2/8/24 Birding excursion

Date - 2/8/24
Start time - 11:16
End time - 12:37
Location - trinity woods
Weather (temperature, wind speed/direction, precipitation) - 36 degrees farenheight. Wind- 4mph south southeast
Habitat(s) - Oak and hemlock forest, inclined hill into a ravine, low ferns, sever large rocks and fair amount of dead branches and brush on the ground.

With the uncharacteristic February sun searing into my eyes and cooking me inside my warm coat, I made the long trek from my apartment, up the hill, across and down to trinity campus. The shaded woods behind Richardson Hall beckoned me as it has many times before, its towering oak trees reaching up well past the roofs of the squat dorms. I descend into the cool forest air, picking my way down the hill, careful not to trip, to reach the large rock at the bottom of the ravine where I settle down for my observations.

In a flurry of movement, two Black Capped Chickdees dance around each other in the branches of a young oak, flitting from branch to branch. The chickadees moved with lots of hopping, jumping around and leaning off of branches. They moved incredibly quickly, this pair dancing around eachother, I could not entirely tell if they were just playing or something else. Chickadee flight appears very distinct, as they will flap rapidly, then tuck in their wings like a tiny fluffy bullets launching themselves through their flight path. They would flare out their entire wings and angle them to perch on vertical surfaces.

The dancing pair were moving much too fast for me to see, but around 10 minutes later, another chickadee perched on a branch of a large oak near me, Using my binoculars I was able to observe it. This bird was very distint, as it had a ruffle of feathers on the top of its head where the feathers stuck out like a cowlick. it had a darker grey wing pattern on the edges.

I was doing great seeing lots of birds, when at around 11:42, the F-35s began their horrendous flights overhead and many of the birds scattered. I think the disturbing sounds had a noted effect on bird presence.

On my way out I saw the large red crest of a pileated woodpecker right behind mann hall, I was unable to get a better look as it was flying by, but due to the size, and red crest I am confident in my identification. I have also spent alot of time in those woods before and have seen the pileated woodpecker.

Publicerat 10 februari 2024 04.32 av mothman42