Forum Role: Participant
Active Since: April 18, 2020
Topics Started: 0
Replies Created: 9

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Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)
  • Sylvia
    Participant
    This was scary, and I admit I cheated by looking up now and then...I really could not just let my pencil roam over the page. But I'm going to keep practicing blind contour dwg, because I think it'll help allay my fear of not being able to draw well. It really did help me focus on the subject though. And I had fun going back in to correct some of the shapes afterwards, and note what the colors were. Great challenge. If anybody reads this, can you tell me how to post my drawings/sketches. Do I take a photo with my Iphone camera? And then do what to "insert image"? Sorry to be such a luddite. Sylvia (sylsbach@yahoo.com)
  • Sylvia
    Participant
    Activity #1: The course reinforced my feeling that birds are endlessly fascinating, and symbols of a healthy environment, wherever they are. I never want to experience a "Silent Spring." Also as a musician, I relate so intensely to birds' music...happily anyone can enjoy birdsong though!! Activity #2: I live in a sixth-floor NYC apt., so don't have garden or lawn. But if I did, I now have your lists of ways to keep them healthy. Bird strikes are not an issue because of the bars on my windows (but if I ever move to the country, I like knowing how to make sure my windows are not death traps, thanks to this course). I drink tea, not coffee, so I thought I was off the hook on this one -- HOWEVER, it turns out that my favorite brand of tea might use pesticides. So I'm doing the research, and if it's not organic pesticide-free, I'll change tea brands! My cats have always been indoor cats; and I shop with reusable cloth bags and recycle any kind of plastic (and paper and glass...). Activity #3: Yes, I've noticed bird populations going down; i.e., here were no chickadees or robins wintering over in my northern Manhattan neighborhood this year. Activity #4: Changes I'll make include (a) seeing about doing e-Bird (thanks for offering a whole course on e-Bird since I'm a bit of a luddite), (b) changing my tea brand, and (c) continuing to support conservation organizations like the Lab, Audubon, and EarthJustice.
  • Sylvia
    Participant
    I love Manyu's drawing...I have long wanted to start a nature journal, so maybe this will inspire me!
  • Sylvia
    Participant
    Activity #1. Yes, my notes were helpful...I noted the size and color of some birds, and what the habitat was like. In a forested area, I saw robins, flickers, house sparrows, and a couple of warblers (it is May, after all!). In a marshy area, I saw Canada geese (including mom and four goslings), gulls (we only seem to have ring-billed gulls around Inwood Hill Park), and a solitary egret (it was distant, but I think it was a great egret. And I tried to describe some songs I heard, when I didn't see the birds...e.g. the three "warm-up notes" of the song sparrow; and the "conkaree" of the red-winged blackbird. Activity #2. I actually signed up for a NYC listserve last year: ebirds.nyc. It's been quiet because of the corona virus lockdown here, but today there was a burst of emails because people are starting to see warblers: one woman saw 19 species of warblers early this morning in a park I hadn't heard of, but will now check out (when lockdown is over, that is)
  • Sylvia
    Participant
    Activity #1: I watched a Hairy Woodpecker hanging upside down to jab at the Cornell Lab feeder that looks like the little rooftop of a house. He was really enjoying jabbing at whatever is in the feeder, and seemed perfectly content to be upside down hanging from the feeder by his feet. Activity #2: There were a few Red-Crowned Woodpeckers (the caption said; I didn't know the name!), and one of them kept feeding fruit to another one standing nearby that was not feeding, just waiting to be fed. The odd thing was that they looked identical, so I don't think it was a male feeding a female, or an adult feeding a fledgling. Would one adult male feed another? I guess it's possible one had less red on the head, so was a female, but I'm not sure. Activity #3: Listening outside my window for five minutes...it's a quiet day. I heard Northern Cardinal singing, and House Sparrows chattering. That's about it.
