I enjoyed all of the activities.  I have had an active feeding station in our back yard (in Virginia) since January of this year but have only recently begun trying to locate and identify birds in the wild. It is so much harder!  Activity 1:  Watching the migration maps was fascinating.  I paid special attention to the map for Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, noting the dark purple in August that quickly moved south after that.  We have now (9/26/2020) been two days with no sightings at our hummingbird feeders.  Activity 2:  Since this is my first year with feeders, I am thrilled to see how many of my favorites will be here all year -- Downy Woodpecker, Eastern Bluebird, White-breasted Nuthatch, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Northern Cardinal and more!  Some of the birds here part-year only are ones where I am trying to confirm a sighting.  I think I saw a Chimney Swift fly over one day while swimming, and I may have seen a Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher and an Eastern Wood Pewee this month in a park along the river.  The gnatcatchers are leaving the area very soon, so I'd better get back to the park if I want to see one this year.  Activity 3:  We've enjoyed watching the goldfinches and house finches with their changing plumage.  Often I'll think I am seeing a new bird only to realize it is a finch after all.  Some of the juveniles were so fluffy that they looked larger than they parents, and a recent male American Goldfinch had a very delicate, pale yellowish-gray chest in a different hue than I'd seen before.  Handsome!  Activity 4:  At our feeders, we are hoping to see some birds during the fall migration that we haven't seen since the spring migration, like the Rose-breasted Grosbeak.  At the riverfront park, there is a good chance I could spot a Great Blue Heron and Belted Kingfisher this time of year since there are other sightings reports on eBird.  It looks like a variety of warblers pass through the area in mid-September to mid-October, and the Yellow-rumped Warbler seems to hang around for longer.  That would be a fun sighting!  Six months from now, I'll have a better chance of spotting the Mallards and the Grackles should be coming back.

Activity 1 The St. Louis Cardinals seems all the more appropriate. I also noticed that I should be seeing Western Tanagers, but I haven't seen one.   Activity 2 I can't do because I can't create a Merlin account. I've reached out to Merlin help a couple times over the past few weeks. Hoping to get that fixed. They aren't sending me a confirmation email.   Activity 3 I love the dulled colors of Winter!   Activity 4 Because we're on fire in California and not supposed to go outside, my favorite birding spot is my only birding spot. The dining room table with a view of the Blade Runner orange skies.

Act 1: northern cardinal live here year round vs blakcburnian warbler Is migratory. Scarlet tanager breeding season here then in South America vs Western tanager slices only in the west. Ruby throated hummingbird says only her June to July but here now and Rufous hummingbird is only in the west.  Sandhill cranes year round here and all over the US vs yellow bellied flycatcher is migratory. Act two.  Three yr round are cedar waxwing, common grackle, great horned owl.  I haven't seen a great horned owl in the wild.  Three part year are canvas backs for migration, redhead migration, and cliff swallow. I haven't seen a cliff swallow or a canvasback.  The great horned owl lives year round all over the US. act three. Male goldfinches are a bright yellow in the summer and brown  in the winter.commom loon in summer is broad black head and neck with greenish,purplish, or bluish sheen. In winter it is dark gray above with white breast, belly, and wing linings. act four. I find northern cardinals, ruby throated hummingbirds, American robins, american goldfinches, and bluebirds, and turkey vultures now.  Later I will find white throated sparrows, white crowned sparrows, dark eyed juncos, maybe a snowy owl.

Activity 1: The Western Tanager starts migration in Mexico. It stays along the West Coast and travels upwards into Canada. It returns along the same path. The Scarlett Tanager starts further south in South America and then travels up the East Coast and just up to a small part of Canada. The return path is the same. I love the Western Tanager as they migrate thru north Los Angeles where I live. I am eagerly anticipating seeing some during the fall migration. It's one of the more beautiful birds that i have seen in the Southern California.

Activity 1: While each of these birds inhabit the same forests throughout some of the year, their migration route during other times of the year differ in often extreme ways. Activity 2: A.) Three birds that are in my region all year are Trumpeter Swans, Herring Gulls and Blue Jays. Trumpeter Swans are common near a pond at a local conservation area, so I've seen them lots. Herring Gulls I've always dismissed as a Seagulls and it wasn't until I downloaded Merlin Bird ID there are different species like the Ring-billed Gull. Blue Jays I encounter year round. B.) Three birds that are in my region sporadically are Black-Bellied Plovers, Killdeer and Solitary Sandpipers. Black-bellied Plovers and Killdeer are listed as uncommon but the Solitary Sandpiper is listed as rare. I've chosen all shorebirds because quite honestly even though I live on the shores of a river, I seldom seem to spot shorebirds in the field. I haven't seen any of these birds. Was wondering if anyone has any suggestions for where I should be searching for shorebirds? On the shores I'm assuming? lol.

