Diario de bethanysmith512

Today, on the last day of this whirlwind course, I visited Sachuest Point Wildlife Refuge in Middletown, Rhode Island. I arrived around 7:30 and began to walk around, returning to my car at about 11:00 this morning. The weather was a bit chillier today, around 50˚ for most of the morning, partly cloudy and quite windy at first, which died down few hours into my outing. It started off really well when I came upon a White-tailed Deer standing on the path about ten yards in front of me! The mammal theme continued as I also spotted a rabbit and mouse in the grassy area. Getting back to birds, however, I have certainly noticed improvement in being able to distinguish what calls are coming from who, and my ears are getting a bit more trained in "ignoring" some of the more common birds that can make it hard to hear other species. I got to watch a few Common Eiders from the shoreline which was a first for me, and just as I was leaving a large Turkey Vulture flew overhead. I also heard a strange sound initially thought to be a Short-eared Owl, but it was likely a Red Fox! I didn't get quite as many solid observations as past days, but this was mostly because the wind made it difficult to record, and there were also more people than I was used to at previous sites, but it was still a successful day! Thank you Jim and Allan for the class!

Today's date is Thursday May 27, 2021. My birding session at Allen's Pond Wildlife Sanctuary in Westport, MA began around 7:40 am and lasted until about 11:15 am. In terms of the weather, the temperature was about 65˚- 75˚ and there was slight wind, especially by the water. It had rained during my drive to the site, so it was a little wet at first, but quickly dried as the sun came out. This had to have been my favorite habitat of the week so far. There were grassy areas where I was able to observe some Bobolinks singing very loud, and there was also shrubbery for species like the Gray Catbird and various warblers. My favorite part had to be the wetland area and the beach portion of the wildlife refuge, however. I got to watch an Osprey sit by her nest as I tried to make out if the nest was full with my binoculars, and there were horseshoe crabs walking around in the water below me. I also saw three rabbits as I walked through the refuge, so it was a wildlife-filled day! I would definitely like to return to this spot, as the habitat was very diverse and offered a wide variety of species.

The date is May 26, 2021, and today I headed to Freetown Fall River State Forest and Southeastern MA Bioreserve to be on the lookout for some forest species. My session today lasted from about 7:20 until 11:30, and the majority of that time was spent walking along the trails through the forest, only taking brief pauses if I heard a certain song I didn't recognize or if there was a lot of activity in a certain area. The weather was pretty mild in the early hours of the morning, starting out at about 60˚ before reaching around 80˚ by the time I left, and it was mostly sunny for the entire outing with little to no wind. While I was excited about getting a clear identification for the Ovenbirds I was hearing, I quickly learned how difficult it can be to hear any other species when the Ovenbirds are really singing. In the mostly deciduous forest areas, I heard a Veery for the first time in person, as well as an Eastern Wood-Pewee. Although not listed on our list of forest species, I was very excited to identify that I was hearing a Prairie Warbler, which was also a first for me. As I walked through the mostly coniferous habitats, species were more limited to those such as White-throated and Chipping Sparrows. Overall, I found it more difficult to bird in a forested area like today because I still need to refine my ID by ear skills, and with the trees being so tall in some areas it was hard to spot birds at all. However, this forced me to take a lot of "unknown recordings" and do some research of my own, and although I had found slightly fewer species than past days, it was still a successful outing!

This morning, at approximately 7:40, I arrived at Norman Bird Sanctuary in Middletown, Rhode Island. I was out in the field until around 11:30, before heading back home. The weather was ideal, with temperatures reaching no higher than 60˚ while I was out there, and it was also partly sunny with a slight breeze. Today's habitat was quite varied, as the sanctuary offered large fields and meadows with bird houses throughout, as well as more forested areas and a pond. This allowed me to see a wide variety of species we've discussed. The grassland areas, for the most part, were dense with shrubbery and small trees. I spent only about a half hour to forty-five minutes watching the pond, since today's focus was on the shrublands. I spent about an hour walking through the forested areas, and the remainder of the time was spent in the meadow-like portions of the sanctuary. The trails were very well kept, and there was also a boardwalk going through a lot of the refuge so visitors may enjoy the wildlife without disturbing it.

