oliviaberger's Journal

Around 8 am there was a murder of American Crows perched on some tree branches by the cemetery. There were approximately 15 individuals. At the time, it was partly cloudy and around 20°F. There was not a lot of wind and the birds were relatively sedentary. Additionally, the birds were not making a lot of noise. Sometimes it seemed like they were staring at me and planning something. Some individuals had their heads lowered towards the ground. More individuals eventually joined the group in the tree until it seemed like there was a swarm of birds. Afterwards, the crows flew off together in a cloud of black. While in flight, the birds flew in a more direct path than other birds. The American Crow had a deep wing beat and was able to glide through the air.

On Quarry Hill Rd I observed a group of American Robins flying between trees. Previously, I was not observing an abundance of birds. It is likely that individuals were not as active around 3 PM in 6°F weather while it was snowing. It was much more difficult to capture a picture and observe the American Robin. It moved rather fast and was easily startled whenever I made sound. There were approximately ten birds that were flying between berry-filled trees. They were much more active than the American Crow. Some birds were flittering between branches. Additionally, they were able to easily jump up and take flight and then land relatively easily and gracefully without a lot of noise.

There were also some Black-capped Chickadees around Quarry Hill Rd. Two individuals were feeding from a bird feeder in someone's yard. I did not attempt to get too close to them because I was afraid the residents would not appreciate someone wandering on their land. They would fly to the feeder and then quickly leave with a seed. Its wingbeats were much more rapid than the American Crow. It had a more similar flight pattern to the American Robin. Although the Black-capped Chickadee did not stay in one place for a long time, it was easier to observe its coloration because the American Robin blended into the trees and berries.