Diario de emerrylees

I went on a bird walk today from 3:05-5:10 in Adamant Vermont. It was a chilly day at 42 degrees Fahrenheit but there was certainly a wind chill factor. The wind came from the West at 10-20 miles per hour throughout the course of the walk. It was overcast, and the vegetation was moist after steady rainfall during the earlier hours of the day.

The habitat type was mixed. I started my walk by a dairy farm lined by corn and grass fields. This is where I observed the Killdeer, Canada Geese, and Rock Pigeons. They fed among the corn fields, and the Rock Pigeons were perched on top of the barn roof. I then followed the narrow dirt road into a more forested area. The beginning section was still pretty fragmented habitat with temperate forests lining both sides of the road which would then end abruptly giving way to cleared grass fields. As I continued further down the road, the habitat transitioned to a swamp lining both sides of the road. There were thick weeds, some shrubs, and lots of low vegetation. The water moved slowly and pooled, creating shallow standing water. I noticed lots of waterfowl foraging through here. The swamp was lined by mixed forest composed of primarily coniferous trees. This then made way to more classic old vegetation temperate forest filled with deciduous trees. Many creeks still traveled through the habitat. There were several houses with grass yards along the hillsides in this area. Overall, this was more continuous habitat in comparison to the habitat described before. It was in this section that I observed the Black-capped Chickadees, Northern Cardinal, Nuthatches, Yellow Warbler, White-throated Sparrow, and Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers. The forest then made way to a pond lined with cattails and forest on one half, as the road traveled along the other half, separated from the pond by a thin layer of shrubby/woody vegetation. There were many pairs of mallards and Canada Geese on the pond. Within the vegetation lining the pond perched many Red-winged Blackbirds and a Song Sparrow. Finally, the road turned and traveled up to a slightly higher elevation. Here, the surrounding forest was less dense, allowing sunlight to shine through to the forest floor. The trees were mostly large white pines. I encountered another farm which had an apple orchard, sheep, and a few cows. There was a large flock of Common Grackles here, feeding on remaining fruit. I continued, traveling up and down a few hillsides. I encountered more houses and this eventually transitioned back into grassland and crop fields. I did see 2 birds that looked like Willets wading though a puddle in one of the corn fields. They had narrow, long, and straight black bills, long necks, very orange and long legs, and grayish mottled plumage. I wasn't able to identify these two individuals and I tried to take a picture but they blended into the corn field background so well that they really weren't visible. I am thinking that these were migrants that were stopping for a rest before continuing north to water habitat. Could this be a Lesser Yellowlegs?

I went on a bird walk this morning back on one of the dirt roads that parallels Route 2 and Interstate 89 in Montpelier, Vermont, transitioning into Middlesex, Vermont. I began this walk at 9:20 am and continued until 11:00 am. The temperature and weather was a bit variable throughout the walk. The temperature ranged from 38 degrees Fahrenheit to 42 degrees Fahrenheit. During the beginning of the walk, it was overcast. This then opened up to mixed sun and clouds before clouding up more and cooling down again by the end of the walk. There was a slight breeze from the SSE at 16 mph, gusting up by the end even more.

I chose to walk here because I new the habitat was so variable. I would describe the habitat as highly fragmented. To the right runs the interstate and Route 2 which was lined by some grass habitat. This then receded into brushier vegetation and trees that lined the side of the Winooski River. Along the closer side of the Winooski was more brushy habitat which then made way to grassy fields, corn fields, vernal pools, intermittent houses, and then the dirt road I was on. Along the side of the dirt road there was more brush which made way to contiguous temperate forests on the left side of the dirt road, leading up to rocky cliffs and dense hillsides. There was such stark differences in habitat types in such close proximity, and often divided by a clear natural or man-made barrier. I believe this influenced the birds that were around. The birds that I saw were more hardy generalists that appeared to have less edge sensitivity in comparison to many of the other birds I have observed in the past.

In terms of nesting or mating behaviors, I was definitely seeing some territorial defense. In particular, I noticed a pair of Canada Geese nesting along the side of a corn field, adjacent to the river below. Two more geese can along up the river and were trying to climb up the riverbank to the field above. The nesting geese responded quickly by honking incessantly and coming up to the edge of the field towards the geese below in a way that seemed to say, "this is our place, get out of here." They were not physically aggressive, but this seemed like agonistic behavior. Similarly, I noticed the Blue Jays and Song Sparrows were each vocalizing their songs towards males of the same species. This appeared to be a strategy to defend their territories and perhaps attract females. Some of the Blue Jays were in pairs, while most of the Song Sparrows I observed were solitary.