Today on Monday May 24, 2021 I travelled to Colt State Park in Bristol, Rhode Island. I began birding around 7:30 in the morning, and wrapped up around 12:00 pm. In terms of the weather, the temperature was between 55˚ and 65˚ during this outing, it was sunny and only partly cloudy. I observed around 30 different species, and the wetland habitat provided me with great bird diversity! At Colt State Park, there is a beach area as well as wetland habitat, and as I walked through the park I saw a wide variety of songbirds mostly along the edges and in the trees, as well as many kinds waterbirds in and around the bodies of water. Since it is a park, there were also areas of mostly grass and trees where I was able to observe some species, but I mostly spent time walking along the ocean and wetland habitat. I only had this one site to visit today, so I spent the entire time here, making sure to walk a good distance around the park to see the most of the habitat.

On Saturday, April 25, I travelled to one of my all-time favorite birding locations in my hometown, Caratunk Wildlife Refuge. This natural area is actually owned and run by Audubon Rhode Island, and it is home to a wide variety of both resident and migratory bird species. I arrived at the refuge at about 8 o’clock in the morning, and I finished logging my observations at around 10 o’clock. The weather was a beautiful 50˚, with little to no wind and barely any cloud cover. The ground was wet from a heavy rainstorm that happened the night before. As for the habitat, there is a mix between fielded habitat and wooded area, with a small pond as well. It could also be described as an edge habitat. This provided me with an opportunity to see bird species that prefer forested areas, fields, and ponds.

For this week’s birding excursion, I travelled to a local trail system around Turner Reservoir on the border of Seekonk, Massachusetts and East Providence, Rhode Island. I began birding at about three o’clock in the afternoon and I finished around four thirty on Sunday, April 19, 2020. The weather was about 60˚ and quite windy, especially since I was near a body of water. The habitat was different from my previous field observations. The area is heavily forested, consisting mainly of large conifers such as Eastern White Pine and some other deciduous tree species. There is also a good amount of shrubbery and smaller plants on the forest floor. Another unique feature of this habitat is the large reservoir that the trails go around, which provided an opportunity to see both aquatic birds and those species that mainly inhabit forests and woodlands.
I certainly noticed a change in behavior compared to my other field observations, specifically in terms of mating and reproduction. To begin, one of the behaviors I noticed came from two American Crows that I observed. They were acting quite territorial, and by this I mean they were flying from tree to tree, staying in close proximity to one another, all while being extremely vocal. For a while, their call was the only one I could hear. I would confidently say that these birds were defending a territory. The two individuals that I observed specifically seemed to be defending a prime territory, and I say this because I did see at least one other American Crow that flew overhead, but quickly left the area that the other two birds were occupying. On the property, it is likely that the American Crows would nest high up in the trees because that is where I observed the individuals. This may indicate that the bird’s defending their prime territory have high fitness because they successfully remained in place, forcing any other individuals to leave. They were also extremely vocal, which leads me to believe even more that they were defending a territory.
Another species I wanted to focus on in regard to mating behavior was the American Robin. I actually was able to observe two separate pairs of American Robins at different times during my excursion, and each pair exhibited different reproductive behaviors. The first two individuals I saw were simply in close proximity to each other on the ground, likely collecting materials to build a nest, since the forest floor would be a great place for those birds to acquire them. The American Robins, along with other species in this specific habitat, would likely be using pine needles and small twigs to build and line their nests. As I mentioned before, the forest was filled with Eastern White Pines, so the floor was covered in needles, as well as some other leaves and sticks. The other pair of American Robins I observed seemed to be earlier in the mating process, meaning I actually observed one individual fly after the other in an apparent chase. I guessed that this could have been an example of a male chasing a female individual in an attempt to reproduce. In comparison to the American Crows, I did not notice nearly the same level of territorial nature in the American Robins. The American Robins could likely nest on a gazebo that is located in the forest, since I know they tend to nest on structures such as that.

