Mary
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Viewing 12 posts - 1 through 12 (of 12 total)
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Agree - it is a good idea to use a camera with a better quality lens than what the cell phone has. I will have to rediscover my camera, haven't used it in years! Nice pix of the herons!
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Activity 2: Of the 7 Simple Actions, I am already doing these: 1.Use native plants: In my backyard gardens I have added more native plants, and am trying to learn about more of them that also might do well in our local conditions. After taking this course, I am more conscious of how plantings can also help to support bird life. 2.Avoid pesticides: never use them 3.Reduce plastic use: Yes, reduce, re-use, recycle, as much as possible. Mostly try to reduce wherever I can. What I will try to do: 1.Drink shade-grown coffee: I have been vaguely aware of these labels on coffee brands, but will look for them now. 2.Do citizen science: I hope to become an active participant -- This course has been such a wonderful introduction! I have made my first few entries to eBird, but certainly need to get more confident and establish connections that will help me to do so. Another action to take is to let others know about the 7 Simple Actions.
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Activity 1: Birds matter because they are essential parts of their environments. They are both predator and prey, they pollinate, fertilize, disperse seed. They have roles that surely we don’t fully understand. Their songs lift us up. Their flights and migrations inspire and amaze. I associate certain bird songs, calls and sightings with particular events that bring good memories when I hear or see them again. The endangerment or disappearance of birds remind me that I need to do a better job in my own way of improving the health of the earth.
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I attended my first bird walk this week at a local forest preserve. I intended not so much to record the birds I saw, but just to learn how to explore, sight, and identify them from more experienced birders. With only 3 participants plus the guide, our small group helped each other with locating the birds from their sounds. The guide was great at identifying from sound, and we were able to locate and identify various species. After I made my sightings, the best I could do was just to jot down the names on paper. I then later examined them more carefully with Merlin, and I made my first submissions to eBird. I'll have to develop the field note taking skills with more practice. The following day I saw two magnificent white birds flying together, and with the help of Merlin, identified them as egrets and submitted them to eBird. This is all so new to me, and I am in awe of the power of birding communities to document bird activities globally.
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Activity 2: Exploring the species found in the two spots in Arizona (Roger Rd and Mt. Lemmon): It seemed that there were birds associated with aquatic environments at the Roger Rd. site, i.e. ducks, herons, egrets, teal; whereas I could not find a single one at the Mt. Lemmon site. So Roger Rd. probably has some type of water habitat at the location, whereas Mt. Lemmon is probably devoid of much water habitat. On the other hand, it seemed that at Mt. Lemmon, I found more birds of prey, such as hawks, falcons, kestrel, merlin, osprey. Although there were these types sighted at Roger Rd., it seemed that there was a greater diversity of these types sighted at Mt. Lemmon.
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Activity 3: Late afternoon in my backyard. Heard a woodpecker. Mourning dove. Some kind of squawk, maybe catbird? Miscellaneous chirps, unidentifiable. This is really hard.
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Activity 1: I have never known the difference between a sparrow and a wren. So now it is time to find out. With the help of Merlin, I can compare photos of the two types. Both are small brown birds, with various types of markings. But it seems to me that the most obvious difference between the two is the beak. The wren has a beak that is long thin and pointed like a needle. The sparrow's beak is short and thick. I know there must be other differences to distinguish them, but this one characteristic seems most obvious to me now.
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Activity 2: I watched the Cornell Lab Feeder in mid-afternoon and saw several Mourning Doves and Grackles. The Mourning Doves fed from the floor surface, while the Grackles fed from both the floor and perch feeders. The Grackles held seed in their beaks, often rotating it before eating it. Blue Jays also visited, mostly taking seeds from the perch feeders. They took larger seeds and often flew away with them. I saw one Blue Jay that held two seeds at once in its beak and flew away with them. Red-winged blackbirds also came, not staying long, just taking seed away from the perch feeders. The feeder was also visited by two woodpeckers, I think a male Hairy Woodpecker (looked like the longer beak type) and female Downy Woodpecker (shorter beak).
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Activity 2: I watched the Panama Fruit Feeder around 1:30 pm on Aug 15. Nobody was there for a few minutes, then one bird flew onto a branch. It was a small bird, with a distinct yellow cap, black back, and yellow chest. From eBird, I tentatively identified it as either a Yellow-crown Euphonia or a Thick-Billed Euphonia. It stayed on the branch for a while, constantly looking around. Then it came in a little closer, flying onto a perch above the fruit, also constantly looking around, and stayed there for a while longer. Finally, it flew onto a banana and started to peck at it, still always looking around. It stayed on the banana and fed for a bit, then flew away. It seemed that it was constantly on guard at the feeder, always checking around for incoming competitors.
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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.
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Activity 1: Not much activity at the Cornell Lab Feeder around sunset on Aug 11,2020 - except for a pair of cardinals - one male and one female. The male was feeding and fluttering his wings wildly, while the female looked on from her perch on top of the feeder. The male then flew off, followed by the female; but then she returned, and started to feed, and also started fluttering her wings, not quite as forcefully as the male had done. She finally settled into quietly feeding for a few more minutes. Checking in again at 7:40 am Eastern time on Aug12,2020: The most obvious visitor was a squirrel, but also saw a red-winged blackbird, bluejay and mourning dove. After the squirrel left, more visitors showed up: some type of woodpecker; a medium-size mostly brown bird, with a white strip on head, white flecks throughout, a blunt not very long beak, maybe some type of thrush Then a lot of black birds (10 or so) with bluish-purplish-greenish iridescent bodies (maybe grackles) showed up and everyone else left. A few hours later around 10:00 am I saw a male and female cardinal; a woodpecker, I think downy; mourning dove, blue jay, and then more of the grackles. Activity 3: Using Merlin’s bar chart , here are 5 birds that I did not know about and should be passing through my suburban Chicago area now in high numbers: 1.Killdeer - I never would have thought I should be seeing one, and actually have never seen one. It is a shorebird but often nests far from water in parking lots, roofs, edges of roads, and other areas with bare gravel. It has distinctive black and white rings around its neck and face. 2.Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - Never heard of this one, and not sure if I have ever seen one. it is tiny - a cute little gray one. Its call seems familiar, but I’m not sure. 3. Chimney swift - I have seen these flying around in groups but did not know what they were. 4. Eastern Kingbird - High contrast black and white body: a black head and back, and all-white chest and belly; black tail feathers trimmed in white. A rather short smooth round crown I don’t think I have seen one before. Cannot tell if I recognize its call . 5. Gray catbird - Gray or blu-ish gray body, with distinctive red undertail., black cap. Has a variety of calls, but one does seem familiar to me - sounds a bit like a cat - but I do not know if I have ever seen one.
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Viewing 12 posts - 1 through 12 (of 12 total)