The Canada Geese were nesting adjacent to a corn field where they have access to corn remnants and perhaps new corn growth later on in the season. From this vantage point, they are able to see predators coming from the river below, and on all sides. It makes sense they would chose this prime nesting habitat because as ground nesters they are susceptible to ground predation, so having a good view gives them an advantage over the Canada Geese lacking this prime nesting habitat. I believe this is why the other geese approached: they were seeking out this high quality area. This indicates that the nesting pair are relatively fit as they were able to claim this prime territory and defend it against hopeful intruders. On another note, I noticed many male Song Sparrows within the brush removed a bit from the dirt road, but with easy access to the forest and to water. I observed one male approaching another male's bushier habitat. The male within the brush let out such a rich and present song. It was clear that this was his territory. The intruding male stayed close by but did not venture into this brush, remaining instead in the shorter brush that provided less protection. The prime territory and vibrant song of the other male will likely help in its pursuit to attract a mate. Come time for nesting, the female will build the nest mainly from the twigs, bark, grasses, and weeds. These are all readily accessible due to the mixed habitat types all present in the area including grasslands, scrublands, and temperature forest. She will then likely line the nest with her down as well as soft grasses that can be easily forage from the area around her. I think the Canada Geese and Song Sparrows have such different habitat needs in part due to the state of their chicks upon hatching. Canada Geese have precocial chicks, so when they hatch, the family can quickly depart. As a result, they do not need to find a habitat that is out of view. Contrastingly, the Song Sparrows hatch altricial broods of chicks that lack feathers and sight. They will not be able to leave the nest for some time. As a result, these birds need habitat that is less visible and accessible so as to minimize predation.

I went on a bird walk on April 14th in the village of Adamant, Vermont. It was a beautiful, cool day. The temperature was 42 degrees Fahrenheit. It was slightly overcast, but became patchy with intermittent bursts of sunshine. There was a slight breeze out of the northeast. The walk began at 4:50 pm and continued until 6:25 pm.

Adamant village is interesting because there are a variety of habitat types within a very small area. I began in the upper village where there is a pond with a beaver dam which then converts to a small waterfall. The pond is surrounded by a dense forest composed of primarily evergreen trees. On the near side of the pond is a small dirt road, and across the road are a few houses. In front of one house is an apple tree. I found many birds perched in this tree, foraging for the fruit. There were dozens of male Red-winged Blackbirds in here. I then followed the dirt road up a bit. I encountered a thick, brushy habitat. I could hear many birds calls and songs from this area. The thick brush was adjacent to a field, with a tall poplar tree on the edge between the two habitat types. There were a few species of birds perched in this tree, including a few American Goldfinches, and some American Robins. I decided to walk back down the road to the lower village where there is a bigger, more open pond. This pond has dense brush around the perimeter which then yields to cattails and similar water plants. The road follows the edge of the pond for a bit, circling around a good third of it. It felt cooler here and was a bit shadier than the upper pond. I saw more waterfowl here including Canada Geese, Mallards, a Great Blue Heron, and another species of duck that may have been Buffleheads. I was lucky enough to observe a Belted Kingfisher that was perched in a tree on the edge of the pond. In the brushy habitat closer to the road I observed a House Sparrow, many Red-winged Blackbirds, a few Eastern Phoebes, multiple Black-capped Chickadees, an American Robin, a Red-breasted Nuthatch, and a Dark-eyed Junco. These birds had easy access to both the pond habitat and a thicker, mid-succession forest right on the other side of the narrow dirt road. The forest was a mix of deciduous and evergreen trees, and continued off for a ways into the distance, providing a fairly large continuous habitat patch conducive to life for many different species of birds. In the middle of the village there were very few birds. I did observe a few Black-capped Chickadees and some Song Sparrows. They were very interested in a bird feeder hanging in the tree next to one house. Overall, the birds were very vocal and busy foraging for food.

