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Date --- 5/1/2021
Start Time --- 11:15 AM
End Time --- 12:45 PM
Location --- Macrae Farm Park, Colchester, VT 05446
Weather --- (Temperature) = 45 degrees Fahrenheit, or ~ 7 degrees Celsius ... (Wind) = ~ 10mph NW ... (Precipitation) = none. Sunny with minimal cloud cover.
Habitats --- Dirt road along the Winooski River, with steep banks and lots of dead trees. Eventually transitioned into more of a wetland area, as persistent rain over the past week caused flooding and stopped us from wandering the various trails along the river. Farms and grassland could be seen on the other side of the road.

x1 Muskrat
x2 Eastern Mole
x1 Eastern Painted Turtle (very small, could not have been more than a week old ... picture attached)
x1 Northern Cardinal
x2 Mallard
x2 Tufted Titmouse
x2 Black-capped Chickadee
x1 Downy Woodpecker
x3 American Robin
x1 White-breasted Nuthatch
x2 Song Sparrow
x1 Northern Flicker
x2 Canada Goose
x2 American Crow
x4 European Starling
x1 Ring-billed Gull

The Northern Flicker was my first confirmed sighting of the species; I thought I had seen one during the spring 2020 semester (during my time at home in upstate New York), but it was too far away for me to confirm it. I had also never seen a muskrat before, and it took my partner and I a few minutes to get a glimpse of the organism's size and tail, which indicated it was not a beaver.

I have an Eastern Painted Turtle at home (about 8 years old named Shoelace), but seeing a baby one stranded in a puddle nearly made me cry ... I felt honored to have held it, and afterwards we transported it over to the river bank where it dipped its head into water, swam off, and began its childhood.

We also went to investigate a rock that was being heavily sniffed by the dog we were dogsitting; I lifted up the rock to observe, and out scurried two moles as quick as they could due to the danger they sensed.

My last field journal trip was a terrific one, but I'll keep on exploring new natural areas around Burlington and neighboring towns. Excited for summer birding, as well as Field Ornithology in late May :)

Date --- 5/8/2021
Start Time --- 8:45 AM
End Time --- 11:00 AM
Location --- Ethan Allen Park off of North Avenue, Burlington, VT 05408
Weather --- (Temperature) = 50 degrees Fahrenheit, or ~ 10 degrees Celsius ... (Wind) = 9mph W/SW ... (Precipitation) = an occasional tiny raindrop would be felt on the cheek or the forehead, but nothing else. Mostly cloudy.
Habitats --- Wooded area near the Winooski River with many different trails ... lots of changes in elevation, including steep inclines to a pinnacle overlooking Burlington and Lake Champlain and an old stone tower that was inaccessible due to COVID-19. Area included trails behind houses along Ira Lane and Moore Drive, most of which had birdfeeders, though no birds were spotted at these food sources.

x3 American Crow
x4 American Robin
x1 Scarlet Tanager
x2 White-breasted Nuthatch
x1 Tufted Titmouse
x1 Common Raven
x1 Great Crested Flycatcher
x1 Turkey Vulture
x2 Black-capped Chickadee
x3 European Starling
x1 Ring-billed Gull

Unfortunately, no individuals appeared for our tours on this 2021 World Migratory Bird Day, but we did have a nice time venturing into Ethan Allen Park and catching some new species. We even saw a turkey vulture up close near Ethan Allen Tower!

Date --- 5/24/2021
Start Time --- 7:15 AM
End Time --- 12:30 PM
Location --- Ausable Marsh Wildlife Management Area, Peru, VT 12972
Weather --- (Temperature) = 70 degrees Fahrenheit, or ~ 21 degrees Celsius ... (Wind) = 2mph N/NE ... (Precipitation) = none. Almost entirely sunny.
Habitats --- Along Ausable Beach Road ... the pavement and outlining large rocks separate the two portions of the water body. Open water for the most part along this portion of the marsh, but emerging vegetation begins to arise about a half mile out. Some mud flats line the parts of the road where open water is not seen, the marshy. A beach can be accessed farther into the area, and docks extending out onto the emergent vegetation can be used to view open water. After seeing the Great Blue Heron, I decided to drive to the back side of the marsh, only accessible by deeply wooded trail that ducks under the train tracks. Upon walking further along the Ausable River, a watershed is reached. A grassy trail extends for miles across the water body, eventually into a forest with some mud flats. One odd thing I noticed about the edge of this habitat were a series of dead trees that looked peculiar in their stance and stature.

Great day for birding and I can't wait for Day 2!