Here is the link to a google doc with the Sound Map from my field notebook!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UCbHv97bEFbCekbkO5-exPUiK1JkbrnTZsFbHbZtSwk/edit?usp=sharing

For this week's field observation, I visited a nearby wildlife refuge in Seekonk, MA known as Caratunk, which is affiliated with Audubon. Today, Tuesday April 14, I picked a spot to observe at about 3:30 p.m., and the weather was mostly sunny with only a few clouds in the sky. We had a huge storm the day before, so a lot of the ground was still wet and muddy. The temperature was about 60˚, and there was little to no wind. The habitat could be best described as an "edge habitat," meaning it consisted of mostly a large field and grass on the edge of forested area. Also close by to where I was observing the birds is a small pond surrounded by forest. I picked this wildlife refuge and this spot to bird because I figured it would offer me a wide variety of species since it was such a diverse habitat. Near the field was a bird feeder as well, which I glanced over to check every once in a while.

For this week’s journal entry, and given the current Coronavirus situation, I travelled to my grandmother’s house in Barrington, Rhode Island. It was April 4, 2020, and at about 4:00 in the afternoon when I began observing birds on her bird feeder and around her yard. The purpose of the visit was actually just to check in on my grandmother and spend some time with her outside, and at the proper distance. Once I started seeing how many birds were flying around her yard, however, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to sit for a while and observe. The yard is very shaded with many large trees and bushes, providing plenty of habitats for many different bird species. More specifically, the habitat had a mix of tree cover and open grass, along with shrubs, bushes, and flower gardens. Along with this, since it was in a backyard, the area could also be described as residential and suburban. The weather at the time was about 50˚ with a slight cool breeze. Since it was around 4 o’clock, the sun was lower but not yet setting, but it had begun to cool down for the day.
I will begin by first listing all of the year-round residents for Rhode Island that I observed. These include the House Sparrow, Tufted Titmouse, Black-capped Chickadee, White-throated Sparrow, Blue Jay, Downy Woodpecker, and Northern Cardinal. Some reasons behind bird species remaining in one place year-round are that migration is energetically expensive, and if it is not necessary for the species to move around, they will refrain from doing so. Along with this, there is a high mortality rate during migration that can be attributed to inclement weather. If the reproductive output of a bird species does not offset the mortality during migration, then it is not advantageous in a biological or evolutionary sense. In terms of the adaptations utilized by year-round residents, they can be physiological or behavioral, both of which help an individual survive various conditions. These can include behaviors such as hypothermia or torpor, the act of extreme shivering to generate body heat in the winter or nesting in smaller holes in trees to stay warm. In order to be a successful year-round resident, birds must also transition to different food sources depending on the season. Birds that eat mostly insects and berries in the spring or summer may search for nuts in the winter instead, for example.
Some examples of facultative migrants that I observed on my most recent birding outing are the American Crow, American Goldfinch, Mourning Dove, American Robin, European Starling, Herring Gull, and Common Grackle. Unfortunately, I do not believe any of the species I observed are classified as obligate migrants. However, I have plenty of facultative migrants to discuss, meaning those species determine each year whether they will migrate. Most of the species listed above would be arriving in Rhode Island at this time of year, coming back from somewhere warmer where they spent their winter. Some specific examples would be the American Robin, which in the winter migrates to the warmer, southern states in the U.S., or the Common Grackle, which only migrates short distances within its range. In terms of environmental changes that cause these species to arrive back in Rhode Island around this time, the biggest factor would be temperature. A lot of these birds are not equipped to spend winter in the northern regions, but now the temperature is beginning to be consistently higher and things are starting to bloom. However, especially in Rhode Island and the northeast in general, the weather can still be quite variable in April, which could be a disadvantage of the birds arriving this early.
As part of the mini activity, I wanted to include the rough estimate of miles travelled by all of the facultative migrants I observed, since I wasn’t able to spot any obligate migrants. Using Google Earth to help me map it out, I determined that the migrants I listed in the previous paragraph travel a total of about 2,570 miles. Keep in mind that this is a complete estimate, however, and I also took into account that a lot of them are considered “resident to short-distance migrants,” so when given a range in their distances travelled, I leaned toward the lesser

