Jessica

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.

Activity 1: Wall of Birds   I have a lot of favourite birds, but the three-wattled bellbird really caught my attention while looking at the Wall of Birds. They are so unique looking and have beautiful colours!   Activity 2: Birds from three different groups   While looking through some photos that I took while on walks or from my backyard bird feeder, I found three of my favourite species from three different groups that we learned about in this course. One was a pileated woodpecker (from the woodpecker group) that I had spotted pecking at a rotting log. I had never seen a pileated woodpecker prior to that, and I was absolutely amazed at the size and the brightness of the crest!   Another is the mourning dove (from the doves and pigeons group). I see them often in my backyard and think that they are so adorable. They often perch on my back deck all fluffed up in the early hours of the morning. Finally, the red-winged blackbird (from the songbirds group) is another favourite that I occasionally see in my backyard. The males are so stunning when they fly across the yard with their red wing patches on full display. Activity 3: Favourite bird As I previously mentioned, I have a lot of favourite birds! One that I haven't mentioned yet is the American goldfinch. I love their bright yellow colour and sweet song.