Well first off, thank you so much for sticking with my phenology blog until the very end!

To start off, I have seen this cute chipmunk in my backyard near the grill for the past month. He finally came close enough for a long enough for a picture! My cat has been clawing at the back door for ages, and the chipmunk often scurried along my back patio a bit too quickly for me to know what he was up to or to catch him in the act.

Regarding weather, it has been quite dreary in New Jersey lately. The last two weeks has seen mostly cloudy, gray, stormy days. The precipitation has remained equal the last two weeks, and is greater than the other weeks (see March and Mid-April blogs) that I have mentioned. Along with the rainy weather, the temperature has been lower in these two weeks than those preceding it. The temperature generally ranged in the 40s and 50s. Two weeks ago was warmer than this past week by a few degrees, but nothing significant enough. All in all, these past two weeks have been extremely similar in temperature and precipitation.

Onto birds! To answer the question of my favorite bird thus far, I have to say that I am a fan of Tufted Titmouse (I just can’t help it, they are precious in my mind). Last week, the faithful cardinal continued to sing his/her heart out. As I am also pretty new to birding, I found myself frustrated at the variety of songs they will sing (as I thought I was hearing a new bird and got excited, only to realize it was my good friend, the cardinal). Last week, I also saw/heard plenty of robin and song sparrows as well, and pretty blue jay.

This week, I heard a field sparrow from my room. I consulted with the Merlin app and my birding friend and we determined the species. It was a bit odd, since field sparrows tend to stray from developed areas, but considering it is migration time, it was probably a bird on the move. All bets are off during migration. Today, I was perhaps a bit too excited when after the rain cleared up, the sun shown, and it was 70 degrees, I saw five common grackle on my lawn. In addition, a Tufted Titmouse, a song sparrow, and a brown-headed cowbird were singing.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Again, thank you so much for reading! To Kate, thank you for being an incredible GTA and for helping us get through this time of craziness. I know that you have plenty of stuff to worry about on your own, so thank you! I hope that you are well and it was wonderful to have you as a GTA. While he probably won’t be reading this, the same can be said for Chris. He has been a great TA, and I have throughly enjoyed the lab conversations. They have definitely made me think and question beyond class. THANK YOU!

Citations

Dani Berger. (2020). Chipmunk.

As COVID-19 has still been spreading rapidly through the country, I have found it almost necessary to get outside, in my backyard and in my development, as a means of escaping my house during this crisis. I have “ramped up” my birding attempts, though I am still learning about different bird calls and songs, so I am not able to identify all the birds that I can hear in my backyard.

Two weeks ago, I was unable to get outside as much as I would like, so I was not able to look for birds that often. I was able to find a few American robins perched on my fence and on wooden chairs in my backyard. Last week, I was able to go outside on April 5th for over an hour (soaking in the sun). I saw the following words:

• (1) Mourning Dove
• (1) Blue Jay
• (1) Carolina Wren
• (2) American Robin
• (2) House Finch
• (2) Dark-eyed Junco
• (1) Song Sparrow
• (1) Northern Cardinal

I heard the mourning dove, Carolina wren, Northern cardinal, house finches, and song sparrow. I saw the blue jay perched on a mid-level branch on a sweet gum tree in my backyard. I saw two American robins on the grass (before they saw me and flew). The two dark-eyed juncos were perched on the same sweet gum tree as the blue jay. Not to be out done from a few weeks ago (see March post), the song sparrow has (EVERY morning) decided to out-sing the Carolina wren in my backyard. The difference in species I heard and saw between the two weeks has almost certainly been in response to the lack of time I was able to spend outside two weeks ago. Again, there are certainly more species out in my backyard that I was not able to identify.

Two weeks ago, the weather stayed mostly in the 50s, with a three days in the 60s. It rained on and off all week, with at least four days of rain. In comparison, last week the weather was mostly in the 60s. The best day was perhaps April 5th, with the weather over 70°F. It also rained on and off last week, with at least three days of rain. It was warmer last week than two weeks ago, however it rained more two weeks ago.

Citations:

Berger, D. (2020, April 16). Backyard Tour [Video]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/AzyLN_q-aGk.

Berger, D. (2020, April 16). Birds [Video]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/_PV290Fl0FQ.

*Location Change*: Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, I am no longer in Vermont and able to reflect on the seasonal changes to the Redstone Pines.