Activity 3: male Am.Goldfinch in summer vs winter: In summer...bright yellow very black crown and wings, white wing bar and rump, orange beak. Winter looks almost olive gray like summer female, grayer overall, dusky beak, less yellow on breast, black wings and tail still with white bars on tail . Black crown gone-- now lighter olive with some black spots on the forehead. Common Loon summer: all black head with bright red eye, black bill, very contrasty black and white patterns on neck, chest and back, vibrant greenish teal neck collar. Winter: white on face neck and chest. Only a part band of black for a collar not all the way around. Bill is grayish. Back pattern more subtle brown/black, subdued, eye is darker, not vibrant red.

Activity 2: Three year round birds in the greater MPLS/St. Paul área of MN até: Crows, Cedar Waxwings ( in the Twin Cities area anyway) and White-breasted Nuthatches. Turkey Vultures are in my area from April to Oct. Same for Tree Swallows. The Eastern Meadowlark only come up to the middle of the state and are here from about March to September. I have seen Cedar Waxwings, White-breasted Nuthatches, Turkey Vultures and Tree Swallows, and have a murder of Crows outside my apartment window.  I'm not sure if I have seen an Eastern Meadowlark.

Activity 1: the Northern Cardinal barely moves within the US. While  the Blackburnian Warbler migrates from S. Am. To Canada and back. Scarlet Tanager goes from western S and central Am to the Eastern Half of the US. While the Western Tanager goes from west Central Am to Western Us and western Canada. Ruby-throated Hummingbird goes from Central Am to the Eastern Half of the US up into Canada. While the Rufous Hummingbird is in a small area of western Mexico and goes up a western strip of the western US and Canada. But the reverse migration covers most of the Rocky My states and more of Mexico. Sandhill Cranes: some always stay in Florida year-round. And a little along the center in California. But most are in TX OK and Ohio River Valley and then move straight north in the Midwest and Great Lakes area  into N Alaska and northern Canada  and around Hudson Bay. The go back mostly through the center of the US. Yellow-bellied Flycatchers go from Central Am and the Eastern Half of the US and from there high into central Canada up almost to Alaska but miss most of west Central Canada. On the way back they go along the east side of Mexico to Central Am.

The Scarlet Tanager began its migration in South America in the month of January. It went through parts of Central America. It went to the east coast of North America and tiny parts of Canada. Then, it started the process again. The Western Tanager began its migration in Mexico in the month of January. It went through the West Coast of North America and parts of Manitoba and British Columbia in Canada. It descended back down to begin the process again.

Activity 4: along Cayuga lake I would expect to see fewer birds in February than August. There would be different types of waterfowl with some of the ones that migrate from northern areas. Otherwise mostly the smaller birds and raptors which don’t migrate.

Activity 3: male goldfinches more colorful and darker yellow in summer and more subdued in winter. Common loons have checkerboard back in breeding season and bronzer back with less pattern in winter.

Activity 1: northern cardinal found commonly central to east coast vs blackburnian warbler which migrates to s America. Scarlet tanager breedsin eastern US vs western tanager which, like its name ranges from western US to Central America. Ruby throated hummingbird ranges from eastern US to Central America vs rufous hummingbird which ranges in eastern US to Central America.Sandhill cranesrange more through central US to Alaska Vs yellow bellied flycatcher which Is in eastern US and looks on the map that it migrates over the Gulf of Mexico to Central America.

Activity 3: I compared photos of the American Goldfinch in summer and winter, and the difference in color is remarkable. I am truly enjoying this course because I am new to the birding world, and I wasn't even aware that plumage color can change with the season (breeding/non-breeding).  I'm always happy when I learn something new!