Date --- 5/25/2021
Start Time --- 7:15 AM
End Time --- 12:30 PM
Location --- Point Au Roche State Park, Plattsburgh, VT 12901
Weather --- (Temperature) = 70 degrees Fahrenheit, or ~ 21 degrees Celsius ... (Wind) = 20mph N/NE ... (Precipitation) = none. Almost entirely sunny in the early morning, but gradually transitioned to complete cloud cover.
Habitats --- The road into the park was surrounded by tall trees, until a greeting booth was reached and the trees opened up into grasslands. The very first thing I saw was a deer, who stared at me for about 10 minutes as I observed the tree line and open grasses. The turbulent winds made beautiful waves across the tall grasses (which came up to about my waist). I found it hard to navigate the park; there were many mini habitats within one large area, but after driving around, I was able to find trails that extended through the forests that lined the grasslands. All the while, the park was located right on Lake Champlain, and some trails even took me along the cliffs, dipping down to small rocky beaches where the wind was at its peak and nearly knocked me on my behind.

The many trails all varied greatly; it was a meshwork of interconnecting habitats. Some trails went from open air along either the beach, or forests, or grasslands, to deep within shrubland, or deep within the tallest of trees, and back out into open air. Some paths were simply patches of grass cleared for individuals to walk along, where I found a very discrete. Common Yellowthroat

I was having troubles finding the birds we reviewed for today's excursions. I believe this was due to a few factors. For one, the wind was extremely prominent, and not only would that deter birds from revealing themselves, but it also makes listening for calls and songs more difficult. Also, I have never really explored a grassland/shrubland area, so I was initially unsure of where exactly I should be looking for each species; this summer I will be looking to gain more experience birding in these habitats. Where around Burlington would be the best spots for these birds? I return at the beginning of June.

One thing I wanted to point out was the Turkey Vulture I saw, which I spotted on the ground near cat tails, in more of a shrubland area. I couldn't get good media, but my question was ... what the heck was it doing in there? Perhaps tracking down a deceased animal? I'm not sure how they nest and raise baby birds.

Seeing an Eastern Kingbird for the first time was great as well, I was happy to get such a clear shot through my binoculars.

Feeling good about this week! My improvement surrounding call/song knowledge is something I'm proud of, and even though it might not be reflected in the field right away, I know that experience and even more tips and tricks will come to me with time and more birding memories. I hope tomorrow is better in terms of seeing new species and not being subject to the winds of the Champlain Valley; I will make sure not to get locked out of my car tomorrow!

Date --- 5/26/2021
Start Time --- 7:00 AM
End Time --- 12:30 PM
Location --- Redd Road in Peru, NY 12972 and Macomb Reservation State Park in Morrisonville, NY 12962
Weather --- (Temperature) = 78 degrees Fahrenheit, or ~ 25.5 degrees Celsius ... (Wind) = 8mph N/NE ... (Precipitation) = none. Almost entirely sunny throughout the morning.

Habitats --- Redd Road was a very uneven dirt and gravel road that extended into the deciduous forests of Clinton County for miles; I drove in about 2 miles before turning back, parking near the road's entrance and beginning from there. The road split the forest right in half, and there was little walkable area between the tree lines and the dirt/gravel. Unfortunately, the masses of trees were pretty dense and there were no trails, so it was tough to see any birds here. The very first thing I heard was a Black-throated Blue Warbler, followed by Ovenbird and Eastern Kingbird, which I've come to recognize almost right away. My ID'ing by ear is definitely improving ... can't wait to keep working on it this summer.

Unfortunately, because it was strictly forest split by a dirt road, there were about 10,000 mosquitos hungry for me; my mistake was not bringing it in the first place, but the gas station nearby did not have any when I stopped by before my excursion. Within 5 minutes, I had bites on both arms and legs (despite my limbs being entirely covered) and even the corner of my eye, which kind of stunk. I had to leave after about 15 minutes because it was simply too much, but I relocated to Macomb Reservation State Park, which included a few forest habitats. The road into the site had a few sections of tree, but the land opened up when Davis Lake was reached. A waterfall section under a bridge separated the two elevations of water; to the right of the road was the lake, lined with emergent trees around the entire lake. To the left of the road was the waterfall, but before the drop there was a section of cat tails. The Red-winged Blackbirds were hanging out here, and I was genuinely surprised to find about twice as many females as there were males; whenever I bird, it's usually the other way around. A pleasant surprise for a change. Foraging among the shoreline vegetation was fun, even though it only resulted in one ID, a Song Sparrow.

The more wooded sections of this area did not come from within the park itself, but just outside of it, along Davis Pond Road. Some trails went deep into the woods and were wound all about the deciduous area, but others only jutted into the forest for about a tenth of a mile before fading into nature. It was within the very non-linear, shaded trails I found the House Wren and the Wood Thrush (ID'ed by sound but of course it stopped making noise as soon as I pressed record). The yellowthroat was also observed here, along with a surprisingly dark colored Blue Jay; the dull blue colors threw me off at first, especially because they can be extremely bright in some individuals.

I was hoping to hear more forest species, but I will probably go back to a different forest habitat tomorrow to try and catch some of the songs or the plumages of the other birds we learned for this group. My goal is to become more proficient in warblers and birds of prey this summer, and the forest areas around Burlington will be good spots to practice.

