HOME	ESC 452, Fall Quarter 2003 Field Ornithology
	Class Notes Week 1 Become familiar with class structure and schedules. Begin to learn general ways in which to identify birds. Look over list of species to be identified. Field Trip to UW Ecological Area in 2001; compare with this year. Birds were not very active during this mid-day trip. Nevertheless, we did see several species representing several orders. Go over the field charcaters and orders for the species we observed. The table below summarizes the species detected and the kinds of habitat where they were observed: Species Habitat western grebe nearshore water pied-billed grebe nearshore water mallard water adjacent to marsh, nearshore water northern shoveler water adjacent to marsh, nearshore water gadwall water adjacent to marsh, nearshore water green-winged teal shallow pond American wigeon nearshore water double-crested cormorant nearshore water belted kingfisher perched on dead shrubs near water sharp-shinned hawk 2 observed; various places in the area, perched in snag ring-necked pheasant a single bird flushed from meadow song sparrow shrubs, small trees savannah sparrow meadow American goldfinch a small flock flew over near thre gravel parking lot. marsh wren cattail marsh red-winged blackbird cattail marsh house finch small trees Steller's jay flew from tree patch in meadow yellow-rumped warbler various patches of shrubs and trees   Care of Bird Specimens Bird specimens are fragile, they are often difficult to obtain, and some are virtually irreplaceable. Even the most common specimen represents many hours of time and labor. Therefore it is the responsibility of each student to observe some simple rules with regard to handling of specimens so that they will remain undamaged for future use. Bird skins are made by removing the bird's body and replacing it with cotton wrapped around a stick, or sometimes by cotton alone. No wire or other support is usually used in the wings or feet, and so are only held on by dry brittle skin. Similarly, the tailk and often the head have no special support. Therefore, never try to spread wings or feet. Do not pick up ther specimen by the head, beak, feet or tail. If the specimen must be picked up for examination, grasp the skin firmly by the body and hold it only in this manner. When you haver examined the bird, replace it on the table so that it is not leaning against any other object and in such a way that the feathers are not rumpled. Do not stack birds on top of each other. Week 3 Notes Results of first lab exam Week 4 Notes Week 5 Notes Week 6 Notes Week 7 Notes Week 8 Notes Week 9 Notes Guidelines for Preparing Research Reports Oral Report Schedule Revised Bird List Week 10 Notes Dawn's presentation
BACK TO TOP  Last Updated: 09/16/03	Contact the instructor at: auklet@u.washington.edu