Activity 2: Using Merlin’s “Likely Birds” feature and/or range maps in field guides, explore birds that are found in your area. Choose three species that are year-round residents, and three that only live in your area for part of the year. Have you seen any of them before? Share what you find in the discussion. Birds are listed in the same category in Merlin can have different ranges through the year.  For example, in our Midwestern location: -       The House Wren is here Apr-Nov, whereas the Carolina Wren can be found year-round, although in lower numbers. -       The Cardinal is present throughout the year in high numbers, while the Indigo Bunting, also in high numbers, is here only Apr - Oct. -       The Red-winged Blackbird can be found year-round, although much less commonly Dec-Feb, while the Baltimore Oriole is here mostly only in May-Sept. Both are present in high numbers when they are here. I have often seen Cardinals and Red-winged Blackbirds;  but do not believe I have ever seen an Indigo Bunting or Baltimore Oriole here, even though they are present in high numbers when they are here. I cannot confidently say that I have seen the particular types of wrens, because they are too fast for me to identify! Activity 3: Comparing birds in different plumages during different seasons: -       Male American Goldfinch:  In summer is bright yellow with a black cap and black wing and tail feathers with white edges.  In winter the bright yellow has faded and has a brownish-yellow appearance. -       Common Loon: In summer has complex and spectacular color pattern:  black head; black with larger distinctive white spots on body; and black and white stripes on neck to chest, interrupted by dark teal bands on the neck.   In winter the plumage has faded, mostly to soft gray feathers with some white edges or highlights, and a white chest and neck.

Activity 1: I think the idea of this exercise was to notice migratory patterns. Resident (Northern Cardinal) vs migratory (Blackburnian Warbler) birds; east coast (Scarlet Tanager) vs west coast (Western Tanager) migration; same migratory pattern (Ruby-throated Hummingbird) vs clockwise migratory pattern (Rufous Hummingbird); migrations over the landmass (Sandhill Crane) vs migrations over the water mass (Yellow-bellied Flycatcher). Clockwise migratory pattern follows the ‘green wave’. Birds that fly over the water mass have to be well fed and strong to survive a long non-stop journey. I also enjoyed reading thorough migratory rout descriptions that other students have posted. Thank you for that! It helped me replay the migratory movements in my mind. Activity 2: Year-round residents: Oasis Hummingbird, Kelp Gull, Inca Tern. Can be seen only at a certain time of the year: Least Sandpiper, Tricolored Heron, Austral Negrito (haven’t seen this one yet). Activity 3: Male American Goldfinch: summer (Bright yellow color, black cap, red/orange beak); winter (Light-brown color, white belly, no black cap, gray beak). Common Loon: summer (Black-green head, distinctive white pattern on black wings, green neck ring); winter (Brown back side and white belly side, wing pattern is blurry, no green neck ring). In both bird species bright  summer colors and decorations (black cap or green neck ring) disappear in the winter, beak color changes from red to gray (Goldfinches) or from black to gray (Loons). Distinctive summer wing pattern gets blurry in Loons, but it doesn’t change in Goldfinches. Activity 4: I made a list of 45 bird species that I thought I would most likely observe at the river mouth by the beach. From this list I spotted only 24 species. My prediction, based on Merlin ID Chart Bars, is that I’ll be able to see most of the birds from the list in 6 months, except Chilean and Andean Flamingoes, Roseate Spoonbill and Puna Ibis that might be staying in the highlands at that time. But again, I saw only 24 out of 45 this time (I took a lot of pictures and videos to make sure I didn’t miss any bird species). My guess is that I might not see them all in 6 months.

When it comes to my favorite birding spot, I have to say the first place that comes to mind is my own backyard. Pertaining to my backyard I covered a bit of this in Activity Number Two. Another favorite birding spots for me is St. Marks Wildlife Refuge. Actually I love it there and yet it is my nemesis because there are so many shore birds and at certain times of the year, ducks. I am still really working on the sandpipers, gulls, and ducks. They can be pretty difficult! The refuge does have multiple habitats so it does have a wide variety of birds there and some fantastic finds turn up there pretty regularly. I have even seen an American Flamingo there. The last time I went, a few weeks ago, I saw a lot of the standard wading birds like Great Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets, Great Egrets, Tri-color Egrets, Little Blue Herons, Little Green Herons, as well as, some standard marsh inhabitants like Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Gallinule, Purple Gallinule, Double-breasted Cormorants, also all kinds of sandpipers and plovers. Since it is a combination of estuaries, river, and the Gulf of Mexico there is a pretty good variety of bird there at any time of the year. There are always Boat-tailed Grackles, Laughing Gulls, Mourning Doves, and Willets just to name a few. There is also a lot of great trails going through old growth forest with pine and oaks, as well and new pine growth. As far as year-round residents, there are lots of Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Downy Woodpeckers, Pileated Woodpeckers, Northern Cardinals, Carolina Wrens, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, all of which I saw on my last visit. Right now you can expect to find Yellow-billed Cuckoos but they are not year-round residents. Six months from now we can expect to see a wide variety of ducks like Green-wing Teal, Norther Pintail, Ruddy Duck, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, Mallard, Canvasback, Redhead, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked Duck, Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Red-breasted Merganser, Hooded Merganser, etc...