A lot has been occurring these past few weeks with COVID-19, however two weeks ago, before New Jersey had a stay-in-place policy, I was able to go to Sandy Hook, a sand spit and national recreational area. The weather was warm, mid-50s (°F), and a cool breeze coming off the Atlantic Ocean (the Sandy Hook Bay on the opposite side of the sand spit). There were few people, as the area tends to be crowded only in the summer. The breeze was not strong enough to sway the vegetation much, just causing slight movements. I am pretty new to birding, but I went with my friend who helped me to identify some of the birds we saw that day.

We documented the following birds:

• (?) Northern Gannets
• (?) Turkey Vultures
• (2) House Finch
• (279) Brant
• (7) Red-breasted Merganser
• (1) Horned Grebe
• (7) Ring-billed Gull
• (51) Herring Gull
• (8) Great Black-backed Gull
• (2) American Robin
• (8) Song Sparrow
• (23) Canada Goose
• (54) American Black Duck
• (1) Greater Scaup
• (18) Bufflehead
• (1) Common Merganser
• (1) American Oystercatcher
• (15) Black-bellied Plover
• (1) Great Blue Heron
• (1) Cooper’s Hawk
• (3) Common Raven
• (5) Common Grackle
• (1) Surf Scoter
• (5) White-winged Scoter
• (8) Black Scoter
• (11) Long-tailed Duck

Later that day, I got back to my neighborhood. The weather was the same near my house, warm but without a breeze. I noticed a few birds near my house (but did not count how many of each): song sparrows, house finches, northern mockingbirds, American robins, and (some very chatty) Carolina wrens. The rest of the week was similarly nice (50s) temperature, some cloudy days, and barely any rain.

Last week, I went to walk my dog almost everyday (because of the stay-in-place policy this was the most outdoors my family felt comfortable with me doing) in my neighborhood. This past week was quite dreary: cloudy skies, rain, and general fear (with current NJ cases at over 18,000, I don’t blame everyone). I specifically took note last Friday when the weather got nicer. The temperature was around 70°F and there was almost no wind. This was unusual for the week, as the weather stayed in the 50s and was pretty windy. I could hear and see song sparrows, American robins, dark-eyed juncos, and (still very chatty) Carolina wrens. The dark-eyed juncos were hopping around near my house, catching the attention of my cat (who stays inside).

The past two weeks, the temperature has stayed about the same (within the 50s and 60s) with last Friday acting as a refreshing outlier. Last week, the wind was more intense (likely because of the storms). The same type of birds have been seen in my neighborhood the last two weeks, though l have seen less birds this last week with all the rain.

References

Dani Berger. (2020). March Phenology Notes.

Jacob Crawford. (2020). American Oystercatcher I.

Jacob Crawford. (2020). Black Scoter.

Jacob Crawford. (2020). Cooper’s Hawk.

Jacob Crawford. (2020). Long-tailed Duck II.

Wildlife Activity:

On February 26, I observed signs of squirrels and domestic dogs. I saw tracks for both of these animals. I went to the Redstone Pines with a friend who actively birds, who helped me to identify the songs of three robins, one European starling, one white-breasted nuthatch, and one black-capped chickadee. In addition, there was a large murder of crows which I counted from a fixed spot in the horizon to be about 500 (some of them were too huddled and quick to get an accurate number).

SQUIRREL

One species of interest in the Redstone Pines is the gray squirrel (Figure 2, Figure 3). As mentioned before, I have seen gray squirrels scampering around the Redstone Pines. I have also found tracks of the squirrels (Figure 2). I have also seen the nests of gray squirrels (Figure 4). Gray squirrels are small mammals between the size of 5-36 inches (National Geographic KIDS 2020). During the winter, gray squirrels live in nooks of trees and nests in high branches of trees (National Geographic KIDS 2020). Gray squirrels hide nuts right before winter, so during the winter months they come to find the stashes they hid. During the night, they sleep (All Wildlife 2020). Their main predators are red fox and red-tailed foxes (National Geographic KIDS 2020).

Gray squirrels interact with Eastern White Pines as I have seen them scattering and climbing up these trees. They hide up in the trees and could potentially nest in these trees. I also saw tracks of a gray squirrel heading towards an Eastern Pine. To me, this indicates the use of Eastern Pines by gray squirrels. In addition, there is a red oak tree in the Redstone Pines. It is likely that the gray squirrels, as avid eaters of nuts and other tree reproductive structure, it is likely the some of the nuts that the gray squirrels are hiding and digging up are that of the Northern Red Oak acorns found in Redstone Pines. I also found evidence of little bits of nuts/acorns scattered on the ground of the Redstone Pines.

