Activity 1: Swallows have forked tails, but chimney swifts do not. Activity 2: Indigo buntings are a medium hue of blue almost all over except wings, blue jays are blue on the back, crest, wings, and tail feathers, and eastern bluebirds are blue on the back, tail and most of the head. Activity 3: Great blue herons fish by quickly stabbing their beaks into the water from a standing position, mallards dabble and tip their tails out of the water as they do so, and grey catbirds pry berries from fruits (seemingly usually around head height). Activity 4: Canada geese are large with long necks, moderate beaks and legs, and short tails, they have black necks and heads with white chinstraps and light brown bodies, and they have an iconic clear and somewhat high-pitched honk preceded by a subtle low vocalization.

Activity 2 - Goldfinch and Warbler.  Goldfinch slightly longer, but only by about.5 inch.  Male goldfinch has black cap, black wings.  Male warbler has black”mask” , like the Lone Ranger.

Activity 4: Wood Thrush 1. Size: similar to a robin 2. Color/Markings: primary colors white and brown. Dots on chest. 3. Behavior: Looking for food on the ground Photo from Cornell Lab All About Birds

Activity 2- Snapped this image (best one I could get😬) while hiking in the mountains. The ID from Merlin came back as a Lesser Goldfinch. Using the Sibley guide to confirm, did not match up. Looking at the coloration and beak shape and size, thought it might be a female Western Tanager. I posted my photo and suspected ID’s to a local bird watching Facebook page. The group was very helpful in correcting and confirming my identification as a female Western Tanager. Great learning experience!

I am brand new to bird watching. Looking through my binoculars, saw a robin, sparrow, and blue jay this morning. Just installed a hummingbird feeder in my yard, saw one for the first time at the feeder a few minutes ago. I’m using the Merlin app to identify birds by their sound when walking through a nearby forest preserve— having a hard time seeing them, though. Never knew we had such a variety of birds so close by!

Activity 1 I have seen various various woodpeckers in my yard. It is sometimes difficult to tell them apart since they can be the same size and have similar plumage coloration. I saw a woodpecker last night at a bird feeder. I wasn't sure if it was a downy, hairy, or pileated woodpecker, which I have seen in the past. I used the Merlin app to help be determine that it was in fact a hairy woodpecker because it had a long bill as long as its head compared to a downy woodpecker which has a short bill. I also was able to tell that it wasn't a pileated woodpecker because of its small size compared to the much larger pileated woodpecker. Plus the shape of its neck is much shorter than a pileated woodpecker.   Activity 2 I saw three different birds (a black-capped chickadee, an American goldfinch, and a blue jay) in my yard with the color black on different parts of their bodies. A black-capped chickadee has a black "cap" on the top of its head and a black patch on its throat. In contrast, an American goldfinch has black feathers on its forehead and wings. Meanwhile, blue jays have black "necklaces"around their necks and black and white markings on their wings and tails.   Activity 3 I saw a mourning dove foraging for food on the ground under some bird feeders in my backyard. They eat pretty quickly and then fly off. I've seen house sparrows eat from my bird feeders for lengthy periods of time. I have also seen them hop around on the ground looking for food. The are many cardinals that come to eat seeds from my bird feeder. They love sunflower seeds. I have also seen them hopping around on the ground foraging for food. I read that they also forage in bushes or up in trees. Activity 4 One of my favorite backyard birds is the American crow. It is the largest of the small birds. It has a short, stout bill and tail. It has a short neck. It has broad wings compared to other crow species. It is completely black with wings that can appear purplish in sunlight. They make a loud caw, caw, caw, sound. They are highly social and live in flocks. They are often aggressive towards other birds. They live mostly in open habitats over much of Canada and the United States.

I was so excited to find out about the Bird Cams!! The cam at Cornell was very active. I saw a couple of different woodpeckers - one make one maybe a female same species. I also spotted a dove. on the MT Osprey Cam, it looked like a sterling was hijacking the nest!!