Activity number three: I enjoyed looking at the pictures of the American Goldfinches and the Common Loons in their winter and summer plumages. I was already familiar with these birds different plumages but it is always nice to see. Both birds are so fantastic in their breeding (summer) plumage. I also enjoy them in their winter plumage but they are not as showy and spectacular.

Activity Number Two: Looking at the Merlin app with it set on likey birds, the first bird that comes up is the Northern Cardinal. I do have them year round in my yard. Even though they are the most common birds in my yard I always enjoy seeing them. I love watching the pairs feed one another and really enjoy watching the juveniles growing and changing color as they mature. The second likely bird that is a year round resident is the Carolina Wren. They nest in my yard and even sometimes come in my house when I leave my sliding door open. One of them always comes and perches in my kitchen on top of my cabinets. I just love that he is comfortable fitting into the human world and coming in my house. I also love that such loud sounds come out of such a little bird. The third year round resident and likely bird is the Carolina Chickadee. These cute little birds are in my yard daily and I always enjoy hearing all their cute vocalizations. As far as part-time residents, every year I look forward to the arrival of the American Goldfinches. When they arrive they are mostly pretty drab but still very enjoyable little birds. By the time they leave the males look like flying lemons. Another part-time resident that came to mind is the Great Crested Flycatcher. While this bird does not have spectacular colors it is a very attractive bird. One of the things I like about it, is that it is so loud it evident when it arrives and it is quite easy to locate. The third part-time resident I am choosing to write about is the Mississippi Kite. When they are here I see them every day flying over my backyard and at various places all over town. I love watching them flying up in the sky and randomly diving down as if they are going to catch some prey and then just swooping back up. They seem like they really love the wind and flying. They appear as if they are having a great time up there! I always love a raptor and this one is really attractive.

I just watched the range maps for the Northern Cardinal and the Blackburnian Warbler. I saw that the Northern Cardinal's abundance fluctuated and moved around the edges and concentrated a bit at times in it's usual range (which includes where I live in Florida) but did not really migrate. It's non-breeding, pre-breeding, breeding, and post-breeding areas are all pretty much the same with no migration. The Blackburnian Warbler's range changed drastically as it went through parts of the United States and up to Canada and then back through slightly different areas of the United States and into Central and South America. The Blackburnian Warbler shares some of it's pre and post-breeding time in it's non-breeding and breeding areas. It migrates significantly. The Scarlet Tanager goes from South America up through Central America and into the Northeast portion of the United States and on up into the NE portion of Canada and then right back where it had come from. The Scarlet Tanagers pre and post-breeding time shares area with both the non-breeding and breeding locations, with a lot of overlap with the breeding location in particular. The Western Tanger goes from Central America into the Western portion of the United States and up into the Western side of Canada. The Western Tanagers pre and post-breeding time also shares area with both the non-breeding and breeding locations, with a little less overlap with the breeding location than the Scarlet Tanager. The Ruby-throated Hummingbirds goes from Central America (non-breeding time) up through the Northeast portion of the United States and the NE portion of Canada and then back through the same areas and back where they came from. It's breeding, pre-breeding, post-breeding areas are all the same areas with varying abundance. The Rufous Hummingbird goes from Central America (non-breeding) up the far Western portion of the United States close to the coast (pre-breeding), and up into the Western portion of the Canada (breeding). On it's way back down to Central America it still goes through the Western United States but covers a much larger portion of the United States(post-breeding), further East but still in the West, and then back into Central America. These two birds are polar opposites in the areas (East and West) and they have fairly different patterns as far as their pre and post-breeding in that the Rufous Hummingbird is only traveling during that time and goes to it's breeding area but the Ruby-throated Hummingbird shares that same area with it's breeding area. The Sandhill Crane goes just barely into Central America and concentrates in Texas and Florida during in their non-breeding season. They they travel up through the middle of the United States during the pre-breeding time and then up into the Northern most parts of Canada during their breeding season. There also are a good abundance or breeding Sandhill Cranes in Central and South Florida. They they return pretty much the way they came. The Yellow-bellied Flycatcher's non-breeding location is Central America. It's pre and post breeding areas are pretty much the same areas of the Northeastern United States. They Yellow-bellied Flycatcher's breeding area is primarily the lower Eastern portion of Canada. These two birds have a lot of similarities to their migration patterns. It is really interesting to see the varying patterns and different ways that birds manage their travels. I really enjoyed using this portion of the site that I had never used before.

