Diario de gracey4

Date: 5/8/2021
Start time: 6:35 am
End time: 8:35 am
Location: Centennial Woods Natural Area
Weather: cloudy, ~50º F, no wind/precipitation
Habitat: mixed coniferous/deciduous forest

5/24/2021
Start time: 7:15 am
End time: 12:15 am
Location: Shelburne Pond (Fishing Access and Pond Road)
Weather: ~70º F, no wind/precipitation
Habitat: large body of open water surrounded by marsh, mixed deciduous/coniferous forest, and some farmland/grassland

This was definitely a great experience, and a great adventure in practicing Empid ID given the number of Willow and Alder Flycatchers seen and heard throughout the trip. There was quite a bit of open grassland/farmland between the fishing access area and Pond Rd, and it was definitely fascinating to see how quickly the species composition changed as I travelled between the two areas, then seemed to change back again once I reached the marsh area at Pond Rd.

5/25/2021
Start time: 7:00 am
End time: 12:15 pm
Location: Geprags Community Park
Weather: ~70º F, ~10-15 mph winds, no precipitation
Habitat: open grassland surrounded by open shrub/scrub habitat with low shrubs and small trees that transitioned into mixed deciduous/coniferous forest

The majority of the birds I encountered were found in the shrub/scrub and woods surrounding the grassland. Around the open grassland areas, I encountered Barn and Tree Swallows and heard some Bobolink chatter and a Field Sparrow sing once. Catbirds and Chestnut-sided Warblers seemed to be the most numerous species in the more upland shrub/scrub areas. In the lowland area of the park surrounding the pond, Alder Flycatchers and Chestnut-sided Warblers seemed to be the most common, with less Catbird activity.
One of the Golden-winged x Blue-winged hybrids was especially cooperative, and I managed to get some really good looks at him as he was singing. Making my way down towards the pond I also saw a raven being chased off by a kingbird. I grew up near a farm that was always filled with kingbirds every summer, and I'm always amazed by their ferocity.

5/26/2021
Start time: 7:20 am
End time: 12:00 pm
Location: Burrow's Trail, Camel's Hump State Park
Habitat: montane, high-elevation predominantly deciduous forest that transitions to coniferous forest then krummholz as elevation increases

The most common species I encountered by far were Red-eyed Vireos, Ovenbirds and Black-throated Blue Warblers, and they were found all along the trail. The Black-throated Green Warblers were also found consistently all throughout the trail. In one particular area on the trail, I came across a cluster of very vocal Least Flycatchers, though I did not encounter them anywhere else along the trail. I didn't notice anything noticeably different about this spot, and I wonder what made it such prime Least Flycatcher habitat. The Winter Wrens were also found only in specific spots along streams that ran next to the trail.
The highlight of this trip was definitely the Blackburnian Warbler. He was pretty high up in the canopy, but was very cooperative and I managed to get some pretty good looks at him as he was singing.

5/27/2021
Start time: 6:50 am
End time: 12:15 pm
Location: Macrae Farm Park
Weather: ~60º F, cloudy but cleared up in late morning, ~5-10 mph winds, no precipitation
Habitat: the Winooski River, fields/grasslands bordered by forest, one shrubby field with scattered low trees

Macrae Farm Park is contains a variety of different habitats, and is home to a wide variety of different species. Canada Geese, Mallards, a pair of Belted Kingfishers, a Great Blue Heron, a Great Egret, and an Osprey were all found in or directly along the river. The Bobolinks were found only in the open fields, and the Blackbirds seemed to be concentrated around these fields as well. Common Yellowthroats, Gray Catbirds, and Warbling Vireos were most common near the edges of the forest, with the Yellowthroats and Catbirds occupying the shrubby areas between the fields and forest and the Warbling Vireos sticking to the trees. Other birds, like the Robins and Redstarts seemed to be widespread throughout the park, except for the grasslands.
The highlights of this trip were definitely the multitude of baby geese, and the Cedar Waxwings. Waxwings are easily one of my favorite birds and I always love being able to spend time with them. The Gnatcatcher was also a pleasant surprise!

5/28/2021
Start time: 6:50 am
End time: 11:45 am
Location: Woodside Park
Weather: ~50º F, no wind/precipitation
Habitat: Winooski River bordered by deciduous forest, marsh bordered by shrubby habitat then deciduous forest

As expected, different species generally showed a preference for specific habitats within the park. The Red-winged Blackbirds and Swamp Sparrows were found within the marsh, and the Willow Flycatchers were found in the low trees and shrubs bordering the marsh. The Catbirds also tended to stick to more shrubby habitat, and the Warbling Vireo was found in the trees bordering the marsh. The Wood Thrush, Wood-Pewee, and Least Flycatcher seemed to be a bit deeper in the woods. American Redstarts didn’t seem tot show as strong of a preference as other species, and were found all along the trail except for the marsh and the shrubby habitat directly bordering it.
The highlight of this trip was easily the Canada Warbler. It was definitely a surprise to say the least, and it’s a good thing I managed to spot him because his song definitely threw me for a bit of a loop.