Activity 1 - I watched the bird feeder on the Bird Cam.  The two birds I watched were the Mourning Dove and the Florida Scrub Blue Jay.  Each bird seemed to like the sunflower seeds or seeds on the flat surface of the bird feeder, yet the Blue Jay like the suet better.  One commonality in their habitat is the open forest.  The Dove is less migratory than the Blue Jay. Activity 2  -   The three birds I observed through the Field Guide was the Grosbeck (Red Breasted), Cardinal (female) and the white headed Woodpecker.  The Grosbeak has the Red, Black and white colors and the Red is found on its chest.  The White headed Woodpecker has the red on the back of the head.  The female Northern Cardinal has a red beak and red wash on the wing.  ( black color is minimal).  I think I would have difficulty identifying the Grosbeak  and the Woodpecker at first sight by shape or different Woodpeckers and Sapsuckers.  I will get it. Activity 3 -  The three birds I observed above live in habitats which are open .  Grosbeak behavior lives solitary or in pairs during breeding.  Forages in trees, shrubs and on the ground eating seeds, insects, tree flowers.  Woodpecker behavior drums on tree trunks and demands territorial rights on utility poles, buildings and eats insects and larvae and eggs, but also seeds, nuts, berries, spiders and snails.  The Downy Woodpecker feeds on branches but further out.  Cardinal behavior is solitary or pairs during breeding.  Forages in trees, bushes or on the ground.  Eats insects, seeds grains, fruits and snails.  Drinks sap from holes drilled by sapsuckers. Activity 4 - My favorite birds is the Lark Sparrow, California Quail, Egret, and Hummingbirds.  All of these birds are gregarious with me and all get my attention.  I have been observing the Egret and its behaviors.  It is the Great Egret and its shape is a long neck and thin legs with white feathers or plummage with a yellow beak.  I do not hear a sound/song but I am certain there is one.  In my observation, the G. Egret feeds in open areas such as marshes as habitats.  I have seen it flies singular and, in a flock.  Roosting occurs in trees at night (I have not seen this).  It eats small aquatic insects, frogs, snakes and crayfish.  There is some migration.  Ruth Bates

As I was walking from the parking ramp to my building, for work, I saw a bird in the shadows. No doubt it was a mourning dove. I could tell by its shape & was confirmed once I got closer. Also saw my favorite bird, while walking at the park! Yellow body, black & white wings, black cap on the very top of its head, smaller than a Robin, has a very specific flight pattern- kind of like waves, up & down, up & down—-an American Goldfinch!

I got onto the Sapsucker Woods bird cam and there are 5 or 6 gray and black birds I can't identify, but a blue jay kept flying in and taking peanuts. Two red-winged blackbirds are there, and I think a grackle flew in to grab a peanut, too. I used Merlin ID, which suggests that the gray and black birds are European starlings, but they don't have the yellow bill that Merlin ID says. Otherwise, they look like the picture. They're smaller than the blue jay, have a long pointed beak, and the markings on the wings are similar to the starling. They're mostly eating the suet and occasional seed on the tray.

Activity 1: Two birds that I saw outside and was able to tell apart based on shape were the American robin and the American crow. Robins are medium-sized, with a round body and a very upright posture when standing in the yard. The crow is large, and has a thick neck and squared off tail.   Activity 2: The black-capped chickadee, American goldfinch, and red-winged blackbird are all birds that have black on them. The chickadee has a black cap and throat patch, but the rest of the bird is grey, cream, or white. The male goldfinch also has a black cap, but is otherwise bright yellow. The female is a more neutral colour. Both the males and the females have black on their wings as well. The male red-winged blackbird is mostly all black, aside from his red/yellow wing patches. However, the females do not seem to have any noticeable amounts of black.   Activity 3: Yesterday, I saw a white-throated sparrow searching for food in the yard using the double-scratching foraging method. I was able to identify the bird based on the markings using a field guide, but observing the double-scratching behaviour hinted that it was probably some kind of sparrow. Another one I see often is the American robin as they run through the yard, pause, and then peck at the earth until they come back up with an earthworm or grub. I also commonly see woodpeckers (usually downy or hairy woodpeckers) on trees in the forest, where they are easily recognized by the way they tap into the sides of trees to feed.   Activity 4: One of my favourite birds is the American crow. They are large, thick-necked, and have a tail that is rather short and squared off. They are all black in colour. When they fly, they generally flap their wings at consistent intervals (I thought the visual comparing the flights of crows and ravens in a previous lesson was really cool!). These birds are found across most of North America, and make a distinctive 'CAW, CAW' sound. Crows are one of my favourite birds because they are so clever and impressive to look at.