My favorite birding spot is home in California. Right now we are seeing a lot of House Fiches, Oak Titmouse, Mourning Dove, Turkey Vulture, Spotted Towhee, Dark-eyed Junco, Anna’s Hummingbird, American Crow, California Towhee, Red-shouldered Hawk, Bushtit, Raven, Western Bluebird, Song Sparrow, California Quail, Lesser Goldfinch to name some frequent visitors. I used a combination of EBird local checklists by date, Merlin likely birds and the Audubon ap to determine what birds I might see in January that are not visiting now. It seems I could begin watching for these birds later in the fall. Fox Sparrow, not on Merlin likely bird list, but Audubon shows this bird common here in the winter. The Golden -crowned Sparrow is a yearly winter visitor. Yellow-rumpled Warbler, considered rare but possible by Merlin. More likely in the winter than now. Townsend’s Warbler is also considered rare but is on the Merlin likely bird list. More likely to see in January than now. Ruby Crowned Kinglet should be visible in the winter. Say’s Phoebe are more scarce now but more likely in winter. I thought I saw one early spring so it will be nice to watch for this bird again.

Activity 1: Ruby-throated hummingbirds and Rufous hummingbirds: What stands out to me about these hummingbirds is that the Ruby-throated is located in the East side of the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and the Rufous are located in the West. For the Rufous, they travel north just on the very West of the United States by California, Oregon, and Washington, but on their way South, they go practically as far East as Nebraska. Activity 3: American Goldfinch: In the summer, the male American Goldfinch has bright yellow plumage with a black cap, black wings, and white wing bars. In the winter, the bird is pale yellow or tan with no black cap.

Activity 2. I Made a list of likely birds that I had not yet observed and a list of likely visitors. Studying the photos, sounds and behaviors of unobserved likely birds made it very easy to spot them. They had been there all along but just out of my awareness. Some of these birds include the Bewick’s Wren, White-Breasted Nuthatch and the Wrentit. Some recently observed visitors are the Hooded Oriole and the Black-headed Grosbeak.

Activity 2: I live on Vancouver Island, BC, where the climate is mild for most year, so many birds are here year-round. For comparison's sake, I chose the Anna's Hummingbird and the Rufous Hummingbird, both of which are at my feeder these days, but I won't expect to see the Rufous in the winter, although the Anna's will come to the feeder all year (and I make sure to keep the nectar from freezing on cold nights.) Black-headed Grosbeak made an appearance in May/June but I won't expect them in colder months, whereas the American Goldfinch could turn up anytime. I saw some Common Nighthawks flying one evening, but they stay around a short time here, but our Barred Owls and Bald Eagles are always around. Activity 4: It's August, so I would expect to see gulls, Black Oystercatchers, Great Blue Herons, Canada Geese, and Cormorants in my favorite shoreline birding spots, and they'll there all year, but in six months from now, I would hope to see Mergansers, Buffleheads, and maybe Surf Scoters, and in late February, into March and early April, thousands of Brant Geese will stop for fuel on their way north, which is a very exciting event.

Activity 2: Birds that do and do not migrate in my area.

• I live in the Western Cape in South Africa, there are not many birds that migrate that live in my area. I have researched most of the birds and they are all mostly endemic to South Africa namely:
• Malachite sunbird
• Cape Batis
• Cape Bulbul
• Olive Woodpecker.
• Some birds that migrate to South Africa:
• Greater striped swallow is the only bird that visits our area and has built a nest against our house in previous years. It breeds in South Africa, it is migratory wintering further north in Angola & Tanzania
• White stork
• Yellow-billed kite
• European bee-eater
• Lesser Kestrel

Activity 2: Year- round residents:Black-capped Chickadees, Black-billed Magpies and House Sparrow. Non Year-round residents: Yellow Warbler, Sora, and Blue-Winged Teal. I have not seen Blue-Winged Teal and Sora at William Hawrelak Park, Edmonton, Canada before. I would like to know when special birds appear.