Claire

#1. I have learned more about how birds contribute to our ecosystems. I had never been very interested in birds (I've always been a plant person), but learning more about them has made me feel more connected to the natural world, as learning about plants always has as well. I think this kind of knowledge and connection - the feeling of walking in nature and recognizing the trees, plants, and animals we encounter; seeing them as neighbours or friends - is vital to the preservation of our natural spaces. If we have no connection, it's easy to not care and go on with our busy lives without thinking about the bigger picture. #2. I live in an apartment building, but there is a garden area too shady for the hired gardeners to bother with, near an adjacent forested area. My kids and I plant a few shade-tolerant native plants in this area every year - ones that are natural to the surrounding forest and support pollinators. We try to avoid plastic altogether, but otherwise make sure we re-use it as many times as we can, and recycle it. Any time a piece of plastic looks like it could trap an animal somehow, we cut it. I want to make sure all my coffee is bird-friendly, and I plan to be an active Citizen Scientist in regards to birds going forward. #3. I haven't paid close enough attention to birds to be able to comment on this, although I will echo another person's comment about the decrease in insect numbers (which would, of course, affect birds).  I absolutely have also noticed that on road trips there are almost no insects on the car/windshield compared to in my childhood. That has bothered me for years. #4. I plan to take the eBird course and make a habit of using it. I plan to participate in the Backyard Birdcount this year - I'll be doing it with some family members who know more about birds than I do, so I am looking forward to that! I work outdoors and deal with plants and plant communities, but I look forward to be able to add some casual bird observations that may be helpful or relevant to my notes as well. Very happy I took this course!

I have started using eBird now that I've been learning about it, so I have been taking some notes in the comments section, and am looking forward to using it more in the days/years to come (in combination with Merlin, which I love!). I saw my first pair of Merlins this week! I never would have noticed them had I not been more attuned to the world of birds thanks to this course. I stayed and watched them for a good 10 minutes, and got to hear their amazing calls to one another with my husband. They're rare for this area at this time, so we felt very grateful! I made notes, recorded the calls, and tried to take some pictures as well. It's so helpful to have the calls recorded to listen back to again later.

Activity 2: Watching the Cornell Bird Cam, we noticed there were lots of Mourning Doves eating from the trough, gathering together. We saw Blue Jays swooping in to grab a peanut and fly off with it again. We saw some Starlings eating from the suet, and we saw a Hairy Woodpecker on the log-like feeder, eating from the holes, then later maybe a Downy Woodpecker. The Mourning Doves seemed to be spending the most time at the feeder, the Woodpeckers were in and out quickly, as were the Jays. The Starlings hung around for quite some time on the suet.

Activity 2: I did not see many birds out walking today, but the ones I saw are on the list of most likely in my area: Northern Cardinal (male), House Sparrow (many, chatting in a shrub), and American Robin.

Activity 1: I used a boreal bird cam, so looking at an area further north than I live. I saw two species of bird on a feeder, which I used Merlin to identify using size, colour, location, feeding habit. Really great tool! I've only used it for sound ID before, so using it this way with a bird feeder was great practice. I identified one bird as a Pine Grosbeak - I recognized it at sight as a finch based on its shape and beak, which was progress! I became sure of my ID once a female joined the fun at the feeder. The second bird was a little more tricky - a sparrow of some kind, I saw right away. It had a red cap, a bit of black on the face, but otherwise just looked like a generic sparrow to my untrained eye. It was after I started going through the suggestions, and reading the descriptions, that I noticed it had a notched tail and that some had a pink wash on their breast. I was able to ID it as a Common Redpoll. This is such a great way to hone my observation skills from the comfort of my living room! Helpful activity :)