I went for a bird walk on Tuesday, April 7. This walk began at 7:35 a.m. and lasted until 9:15 a.m. It was a cool morning. At the beginning of the walk it was 35 degrees Fahrenheit but by the end of the walk it had warmed up to the upper 30s to low 40s. It was a brilliantly sunny and still morning. There were no clouds out. Frost layered the grass and leaves. I began my walk by following the edge of my lawn which abuts a mixed forest habitat, composed of primarily Scotch Pines, Maples, Poplars, and Beach trees. The forest in not incredibly dense, especially without the undergrowth and leave on the trees. This allows for sunlight and wind to reach even the more inner areas of the forest. Within this edge habitat I observed many Black-capped Chickadees, American Crows, and Blue Jays. On the second part of my walk I traveled through thicker coniferous forests. It was darker, cooler, and moister in here. This forest section had less edge habitat, so it was likely inhabited by species that are less edge sensitive. While in this forest, I heard many Song Sparrows and Northern Cardinals. I circled back around and made my way into the thinner deciduous forest and then out into the open grassland habitat. Here is heard the Eastern Phoebe and was able to observe many American Robins who were both foraging or were up in the trees on the edge of the grass projecting their songs out to the world. This circuitous route took me through a variety of habitats which allowed me to be exposed to species that may have different habitat preferences or needs.

Black-capped Chickadees, American Crows, and Blue Jays can bee seen here year round. There are a few adaptations that allow the to survive through the winters here. Firstly, these birds appear to have generalist diets, meaning that they can forage for a variety of seeds, plant matter, and maybe even insects come summer. This would not be possible for a bird that is solely reliant on an insect diet because insects cannot survive the cold temperatures associated with Vermont winters. To add, I know that the crows are able to scavenge, which broadens their food options even more. Throughout the winter I see the crows feasting from the compost, which is also located on the edge of the forest. Secondly, these birds have behavioral strategies that they employ during the winter to stay warm. For example, on really cold days, I never see these birds out. It is likely that they are sheltered away as to maintain their body temperatures. They will only come out when it is warmer, or their need for food outweighs the energetically expensive task of foraging in a cold climate where food may be hidden by snow, difficult to get to, or simply scarce. These species may employ strategies including huddling to as to generate a greater collective heat and shield part of their body from the elements. It is likely that their steady state metabolism and body temperature is lower, meaning that they are less responsive if a predator attacks, but they have to expend less energy to maintain homeostasis. Lastly, these birds have thick down below their contour feathers which provides insulation. They can puff out their feathers so as to increase the insulative abilities.

Contrastingly, Eastern Phoebes are an obligate migrants in this region. They are insectivores, and therefore must migrate to wintering grounds where they will have access to food resources that are not available during Vermont winters. The Eastern Phoebe has returned because the photoperiod is increasing now which induces hormonal responses, driving them to become restless, eat a lot, and eventually make the trip back up from Mexico or the Southern US to the Northeast or Canada. This is also driven by overall climate patterns, and the knowledge that the habitat will bring with it open nesting sites, hopefully few predators given the time of the year, and replenishing food stores. On a smaller scale, Phoebes are receiving cues such as aggression among neighbors, new vegetation, ritualized displays, and increasing temperatures which fuel the urge to migrate. The fact that this Phoebe has arrived to Vermont in early April brings both costs and benefits. On the one hand, few birds have returned, meaning that this Phoebe has the best choice of nesting sites, territories, and resources such as food. However, the weather has been variable here. It is due to snow later this week, followed rain and cool temperatures. This could be energetically expensive for the Phoebe who has just arrived after a long journey and who body is already likely depleted from that trip. To add, although there is some vegetation returning, there is very little green habitat to provide both protection or food resources.

In terms of the mini activity, I have added up the migration miles associated with an Eastern Phoebe, an American Robin that is a facultative migrant (stopping here on its way through to Canada), and a Mallard, which is another facultative migrant that nests up in Canada, Alaska, and even parts of Greenland. The Eastern Phoebe travels 2735 miles, the American Robin travels 2596 miles, and the Mallard travels 1452 miles for a total of 6783 miles between these three individuals. However, this may not be their final destination and could have many miles still ahead of them as they continue their journey north.

