Field Observation: ID and Flight Physiology

The site that I visited for my first field observation journal assignment was Leddy Park in Burlington, Vermont. I arrived at about 10:30 a.m., and for the ninety minutes that I visited, the temperature remained about 25˚. It was also sunny with very little cloud cover or wind. The habitat is actually what drew me to this location the most, and this is because I was able to find a spot that had clear access to Lake Champlain, as well as a relatively large wooded area next to the beach. I thought this would be a great way to see a variety of species, both aquatic and otherwise.
I sat down at an area where I could easily see both the lake and the wooded area. As soon as I arrived at the site, I immediately heard loud pecking into a tree nearby. I scanned the trees until I located where the sound was coming from. A substantial sized bird was standing on the side of a tree, and I knew right away that it was a Woodpecker. However, my excitement only grew when I was able to get a better look at the bird and saw that its beak and neck were longer than that of a Hairy Woodpecker, which was my initial thought since it was too large to be a Downy. I feel quite confident in identifying this bird as a Pileated Woodpecker, based on its size, coloration (black feathers on its back and bright red head), and overall shape. Once I got over the initial excitement at this finding, I continued to search for more species. I then began hearing many songs characteristic of the Black-capped Chickadee and sure enough, the little songbirds were fluttering from tree to tree. Over the delightful “chick-a-dee-dee-dee” sound was the more abrasive caw of the American Crow. I saw one of these birds fly overhead as well, and they are easily identifiable by their size and all-black coloration. Similarly to the American Crow, the sound of the Blue Jay is not always very pleasing. I started to hear their loud jeer sounds from a distance, and it consisted of what sounded like two birds going back and forth. I then tried to ignore these louder birds slightly and focus more on the faint “nasal yank” that I was hearing in the woods. I was able to quickly locate a White-breasted Nuthatch scaling the side of a tree, making the identification much easier for me.
Remaining in the same spot on the edge of the woods, I shifted my focus to the water. I had previously heard some faint sounds coming from the direction of the lake, but as I watched the water, I saw two Mallards flying. I wanted to focus on the flying pattern of these birds because it stuck out the most to me out of all the species I observed. As the birds took off, there was a pair of them (appeared as though there were two females), they remained only a few inches above the water. Their wings moved in rapid up and down motions, and they covered a lot of distance relatively quickly. Since these birds were in the water, it was easy to identify them as Mallards, but the way they fly over the water and move their wings quickly is also helpful in identification. Compared to a species such as the Black-capped Chickadee, the flight pattern of the Mallard is starkly different. The Black-capped Chickadee’s flight consisted of small swooping and fluttering motions between various trees, and they did not cover much distance while I observed them. This makes sense because the Mallards have broad wings that are set toward the back of their body, while Black-capped Chickadees have short wings that are only capable of relatively abrupt and rapid fluttering movements. In terms of habitat, the Mallards were on the lake while the Black-capped Chickadees were in the wooded area.
I felt as though this was a successful birding excursion, especially considering it was my first solo birding experience up here in Vermont. However, I do think I could have seen more species if I had gone out at an earlier time in the morning. The habitat was actually really cool because it had Lake Champlain and forested land, but the trail did not lead very far from the parking lot, which could have been the source of some disturbance for the birds. It was a relatively developed park with a parking lot, ice rink, and even some residential areas, so it would make sense if there were less birds because of those factors. The weather was quite ideal, but of course a lot of birds may not be as active in the colder winter temperatures. In terms of having better luck on the property, I think if I was able to travel further from the more developed areas of the park, I would have been able to hear and see more species.

Publicado el febrero 17, 2020 09:01 TARDE por bethanysmith512