We began our lab at The Ridges in Athens County Ohio at 7:30 am. Historically The Ridges was a self sustained psychiatric unit which is now owned by Ohio University and is used for classroms and offices. Remnants of farming and orchards can still be observed. The Ridges is located off of SR 682 across from the Hocking River. The day was sunny, about 10 degrees celsius with a light wind. Kelly Williams -Segue joined our class to demonstrate capture techniques and data collection as well as Dr. Miles. We began by setting up mist nets with Kelly. In total we set up five nets in shrubby, early to mid- successional forest habitat. There were remnant apple tees from the old orchard scattered throughout.
All mist nets were set up by 9:05 am. one or two people would check nets about every 15 minutes. The rest of class stayed fairly quiet and investigated other areas.
We observed and heard a flock of Cedar Waxwings in the canopy of a tree foraging around. Tim saw them first and Dr. Miles confirmed the species. The habitat where we saw the Cedar Waxwings was still early to mid successional with virburnum sp., multiflora rose, rubus sp. and honeysuckle. The species was confirmed by sound and sight, the birds were larger than house sparrows and you could see a slight tinge of red on wing tips. Yellow tips making a band of yellow on the retrices . The behavior, the flocking in the orchards and near open woodlands was also characteristic on the species as well as their song which was a high zeee.
We also observed four or more American Robins calling and fling from one tree to another–they can be identified by their dark body and reddish orange breast, we were not able to make a determination on male and female with female having a brown head due to the distance they were away from us.
A turkey vulture was seen overhead soaring , having a longer tail two toned wings in a dihedral position.
The class also heard a nuthatch but was unable to see the bird and a Red- Bellied Woodpecker in a tree drilling and gathering insects and as it flew we heard the characteristic kwrr krww and chaw sounds. We were able to see the zebra back, some red, and white rump. We were unable to determine if it was a male or female due to the small amount of red we saw. Size also clued us in that it was not a downy. Kelly confirmed the species’s id.
WE heard American Crows cawing in the trees above as well as a Carolina Wren sing above.
We also saw a bird in the brush and shrubby habitat and identified it as a Swainson’s thrush due to its size a little bigger than a sparrow and the spotting on brush with a gray-brown body and buffy eye ring. Dr. Miles confirmed identification
We also saw more Cedar Waxwings and a Blue Jay and identified it by the blue color,white wing bars and size—larger than a robin size bird, but in Corvid family.
Susan sighted a warbler and with further investigation we saw the black v shape by the eye and black stripes on the side of the yellow breasted bird. Identification was confirmed by Kelly. An Eastern Towhee was seen and heard throughout the lab by students –robin sized bird with white on it sides, dark body and orangish red breast and distance call.
Tim spotted Chimney Swifts flying overhead identified by their cigar shaped bodies, and constant wing flapping, high aspect ratio wings. We and heard a song sparrow which Dr. Mile confirmed and 2 Northern Cardinals perched in trees. Dr. Miles heard an Eastern Bluebird.
A warbler size bird was seen flitting around in a bush probably feeding.It had no wing bars, no eye ring and an olive colored body with some white near rump which the class identified as a common yellowthroat.
By 10:55 am we were getting ready to take the nets in –a bird had not been caught in a net all day and there was hardly any bird activity a Northern Cardinal flew into the net.
The net was in a location where the was shrubby location all around. Kelly removed the bird from the net and took an array of measurements and banded it. She determined it was a young male due to the majority og red in the beak and feathers and the new feathers coming in. Tim recorded the data and the class learned how to properly hold a bird so as not to injure it or yourself. Several students were able to practice before we let the bird go.
What a great experience!!!!!
Julie