My favorite bird is a chickadee. They are very small birds that have a black cap and bib against a white background with a tan belly. It is easily attracted to feeders. Is range includes the southeastern US plus southern Midwest.

I identified three birds based on their eating behavior a mourning dove, a cardinal, and a downy woodpecker.  The downy woodpecker was not guessed by Merlin as the first bird because Merlin does not differentiate based on type of feeder (a suet cade vs a platform seed feeder).

I compared 3 birds that had black on them (chickadee, cardinal. and red-winged blackbird (Activity 2). Merlin identified all of them on the first try.

Activity 1 I chose the mourning dove and chickadee to I'd with Merlin. Merlin took me straight to both of them.

Activity 1 It was my  first time to try out the Merlin app so I kept it simple and  identified a European Starling and a tree swallow in my back yard.   Activity 2 Activity 2: I made comparisons between a European Starling, a Tree Swallow and a Barn Swallow which were all possibilities  based on the three colors I noted along with the other information when I searched in the Merlin App. We put our bird house and nesting boxes up today hoping for blue birds but the Tree Swallows are the first ones to show an interest.   Activity3: Three birds that I noticed looking for food in my yard today were Cardinal (eating seeds at feeder), Robin (poking for worms in grass), Downy Woodpecker (hanging out and eating from a suet block).   Activity 4: My favorite bird is a cardinal and I was able to identify it by color,  sound and size.  That was an easy on since I already knew the cardinal but it helped me practice and I will have to try some harder ones soon.

Activity 1: I was able to identify a Bewick's Wren and a Bushtit based on shape, with the Wren's tail attitude a clear differentiator. For Activity 2, I was able to differentiate a Downy Woodpecker, a Red-breasted Sapsucker and a Red-winged Blackbired easily based on the distribution of the black, red and white colors on their bodies. For Activity 3, I found a Robin digging with it's beak for worms in the garden dirt, a Spotted Towhee that was jumping back and forth to scratch open the surface of the ground for insects and a Dark-eyed Junco that was maneuvering through my patio pots to strip seeds off of last year's remaining dead flower stalks. One of my favorite birds right now is the Red-breasted nuthatch, which can be easily identified with it's distinctive black and white stripes on it's head with a chestnut colored belly, and it's extremely small stature with quick movements. The way that it hangs upside down from suet cakes or feeders as well as it's downward moving creeping on tree trunks is unique and it's cute little low volume nasally chattering is like nothing else in my yard! I love this bird!

Activity #3: I saw a Downy Woodpecker hopping up a tree storing seeds from my feeder. I saw an American Robin hopping on the ground looking for food. I saw a Tree Sparrow at the feeder eating seeds. 

Activity 1: I was able to distinguish a dark eyed junco from a northern mockingbird based on shape. Activity 2: I was able to distinguish a red headed woodpecker from a red bellied woodpecker based on the red placement of the head and the differences in black/white patterns. Activity 3: I saw white breasted nuthatches who travel down trees looking for food. I saw red bellied woodpeckers crawling up trees. I saw robins hopping around fields looking for food in the ground. Activity 4: I was watching some waterfowl and found a red breasted merganser which is a medium sized bird found in a lake that will dive for food. The male has a red breast with a dark tufted head, orange long thin beak and red eye. it has a black back and prominent white on wings.

I viewed the Cornell Feeder Watch Cam on March 9. So many woodpeckers. I thought I had identified the Downy Woodpecker because of the rounded head and short bill. When another very similar but larger woodpecker flew in and they were side by side, I knew I was right and the larger bird was the Hairy Woodpecker. I've never before seen them together!

