mothman42s dagbok

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.

02/17/2024
4:21-6:33pm
Salmon Hole Trail
Cloudy, light wind, no precipitation, 21 degrees F
River bed side, tall trees. buildings and roads along the river.

I hiked out on the salmon hole trail, it was later then I wanted to go out, but it was still a beautiful afternoon. It was very cold, and I did not expect to see many birds, but I hoped the ones I did see would be performing winter behaviors. i sighted several Black capped chickadees on my way in, and they were darting around one large oak moving very fast.

on the walk through I saw 26 dead snags from the trail, many were of off in the brush, several pockmarked with woodpecker holes, but three notable ones next to or lying across the trail. One was completely hollow, and when I poked my head in one side I could see a squirrel huddling up in there. Another lay completely across the trail and was not completely hollowed out, but had several dug holes in the side, I believe it was a den of some sort for several species and I did not want to disturb them. The final notable snag was an upright stub around 3 feet high and when i lightly kicked it two more squirrels scurried out of it.

snags are incredibly important particuarly to wildlife in the winter as the dead bark provides shelter and dens for animals to live out the could weather. Bugs will live in the bark occasionally providing food for animals willing to dig for it, and the natural hollows caused hide small creatures like squirrels from dangerous predators. Many birds, like chickadees, and other small song birds will use the dead trunks for winter nesting.

The main event was when I reached the open bank of the river to hear the sound of hundreds of crows performing their nightly flyovers like some sort of omen. The crows were looking for somewhere to roost, as together they can stay warmer then alone as well as safer. The crows call patterns were very interesting to listen to, as they would have the standard throaty call through a flock, then one bird farther off would call out in a shorter higher pitch, and the others would respond with a similar noise and all converge on the caller, like it was calling them in to a good tree. I tried to get a recording of it, but the audio on my phone is really bad and there was too much static. At around 6:00 pm when the sun was really starting to disappear, the crows were slowing down in their ominous flyovers, and settling in the trees, with a few stragglers still looking for safe places to roost for the night. I wish I had brought my binoculars, because I would like to see if there is any pattern to how they roost and pick spaces in trees.