Phenological Changes

As far as I could tell there have been few phenological changes since January. There are some conditions that have changed, however, that I would like to note. The amount of snow has significantly decreased, mostly through melting and warmer temperatures. Under a thin layer of fresh snow (from the day of), there was merely a layer of ice. I also noticed there were some pine needles and pine cones around from the Eastern White Pines.

References

All Wildlife. (2020). Do squirrels run around at night? Retrieved from https://www.allwildlife.ca/blog/do-squirrels-run-around-at-night/#.

Dani Berger. (2020). Field notes for February.

Dani Berger. (2020). Squirrel in a Tree.

Dani Berger. (2020). Squirrel nest in tree.

Dani Berger. (2020). Winter Tracks.

Dani Berger. (2020). Winter Tracks Pt. 2.

National Geographic KIDS. (2020). Eastern gray squirrel. Retrieved from https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/eastern-gray-squirrel/.

Wildlife Activity: Lots of gray squirrels climbing up trees, gray squirrel tracks, heard American Goldfinch, Black-Capped Chickadee, American Crow, and White-Breasted Nuthatch. I just heard the American Goldfinch as it flew overhead. The Black-Capped Chickadee and White-Breasted Nuthatch were both perched in the trees and singing. At one point two Black-Capped Chickadees were calling to each other. There were a few crows that called and flew over. Later on, when I was heading back to my dorm from the Redstone Pines, I saw nearly 500 American crows flying together. Perhaps they were all moving to find a place to stay for the night.

Twig Identification: I looked at two types of twigs. I looked at an Eastern White Pine twig and a Norway Maple twig.

Phenological Changes: Most of the snow has melted, leaving an inch or less of snow on the ground. Various pine needles are scattered across the dirt. Animal tracks are visible in the snow.

Notes: For reference of the notes taken at the site, please see figure 1.

            The location of my place that I will be diving into today is Sandy Hook, New Jersey. This location is a barrier/sand spit located in Monmouth County which is connected to Sea Bright by land and Atlantic Highlands by bridge. It is a unit of the Gateway National Recreational Area and is managed by the National Park Service since 1975 (Visit NJ 2019). My high school was located about five miles onto the barrier spit close to the lighthouse (the oldest operating lighthouse in the US). On one side is Sandy Hook Bay and on the other side is the Atlantic Ocean. For the four years of my high school, Sandy Hook was a secondary home of adventure and curiosity. The unique culmination of American history, military history, and maritime aspects has amazed and fascinated me. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Sandy Hook have been the organisms that inhabit the vast ocean and bay. 

            Sandy Hook is ecologically rich. Located in the over six mile long area are salt marshes, wetlands, and holly forests. All of these different ecosystems add beauty and importance to the location. The wetlands and salt marshes act as nurseries for vertebrates and invertebrates. The holly forests host a diversity of vegetation, including the American Holly trees that the forests are named after, and animals that inhabit the area. The area is also rich in bird species. The two most notable species frequently spotted on Sandy Hook are piping plovers and ospreys. Efforts are in place to keep populations stable for both species. Nesting sites of ospreys are noted, protected, and the chicks are often banded by the National Park Service. Piping plover nesting sites on the beach are blocked off by tape and there are severe fines for trespassing on their nesting locations.

            Sandy Hook is also historically rich. The area was originally owned by the U.S. Army and was known as Fort Hancock. The area surrounding where my high school was located was known as Historic Fort Hancock. This area includes “Officers Row”, the buildings where officers would have stayed when the fort was still functioning. It was originally in use during World War I and stayed in use through the Cold War, though the main times of use of the officer barracks would have been during the first and second World Wars. Most of the buildings are out of repair and could use upkeep, however the park does not have the funds, currently, to stabilize all of the buildings. Some of the buildings have been renovated and are able to be rented out and one is maintained as the History House. The History House is furnished to appear similar as it would have during the first World War. The interesting part of the “Officers Row” is that they are all facing the water instead of Pershing Field, which would have been where marching occurred. 

            Sandy Hook has always had special emotional value to me. I have always felt a sense of peace at Sandy Hook. Sandy Hook was the place where I found my fascination for natural ecosystems and for the diversity of life that can live in various environments. The history further instills in me a feeling that the place is a special, important place to remember. The abundance of nature stands at a stark contrast to the suburbia which is so close to it, and to the urban area of New York City across the bay.

Citation:

Visit NJ. (2019). Sandy Hook. Retrieved from 
https://www.visitnj.org/city/sandy-hook.

