winged Blackbird
Year-round in some parts of Vermont & obligate migrant in others
Year-round in Derway Island location

Brown-headed Cowbird
Year-round in some parts of Vermont & obligate migrant in others
Distance - 1,250 miles

Common Grackle
Year-round in some parts of Vermont & obligate migrant in others
Distance - 1,750 miles

Northern Cardinal
Year-round

Publicado el abril 5, 2021 08:03 TARDE por lizamorse lizamorse | 9 observaciones | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

19 de abril de 2021

Ornithology - April 19, 2020

Date - April 19, 2021

Start time - 1:12 pm
End time - 2:17 pm
Location - Woodside Natural Area
eBird Checklist - https://ebird.org/vt/checklist/S85908188

Start time - 2:17 pm
End time - 2:55 pm
Location - Saint Michael's Natural Area
eBird Checklist - https://ebird.org/vt/checklist/S85910708

The afternoon was warm and sunny, and unsurprisingly it started off slow which only Song Sparrows and a Northern Cardinal. Probably the most exciting sightings of the day were when we stopped to take a break at a bench overlooking the wetland area. Next to the bench area was a number of conifers where there were two Ruby-crowned Kinglets singing. Unfortunately, they weren't singing loud enough or consistently enough for me to get a good recording. As we were listening to the Kinglets, a pair of Black Vultures flew over the wetland area.

After we completed the Woodside loop, we walked into Saint Michael's Natural Area via the trail that meets the road near the Woodside parking area. There we were able to observe via sound several woodpecker species, including my first of the year Yellow-bellied Sapsucker! We also heard a triller next to a wetland area but were unable to determine if it was a Dark-eyed Junco, a Chipping Sparrow, or a Swamp Sparrow.

Non-bird observations included a Baltimore Oriole nest and a bunch of Painted Turtles.

Publicado el abril 19, 2021 08:16 TARDE por lizamorse lizamorse | 9 observaciones | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

26 de abril de 2021

Ornithology - April 24, 2021

Date - April 24, 2021

Start time - 8:40 am
End time - 10:33 am
Location - Little River State Park
eBird Checklist - https://ebird.org/vt/checklist/S86247171

We spent the morning at Little River State Park. We started out on the Dam in the hopes of spotting some water birds. There wasn't much out on the water but we did get our first of the year Common Loon accompanied by a Common Merganser. After spending a bit of time on the water, we walked into the park from the boat launch. A tentative Blue-headed Vireo took a while to ID as we kept "pushing it" away from us. Not sure how aversion to humans affects territory establishment, but the individual kept singing even as we pushed it farther and farther from its original singing perch. We heard another Blue-headed Vireo singing later that morning, but it was much farther into the park. I'm not sure if that is an indication of the large size of the BHVI territory or if, more likely, it's an indication that these were the first individuals to show up and that more are still on their way.

We saw some evidence of nesting with a robin sitting in a nest in a small pine (see photo observation). The individual flew out of the nest as I approached. The fact that I didn't get super close and the individual still left the nest suggests to me that there weren't yet any eggs in the nest yet. I also wasn't able to see any eggs present. The nest seemed fully built -- could it have been a nest from an earlier year or do Robins really build their nests that early? We also observed an old unoccupied nest that looked to be about the right size for some sort of warbler or vireo (see photo). It was very out in the open at the edge of a wooded area right by the road.

We also heard and saw 2 singing male Pine Warblers singing, very appropriately, in large pines or hemlocks. The only other behavior of interest was a male Wood Duck with his mate that were very skiddish -- perhaps indicative of the mate-guarding behavior they display?

Mini Activity- Sound Map:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/18VHzwKV-9sURfp3Ex1XUBcTg2aeFHBXH/view?usp=sharing

Publicado el abril 26, 2021 09:02 TARDE por lizamorse lizamorse | 11 observaciones | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

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