On the other hand, I might go to a general area tomorrow, such as the Ausable Marsh where I went on Monday. I will see if there are any forest areas around there and plan accordingly!

Date --- 5/25/2021
Start Time --- 7:00 AM
End Time --- 12:45 PM
Location --- A) Ausable Marsh Wildlife Management Area, Peru, VT 12972 ... B) Cumberland Bay State Park, Plattsburgh, NY 12901 ... C) Cumberland Head Road, Plattsburgh, NY 12901
Weather --- (Temperature) = 60 degrees Fahrenheit, or ~ 16 degrees Celsius ... (Wind) = 15mph S/SW ... (Precipitation) = none. Transitioned from a deep grey sky and what looked like thunderstorms to a clear and sunny late morning and early afternoon.
Habitats --- The first habitat was the Ausable Marsh, which I visited on Monday 5/24. I was hoping to see new waterbird species, but unfortunately today wasn't the day. Initially, the park is just a road that splits two sections of trees and crosses over the Little Ausable River, but the trees thin out over distance and eventually open up into beaches. Every quarter mile along the road, a trail or dock can be used to reach mudland or dense shrubland along the water body. Marshy areas line the right side of the road, but the deciduous forests that lie just past this microhabitat was a new discovery today. On Monday, I stayed relatively put in this portion of the park, but ventured far along the other side, near Dead Creek and the Ausable River. Upon inspection, the forests were just inland of open rocky beaches (serving as campgrounds) and occasionally contained mudflats. It was here where I thought I heard an American Redstart, but I am not 100% confident.

Cumberland Bay State Park borders (you guessed it) Cumberland Bay, and I was glad I made the trip. In the southern section of the park, varying densities of trees span across the park's land. The beaches separated the water body from the light arboreal areas, and when walking along the beach, I noticed that different species were found within different densities. Perhaps this was just a coincidence, but I noticed the more forest-y species in the denser areas, whereas the generalists hung out among the more interspersed trees. My first ever Pine Warbler and Warbling Vireo sightings were observed in the more densely arboreal areas.

My third and final location happened to be right on the front porch of the location I'm staying at, along Cumberland Head Road. To the one side of the road lies a mix of sandy and rocky beaches, with few trees lining the shore. The other side of the road possesses houses, most with gardens, where I saw the typical generalist species. Our view of the water allowed us to see three Ring-billed Gull sunbathing with a lone Double-crested Cormorant. Untouched woods can be found behind the houses along this road, and I faintly heard some species that couldn't be ID'ed due to the noise of vehicles and nature (water/wind).

Tomorrow, I hope to hit a range of habitats, as I will be visiting Thursday's recommended site (Mud Creek Pond in Alburg, VT), along with Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge in Swanton. I'm excited to scope out Missisquoi; I hope to visit it frequently this summer, as I will be working in Swanton most days.

Date --- 5/28/2021
Start Time --- 7:15 AM
End Time --- 12:00 PM
Location --- Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge and surrounding trails, Swanton, VT 05488
Weather --- (Temperature) = 45 degrees Fahrenheit, or ~ 7 degrees Celsius ... (Wind) = 4mph N/NE ... (Precipitation) = none; the weather called for rain at some point, but it never happened. Sky was subject to complete cloud cover all morning.
Habitats --- Along Tabor Road, the refuge center itself lies in front of the habitats we explored. Some grassland bordered the deciduous forests, which eventually transitioned into a bog; a boardwalk allowed us to walk over the mudlands. The bog consisted of many neat plants, specifically a few beautiful varieties of fern which we couldn't identify, but not much shrubbery was observed. Upon exiting the bog, open grasslands stretched for anywhere between 1 to 2 miles. It was here I made my first bobolink ID (by sound!!!) which I then confirmed with a view through the binoculars. The bobolink recording wasn't too great because other birds were drowning it out the entire time, but I'm extremely happy with this find :)

The trail we were taking looped back around to the refuge center, but we then crossed the street to view the trails over by the Stephen A. Young Marsh. This area was relatively hidden by shrubbery and trees, but docks that extended onto the wetlands allowed us to view the area. Apparently the vicinity is a great place to spot American Woodcock, but I unfortunately did not hear their awesome noises or see their silly little bodies. Next time! The trail to the side of the marsh was awfully dense with trees, but did not hinder our ability to walk along it. This path led deeper into the marsh, but we were focused on the deep forest; this was where we heard my first Least Flycatcher and Eastern Wood-Pewee IDs, as well as a Gray Catbird hopping around.

I did not realize how extensive the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge was, and I hope to go birding in the different bays that surround the area. I also hope to spend more time in the bog; there were quite a few birds in this area I couldn't identify, and I know my warbler ID skills would improve with time and experience. There are lots more birds to discover and see for the first time (American Woodcock ... I'll be back), and as I bird throughout Vermont this summer, I'll be sure to add my observations to both iNaturalist and UVM Ornithology. Thank you for a terrific WFB 130 and 195!