Phenological Changes

With the sight of the first snow at Redstone Pines, I feel both a sense of familiarity and of comfort. It has been quite some time since I have seen the snow on top of trees, but it brings with it memories of family-bonding and of hot chocolate and book-reading by the fire. There is also a sense of discomfort that I associated with the new snow at Redstone Pines. This comes largely from the unknown quality that I associate with great amounts of snow. I found myself pondering the stability of the pines and wondering how large quantities of snow would affect this. In this way, I began to feel a sense of uncertainty when in the pines. Overall, the snow brought a sense of wonder and amazement at the aesthetic value of the location.

Component of a Larger Place

The Redstone Pines are located in the transition zone between Redstone Campus and Athletic Campus, though it is technically part of Redstone Campus. Since it is easily accessible from Athletic Campus (where I live), there is a greater sense of comfort in the location of Redstone Pines as it a convenient location for me to return to in order to relax. Redstone Pines is part of the University of Vermont campus, again a comfort in that I have a vested interest in UVM. This can again, be extrapolated out to Vermont. I have once again, a feeling and sense of amazement when I think of Vermont, and therefore also with Redstone Pines.

Site Living Through History

The Redstone Pines was not always the way it was today. Since it is located on the University of Vermont’s campus, it was likely developed at some point and later allowed to aforest. Before it was property of UVM, it was likely part of a much larger forest, perhaps it was part of a large pine stand (like the ones located in Centennial Woods). Indigenous people, like the Abenaki, inhabited this land before white settlers came and took their land from them. If we go further back in history, the land that is not the Redstone Pines was once completely submerged. This history brings both positive and negative sense of place to the Pines. That a variety of plants are thriving in this location gives an overwhelming sense of happiness in the Pines, however thinking of the land being taken from the Abenaki makes the land feel inherently destructive in the same token.

Changes in Vegetation

Since the last visit to Redstone Pines many of the leaves have fallen. The last time I came approximately a third of the leaves were still on the deciduous trees. This past visit, nearly all of the leaves on the deciduous trees had fallen. There was also noticeably more pine needles located on top of the soil.

Topography and Soil

As previously mentioned, there is a large change in topography the further east along the plot that you move. The terrain gets steep along the area with the most rocks (see the map). The soil has some organic matter in the form of pine needles and leaf litter. Due to the pine needles, it is likely that the soil of Redstone Pines is slightly acidic.

As mentioned in my previous post, the location that I am visiting is Redstone Pines. Redstone Pines are located near the Interfaith Center and is located off of the path, heading towards Redstone campus. It is defined by more than its mere location. The area is known as a hang-out spot, so it characteristically may contain a few students. Most of the students are relaxing or completing homework in the unique atmosphere of the pines. Redstone Pines is a small natural area on campus, and it is characteristically calm and relatively quiet. It is defined as an area of pines and small patches of deciduous trees isolated by the University of Vermont’s campus. 

You will know that you are at Redstone Pines when you see a large section of natural area on the path heading into Redstone campus. There are large pine trees overlooking the area. There are two lampposts located at the edge of the pines, and approximately twenty feet of grass without trees before the pines become dominant. Though the pines are dominant throughout there are, there are a number of Sugar Maple and Northern Red Oak trees. The land is flat and barren for approximately twenty-five feet before there are large pines. When viewing the Redstone Pines from the walking path, there is a large pilling of rocks along the steep slope about fifty feet into the natural area on the rightmost side. Along the rocks are shrubs and saplings, whereas the rest of the natural area is dominated by large, straight pines. 

There is a sense of serenity that I tend to associated with the Redstone Pines. If one listens on any given day you can hear the wildlife scurrying above and along the ground. The large pines are spread out along the area, with each pine approximately ten feet from one another.

The following directions are how to find Redstone Pines from the Davis Center:

1. Walk to the first floor of the Davis Center and walk past Cat Pause and Brennan’s until you have reached the tunnel pathway that connects Central and Athletic campuses. Walk through this tunnel and up the stairs and out of the connected building on Athletic campus through the door on the right.
2. Walk straight along the paved path. When perpendicular to the area between University Heights North and University Heights South, the path splits into a path that continues straight and one that veers to the right. Walk along the path that veers to the right.
3. Redstone Pines is located on the right side when walking on the path. It is located approximately twenty five feet further along the walking path than the Interfaith Center (which should be located on the left of the path). 

Hello, welcome to my Phenology Blog! My name is Dani and I’m a Wildlife and Fisheries Biology major. The location that I will be returning to this year is in the Redstone Pines. Follow me on this journey to see the seasonal differences 🙂