Diario de caitlindrasher

Today Emily Feng and I went birding at Lone Rock Point in Burlington, VT. We started our walk at 1pm from North Beach and followed the trail around the property, ending up again at North Beach at 2:30pm. The temperature remained around 25F and it was very windy, with around 24MPH winds with gusts that felt like much more than that. Before we began walking on the trail we saw two Ring-billed Gulls and one Herring Gull onshore and just offshore from North Beach. As we started walking on the trail, we heard one Black-capped Chickadee call. Due to the very loud winds, we quickly realized that this may not have been the best day to hear bird calls!

Continuing on the trail, we came to an opening known as the Parade Grounds. Here we a few more Black-capped Chickadee calls as well as two White-breasted Nuthatch calls believed to be from different birds.

We continued along the trail to the many lookouts over the cliffs on the water's edge. It was extremely windy here, and I expected to see gulls using the wind to help them fly with minimal effort. However, we did not see or hear any birds in these very windy spots. Continuing on the trail along the waters edge, we eventually heard and then saw two Canada Geese flying low over the water below us.

Since it was a bit chilly and still very windy, I was happy to get away from the cliffs and back into the mixed hardwood forest (where we seemed to be encountering more birds anyway.) Coming back on the opposite side of the Parade Grounds, we heard one American Crow call, another White-breasted Nuthatch call, and 4-5 Black-capped Chickadees.

Upon returning to North Beach, we encountered two Ring-billed Gulls (possibly the same ones that we initially saw) and a female Mallard on the water that flew away as we got closer. A moment later we noticed a male and female Mallard pair on the beach, and they entered the water when we approached. An additional male Mallard flew in a minute or two later and joined the pair on the water. There were also four Canada Geese swimming just offshore in the same area.

Despite the high winds and cold weather, we were still able to hear and see some birds in the area. Next time I will definitely pick a less windy day so that I can hear more calls!

Today I went to Woodside Natural Area in Essex, VT. When I got to the natural area at 11:30am, it was 66F, and when I left at 1pm it was 72F. It remained mostly cloudy the entire time I was there, and felt very humid with no noticeable wind.

During this visit to Woodside I was overwhelmed with the amount of bird calls that I heard! There were many calls that I wasn't familiar with, but those that I could identify include American Robin, Canada Goose, White-breasted Nuthatch, Belted Kingfisher (possibly), Red-winged Blackbird, Mourning Dove, Cedar Waxwing, Black-capped Chickadee, American Crow, and Red-breasted Nuthatch.

As I started walking down the trail from the parking lot, I quickly noticed a flash of yellow going from a tree to the ground. Upon closer examination I realized that it was a male American Goldfinch, and it wasn't the only one. There was another male American Goldfinch in a boxelder tree, and a female in a red maple sapling that appeared to have wet feathers. In the same general area, I noticed a Hairy Woodpecker to the northeast side of the trail on the base of a tree. On the opposite side of the trail, there was another Hairy Woodpecker at the top of a tree. A moment later, a pair of Canada Geese flew overhead, calling.

Continuing down the trail towards the river, I heard a Song Sparrow call from the northeast side of the trail. Sure enough, there was a Song Sparrow sitting on a twig of a boxelder tree. There was also an American Robin hopping on the trail in front of me.

Down by the river, I saw three Canada Geese swimming in the water. I also saw a garter snake in the grass by the edge of the clearing!

Just off of the trail to the south of the beaver wetland, I saw two House Sparrows in some brush. In this area, I started to hear some Red-winged Blackbird calls coming from the wetland. I was able to see one in the grass at the edge of the wetland from this south side, as well as a Common Grackle. This was just a preview of what was to come, as I saw at least four individual Red-winged Blackbirds (all males) and six individual Common Grackles from the lookout at the north side of the wetland. They were all perched on small trees or more hidden in the cattails. I didn't hear any Common Grackles calling, but the Red-winged Blackbirds were quite vocal.

Continuing on the trail headed back toward the parking area, I spooked two Northern Flickers that flew away toward the wetland. I also spooked a Mourning Dove that took off in the same direction. Nearby, I saw a Downy Woodpecker high up in a tree, which then led me to see a group of seven Cedar Waxwings at the top of a hackberry tree (I had also previously seen three Cedar Waxwings on the northeast side of the wetland.)

For the grand finale, I saw a Red-shouldered Hawk flying overhead that was being dive-bombed by an American Crow.