  • Sylvia
    Participant
    Activity #1: I was interested to learn that the Northern Cardinal is a year-found bird in NE U.S. (the abundance didn't really change throughout the year); whereas the Blackburnian Warbler only summers in the NE U.S., while wintering in Northern South America. The tanagers were very different: the Scarlet Tanager is a migrant, living in the NE U.S. May-Sept, and wintering way down in northern and northwestern South America. The Western Tanager lives in western U.S. about May-Sept., and winters in Mexico and Central America (it doesn't go as far as the Scarlet Tanager). The ruby-throated hummer lives in the Eastern U.S. and southern Canada about May-Sept., and winters in southern Mexico and Central America...whereas the rufous hummer lives in western U.S. (NW mostly) May-Sept., and winters in southern Mexico. As for the sandhill cranes, they summer in northern Canada and Alaska (which surprised me), and winter in FL and TX; whereas the smaller yellow-bellied flycatchers summer way up in western Canada and NE U.S., and winter in Central America. Activity#2: I've seen the following three birds year round in NY: Northern Cardinal, Chickadee, and Rock Pigeon....although I didn't see many Chickadees this winter (someone said they were cyclical, so I hope we see more next winter.) Three birds I see onl part of the year are Scarlet Tanager (which winter in Central America); Wood Thrush, and Yellow Warbler, which winters in northern and Central America. Activity #3: In summer, NY Goldfinches have their black caps, and bright yellow breast and back. In winter, the black cap disappears, and their yellow is very pale. But, I noticed that the black wings with white wing bars stay year-round. As for the Common Loons: in summer, they have a dark black head, striped necklace, and checkered back; whereas in winter the black in the head and the checkered back are muted, and there's no necklace. The neck and breast are white. Activity#4: Now (April) in NYC's Inwood Hill Park, I'm seeing Northern Cardinals, Robins, Rock Pigeons, Starlings, Mockingbirds, Flickers, House Sparrows...the spring migration (which  I think peaks in May) hasn't really started yet. In six months, I'll probably see most of these same birds, many of which don't migrate. If I see migrating warblers in May, they won't be here in six months.
  • Sylvia
    Participant
    Activity 1. Cornell's feeder (on the birdcam) was hopping today. I saw mourning doves, blue jays, grackles, red-winged blackbirds, female and male northern cardinals, red-bellied woodpeckers, a chickadee, and a couple of starlings. Activity 2. I saw many of what Merlin said were "most likely" in northern Manhattan where I live: robin, blue jay, northern cardinal, house sparrow, mourning doves, mallards, red-winged blackbirds, rock pigeons (of course, this is NYC)...and lots of ring-billed gulls (which Merlin didn't say were most likely, but I am near Hudson River which many Manhattanites are not). I also heard (but did not see) white-throated sparrows and a flicker. Oddly, I didn't see any starlings or grackles. Activity 3: I didn't know we might see the following five birds in NYC...or passing through, but I guess anything's possible: (1) Broad-winged hawks (thx to Merlin, I now know the high-pitched whistle to listen for...though if they're flying high I probably wouldn't be able to see them). (2) Bonaparte's gull (I think I'd have to go to Jones Beach or somewhere oceanic to see these...but now I know their scolding call...and during breeding season I'd certainly notice the black head and red legs, if I did see them. (3) Cerulean warbler - since they're high canopy birds, I probably wouldn't be able to see them (though Merlin gave some good tips for IDing from below)...I've heard people say there are places north of NYC where you can find them nesting. After corona virus lockdown, maybe I'll go look for them. (4) Common raven...never seen one in NYC...but I know that big call and the wedge-shaped tail. (5) Common nighthawk. I doubt I could find one roosting during the day since they blend in so well with tree branches, but Merlin gave some good ID tips..the fluttering flight and wing patch near end of primary feathers...which, if I saw one flying, I might use to ID one.  
  • Sylvia
    Participant
    Activity 1. Two birds with different shape: Canada goose and red-winged blackbird Activity 2. Three red birds: male northern cardinal (red all over), red-winged blackbird (red on shoulders), and downy woodpecker (red on nape of head) Activity 3. Three foraging styles: house sparrow (ground), great egret (staring/stalking in water), blue jays - seemingly eating anything at all (attacking robin nest, eating seed from a feeder...) Activity 4: Baltimore oriole (I think I posted this already): black head, orange breast; robin size, beautiful flute-like jazzy song, build hanging nest.
  • Sylvia
    Participant
    My favorite bird is the Baltimore oriole. The male is a robin-sized bird with black head and orange body who sings a clear almost jazzy almost flute-like song. Bonus: they make hanging nests at the end of branches. Very cool.
Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)