Diario de ben__simms

-3/7/2021
-9:30 AM - 10:45 AM EST
-Centennial Woods Trails
-Clear day, Light wind, 19 degrees Fahrenheit
-Woods made up of many Red Pines, Norway Spruce, Red Maples, Paper Birch, and American beech
-Before walking into the woods we saw the Robins at some Flowing Crabapples.

This bird walk meandered through Centennial Woods. On this chilly 19 degree morning I spent time observing what methods birds were using in order to survive these harsh conditions.
The Vermont Winter drives many bird species to migrate south to warmer temperatures. The combination of intense cold and lack of food sources makes it difficult for many species to remain. Those that do are often able to survive by having an ecological niche. During warmer times of the year many birds thrive by eating insects, however most of these insects are not available during winter because there are no leaves to eat. The remaining birds have to find other sources of food. During my walk I observed several species making use of the remaining fruit of a flowering crabapple. This tree is important to many species as it holds fruit much later than other species. I also saw several Downy Woodpeckers demonstrating feeding behavior. By making use of their adaptations they can burrow into the wood of trees to harvest insects that other bird species would struggle to obtain. Lastly, another food source that seemed to be very popular was bird feeders in nearby yards. Several chickadees were using a seed feeder. They would land on it, get a seed, flit away, and then quickly return. This behavior likely means that they are stashing this food away in either a snag or some other protected cranny. Many birds have behaviors like this because it helps them have back up food during a time when food can be hard to find. I also observed a downy woodpecker using a feeder with sugar water in it. This is very helpful as a food source because it is high in glucose and can help the birds make fat.
The other Winter condition that birds must survive is the low temperatures. Several of the birds that I got to see closer up had fluffed themselves to seemingly impossible sizes. They do this in order to increase their insulation and keep warm. When they aren't resting and trying to warm themselves they sporadically feed and gather food for later. Breeding is not common right now. In order to keep warm and sleep safely at night many birds make use of the cavities in trees, most of which are created by woodpeckers. These cavities are ordinarily made in upright dead trees called snags and can help birds survive cold winter nights. I saw 7 snags on my walk, many of which seemed to have higher levels of bird activity around them, but nothing actually came out when I tapped on the trees. However, I expect that most if not all of them would be occupied by that night. And since most birds are not mating right now they might even share the space with other birds and species. Black-capped Chickadees and White-breasted Nuthatches commonly share cavities together in order to stay warm. However, sometimes these cavities are not available, so birds must make their own. One example is the belted kingfisher which will dive into mudbanks with its beak until it has made a large enough hole for it to sleep in.

-3/21/2021
-2-4 pm EST
-Redstone Pine and Harris Green
-Sunny day, Light wind, 52 degrees Fahrenheit
-Redstone pine made up primarily of red pines and the Harris green could be considered a small open field.

While hammocking in the redstone pine I was able to witness a myriad of different bird species and both their interactions with myself and each other. One of the species that I saw the most of was the notoriously curious and interactive black-capped chickadee. Several of them landed right above me multiple times and let out their distinctive chick-a-dee-dee-dee call. Most often this is a call to let other chickadees that there may be a predator nearby. In fact, some studies indicate that chickadees utilize slight variations in this scolding call to communicate the size and threat of the predator. When the Black-capped Chickadees would appear above me they would often let out a call and then disperse to areas that were further away but where I was still in their eyesight. It almost seemed as though they were coming to evaluate what level threat I was and then leaving. The second and third times that they came close to me I employed the "pishing" technique. First I used a repeated "pshh" that was slightly high pitched, which in this case seemed to drive them away. The second time I used a lower pitch continuous noise to which they initially came a bit closer and then dispersed. The main reason that spishing, if done correctly, can attract birds is that it can sound like a scolding call to some birds. It attracts them because they interpret it as a warning of a nearby predator that they should be aware of. There is also some speculation that spishing can attract insectivore bird species because it can sound like the wingbeats of a large insect.
The other bird species that I was able to observe the most closely was an individual Downy Woodpecker. This woodpecker was exhibiting foraging behavior right above me. I could tell that this was foraging as opposed to drumming because it was irregularly timed and the Downy Woodpecker moved around often. Drumming is regular pecking sometimes interspursed with calls and is used to both establish territory and attract females. As we move into early spring aka Downy Woodpecker breeding season drumming should begin to become more common. As breeding season begins many aspects of the Downy Woodpecker's physiology and behavior will begin to change in accordance with its circannual rhythm. Their testes will become wider, the drive to breed will begin, and drumming will become a prevalent behavior.
The plumage of several of the birds that I saw displayed differing evolutionary advantages. I briefly saw several house sparrows. These sparrows have most brown and neutral tone feathers that give it some ability to camouflage in a forest setting. Conversely I identified a male Northern Cardinal which has bright red coloration. This bright color that makes it stand out likely evolved over time through sexual selection as females chose to breed with males with brighter coats because it indicated that they were healthy.