For this field observation and journal assignment, I was lucky enough to have to opportunity to do some birding on Saint Simons Island off the coast of Georgia. My older brother recently got a job as a Naturalist on the island, and my family and I decided to go down for a visit over Spring Break. At about nine o’clock in the morning on Wednesday March 11, we headed out on the trail to look for some wildlife, and my brother got some extra practice as a nature guide. The weather was quite ideal, at about 70˚ and mostly sunny with little to no wind. Little Saint Simons is a private barrier island on Georgia’s coast, and it is known for its diverse wildlife. The habitat in which I was able to watch birds for the 90-minute time period was mostly wetland and open water, with some trees and other vegetation near the water. It was a very large open space with an observation tower for tourists, so it was perfect to see a wide variety of bird species.
For how the birds are interacting, I wanted to discuss the White Ibis and Great Blue Heron specifically. I noticed that these birds did not seem to mind each other’s’ presence, despite occupying the same habitat in very close proximity. Both species simply went on looking for food completely unbothered by the other. Along with this, another interaction I wanted to note was the Ring-billed Gulls which flew overhead briefly. As they flew, I heard vocalizations from both, so they were likely communicating with each other, possibly about a food source or predator. The multiple Boat-tailed Grackles that I observed were also extremely vocal and seemed to only interact within their own species. They produced loud, harsh notes, and considering I was actually positioned quite close to these birds, I can assume they were communicating about me, who they could perceive as a possible threat. One more interaction worth noting was between the three Brown Pelicans. These birds were unbothered by my presence, and they floated in the water peacefully before one of them flew away.

As for the plumage of some of the species that I observed, a comparison that stuck out to me was the Tricolored Heron, Great Blue Heron and the Great Egret. Despite these birds being similar in size and stature, their plumage is starkly different. The Tricolored Heron has mostly slate gray-colored feathers, which in some light reveals itself to contain multiple variations of blues and purples. This bird has white coloration underneath on its stomach and neck as well. Meanwhile, the Great Blue Heron has mostly blue-gray feathers on its back and wings, with lighter coloration on the face and neck. There is also a dark streak on the birds’ head and many semiplumes hanging off its chest. The Great Egret, however, is an all-white bird that stands out in any natural habitat. Similarly to the two Heron species, it has a long beak and neck, but it lacks variation in the coloration of its feathers. In terms of evolutionary advantages, the darker coloration of the Tricolored Heron could make it less susceptible to predators than the Great Egret for example, which is completely white and stands out easily. Also, the Tricolored Heron exhibits brighter and more colorful plumage during breeding season, meaning it was evolutionary advantageous to be more colorful and attract mates. The Great Blue Heron’s feathers are bluish gray, and in a wetland habitat, these colors would also help the bird not stand out too much. As for an individual bird that I focused on, I would like to discuss the Tricolored Heron more in depth. I wanted to focus on this individual because I was able to set up a scope and watch the bird intently for quite some time. While the bird mostly rested in the grasses of the wetland habitat, I was able to observe it forage for a brief time as well. It moved relatively slowly along the water, stopping every now and then to crouch close to the water and try its hand at finding some food. Although the foraging was unsuccessful for the bird while I observed it, I found it very interesting and exciting to see it so clearly through the scope. This species is active during the day, and on Little Saint Simons Island, they are relatively common during all seasons. My observation of its activity fits into its circadian rhythm because it was searching for food in the morning, after taking time to rest. As for the circannual rhythm, it makes sense that it would be out and active during the spring when the weather is consistently warm.
Lastly, the spishing activity certainly had some noticeable effects. While I was on the observation tower, I noticed a few small warblers fluttering between the trees, which I was able to identify as Yellow-rumped and Black-and-white Warblers. I thought those may be good species to try out some spishing. I noticed an alteration in behavior right away because the small birds actually flew closer and landed in nearby trees rather than staying at a far distance. As for why it works, I can only assume that the sound is attractive to some species and it does not emulate a sound made by a possible threat. I am sure other species would have various reactions to the spishing sound, but the warblers seemed to react positively from a birding standpoint. An idea that I had thought of as well could be that the sound is similar to that of insects which birds would be attracted to as a possible food source.