Diario de bethanysmith512

For this week’s field journal assignment, I travelled over to Centennial Woods on Tuesday, March 3rd. I arrived at my birding site at about 1:00 p.m., and the habitat at my site consisted mainly of deciduous trees with a few conifers scattered throughout. There was also a small stream nearby, and I sat on a slight incline. I positioned myself slightly off the trail facing a relatively dense stand of trees. The stream I mentioned before was nearby on the bottom of the hill that I was on, but far enough away that the sound of the water was not noticeable. The temperature was about 50˚ F, the sky was mostly cloudy with some short periods of sunlight, and the wind was minimal overall. As soon as I reached this spot in Centennial Woods, I began to hear a variety of songs and knew it would be a good place to see some birds.

Although nearing the end of winter, it is not yet spring. It is becoming increasingly more evident that spring is near, however. The species I observed on my recent birding trip to Centennial Woods included the Black-capped Chickadee, American Crow, Herring Gull, White-breasted Nuthatch, Tufted Titmouse, Northern Cardinal, and a Downy Woodpecker. A lot of these species will store extra food to provide more energy for warmth. Another advantage is evident in species such as the Black-capped Chickadee, which have insulating feathers, and this allows them to stay in Vermont all winter. Northern Cardinals, for example, will often stay in pairs and take shelter in coniferous trees during the winter. Crows actually use the mechanism of torpor that was discussed in class, which is basically an extreme form of hypothermia. Shivering is used by most of the species as a method to generate heat. Most of these species, the White-breasted Nuthatches included, store extra fat on their bodies over the winter months to aid in winter survival. The fat reserves they build up provide insulation and energy storage.

As for how the birds budget their time in the winter, it is common for many of the species to be slightly less active than they are in warmer months. The Black-capped Chickadees I observed seemed quite active, however, and this could have to do with the uncharacteristically warm temperatures for this time of year. They fluttered from tree to tree and were also quite vocal. I did get to see a Downy Woodpecker feeding as it pecked into the side of a large tree. This bird was hunting for insects in the wood, and it repeatedly pecks its beak into the bark in search of them. Overall, most of these species will find shelter to spend most of their time in when the temperatures drop. They store fat so that they are able to spend less time searching for food in the winter as well. Other species, such as the American Crow, were most likely hunting for scraps of food or anything they could find. Since I only saw them flying overhead, they likely spend most of their time in the urban areas of Burlington, where there are plenty of things for them to scavenge. The songbird species (Black-capped Chickadee, Northern Cardinal, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch) mostly eat seeds, nuts, and berries. These can be harder to find in the winter with a lot of snow coverage, which is another reason why fat reserves are so crucial for survival. Their diet will be different in the winter than other months simply because of availability of resources. The Downy Woodpecker, for example, may have to switch to eating seeds or nuts when it gets especially cold because insects will be less prevalent. As for sleeping, most of the songbird species I observed would utilize cavities in the hardwood trees. This is especially true in winter because the birds will look for shelter that also provides warmth. The Herring Gull that I saw briefly as it flew overheard, however, would likely sleep in flocks near a water source. Most birds would overnight in holes and snags during the winter, for protection from danger and the cold temperatures.

At my birding site, I noticed a few dead trees with these cavities in them. I had seen these while walking through the woods before, but I was not aware of their purpose. Although I didn’t go to my site quite at dusk, I definitely noticed a correlation between snag and bird abundance. As I walked to the site, I did not pass many dead trees and a lot of the trail was relatively open, with scattered conifers and ground shrubbery. However, once I reached a denser stand of trees, including a good number of snags, the bird songs immediately became more abundant. I examined a handful of these snags more closely, and most of the cavities in them were quite small. This did not surprise me considering the most abundant species at this site, by far, was the Black-capped Chickadee. For the most part, the snags that were on the smaller side also had cavities that were small as well. I did see a few larger snags that had relatively large cavities, which would obviously shelter a more substantial bird. Snags are very important for wildlife year-round. A lot of small mammals (squirrels, chipmunks, etc.) will use these trees as a home, and this is also true for some of the bird species in Centennial Woods. The Downy Woodpecker I saw may also search these snags for insects, meaning they provide a source food to some wildlife species. For the most part, however, the snags are important to an ecosystem because they provide a great habitat for wildlife. This is especially important in the winter months, when bird and mammal species are desperate for warmth and shelter from the cold.

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.