Activity 1  Female Cardinal at the feeder. Not so much a "bird cam" as a dslr at the feeder with flash units pre-set and fired wirelessly. Freezing temps resulted in snowflakes on the beak. I didn't use the app to identify, as the female cardinal in Pennsylvania is very easy to pick out.

Activity 4 I had fun watching a wood duck on our pond. She had ducklings behind her on the water.  The curious identification challenge was that one of the ducklings was not a wood duck. You guessed it, it was a merganser duckling. The mother merganser must have put some of her eggs in the wood duck nest box and this was the fun result.

Activity 4 In 1976, the Toronto Blue Jays played their first season of baseball in my home town.  Up until that year, I had never seen a Blue Jay --the bird-- in person, do it  was surprising to me, in 1976 that I would see bluejays suddenly appearing in my family's backyard.  I honestly believed that it was a marketing ploy where  the Blue Jay organization actually released live bluejays  into the city of Toronto to help create the excitement of our new ball team. Well excitement it did cause, but not for the sport.  In Toronto, our main viewing of birds were house sparrows and European Starlings.  I can't remember hardly any other bird in my yard so when this beautiful blue bird showed up, I was really impressed. The bluejay was easy at that time to identify due to the pictures of bluejays that were diplayed with the city ball team, otherwise, I may have had problems distinguishing it to a blue bird perhaps.  But if I used a field guide or had access to Merlin , I would have quickly learned  the differences. A bluejay is about the size of a blackbird.  it has the predominant colours blue and white with a bit of black trim.  A bluejay as well, has a crest of feathers on the top of its head.  I noticed bluejays like to stay within the branches of a tree but when they want to be heard, they have a loud screechie sound as opposed to a trill or song.  When in flight, they make their calls and fly high and straight.  They like to visit feeders and really love peanuts.  I have always had a fondness for bluejays even when they boldly screech  at me while awaiting  the next  toss of  peanuts.  I like to set out peanuts on my back deck banister and watch them fly in and scoop up that peanut.  

Activity 3 Today in Ontario, we awoke to about 10 inches of snow.  We went from green yesterday to all white today.  In anticipation of the snow, I had put out more suet and checked my feeders yesterday. This morning I had to shovel a pathway for my dog in my backyard in order for him to do his morning routine.  As soon as I stepped outside, I noticed that the buckthorn tree was filled with starlings, a few chickadees, 2  white breasted nuthatches and a pair of crows.  The bigger birds were waiting for (starlings and crows)  me to toss some dry cat food out to them while to chickadees took turns flying to the small bird feeder.  The 2 nuthatches were frantically scurrying up and down the tree pecking away at the bark.  It was a busy morning for birds. Once I had tossed out some catfood for the larger birds, I noticed that the crows, one-at-a-time went down and collected what offerings they wanted and the starlings, although fluttering around, gave them space to get first setting at the table. It appeared that as the crows took turns eating, while one went down to to eat, th other one was on guard acting as a sentinel.  I didn't see them going down together to eat at the same time. Once Mr. and Mrs. Crow (whom I'll call Edgar and Allena) had flown up to the rooftop to eat and stash their food, then the starlings settled and it was choas and bad manners at its best!!  Man they are fast, bold and furious in their approach to food that including alot of bickering.  It seemed like 2 minutes later, my backyard was quiet and had returned to whiteness with no more birds around.

Activity 2 The 3 birds I chose are the White Breasted Nuthatch, Downy Woodpecker and Hairy Woodpecker.  All 3 speices visit my feeders, are black and white in colour, and love to walk all over my ash tree while taking time to peck as well at the tree leaving lots of evidence of their visits. The Nuthatch is easier to identify as it is smaller, black, white and gray with the colour splats being solid and not spotted or lined.   The two woodpecker are almost identical in appearance and habits, but according to Merlin, are distinctly different.  They are black and white, with white being spotted and the back of their feathers.  The males sport as well, a red spot on their heads.  The downy has more spotting on its back and has a much smaller beak, while the Hairy has a beak nearly as long as its head, less white spotting on its back and more white on the underside of the tail.  Merlin has an excellent side-by-side picture which really helps point out the differences.  I still struggle determining which