I went for a bird walk while visiting the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island, Florida. This walk took place on Tuesday, March 10. The walk began at 11:30 in the morning and lasted until about 2:10. It was a beautifully sunny day with a few scattered clouds. There was a significant breeze coming from the south with gusts up to 20 mph. It was humid at warm at 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The Wildlife Refuge is interesting because it strives to make it so people of all different capabilities can get out into nature to see the amazing wildlife that lives in Florida. That being said, the refuge extends well beyond the area accessible to people. They have built a path that tours through a fairly small section of the refuge. This path is accessible by car, on bikes, or on foot. However, you are not allowed to stray beyond the path as to preserve the habitat quality for all of the organisms. As a result, I was not allowed to follow bird calls as I may have in a different scenario. Given the presence of many humans around me, it was more difficult to have those close encounters with the birds. It made observing subtle behaviors difficult. To add, many of the birds were removed from the people and out on the water.

The walk began in a relatively forested area. This then thinned and we passed over some bridges. From either side of the bridge you could look out. There were dozens of birds. In general they clumped into groups of the same species, but some of the smaller birds that you often see one beaches were in mixed groups. The path switched from thick vegetation to open water fairly frequently. This caters to many different species. Not only is there easy access to water and food, there are many places to hide and nest within the thick vegetation. This would not a suitable place for species that are edge sensitive because there are so many small patches with a high ratio of edge to interior areas. However, the closeness of the patchers allows for possible easy connectivity unless water is a barrier for a species.

The birds were not interacting to a huge degree, but there definitely were some interactions going on. The smaller birds within the mixed colony were very vocal. In general, they had high pitched calls. This makes sense given the habitats that they live in. The high pitch travels far across the open spaces associated with beaches and water. This colony actually flew in and landed on a sandy beach. They began feeding and preening. The vocalizations appeared to be communicating the idea that they didn't want to share their food with the other individuals around them. They often all ran in similar directions while foraging. The calls seemed a bit aggressive at times. It was hard to tell from a distance, but it could have been that the dominant males were using this to warn the subordinates that this is their space or their food. Similarly, the subordinates could have been acknowledging this, or communicating that they just wanted a little taste.

The American White Pelicans were amazing birds to observe. They had pure white plumage except for their remiges along the edge of their wings. Given the hot and sunny conditions this is evolutionarily advantageous because the white feathers absorb less heat, preventing the bird from overheating. The melanin providing the black color in the remiges provides increased rigidity and structure which helps maintain the feathers during flight. Additionally, given the abrasive environment in which these pelicans live, the melanins in these feathers give the feathers strength to resist wear from the surroundings. Alternatively, the Double-crested Cormorants have entirely black plumages. This seems counterintuitive given the sunny and warm conditions. However, they are a diving bird. They dive below the water to hunt. In order to remain submerged, they put minimal preening substances on their feathers. As a result, their feathers become saturated with water and the bird does not easily float. Once the bird is done hunting, they dry their feathers. Black feathers absorb the heat from the sun better than white feathers. This likely enables the to dry faster, giving the cormorant the ability to fly once more. The less time they spend drying their feathers, the less time they have to worry about ground predators. I did watch one willet for awhile. This willet was very restless and was eating a lot. This could be migratory restlessness, as many birds are now starting to a) migrate back north to their breeding grounds, and b) fill their fat stores so they will be prepared for migration. These behaviors are associated with increasing day length (correlated with circannual rhythms).

Lastly, I attempted the Spishing activity, but there were too many people around. I have done it on other walk though and have seen the affects. Possibly this could be intriguing to small birds because it sounds similar to, for example, a starling vocalization. They may want to see who this intruder or new neighbor is. This could be enticing to small birds because it could be part of their vocal repertoire.

Today I went for a bird walk starting at 4:09 pm and ending at 5:42 pm. I was out for about an hour and a half. My last walk I went during the middle of the day, so I went later in the afternoon this time to see if it would impact the number of birds I saw. Today was warm at around 40 degrees Fahrenheit. When I started the walk it was sunny, but it got progressively more overcast and dark as the sun started to set. The temperature also fell a little bit during this time. There was a slight wind coming from the northwest at 10 MPH. I started my walk in the Redstone Campus at UVM. There are many buildings and people here, and some would classify this as an urban location. I then walked onto the paved path that parallels the track, and from there moved to the golf course. The golf course provides a variety of habitats, from open to stand alone trees, to more forested areas.

While on Redstone I moved towards Simpson Hall because I often see birds here when I walk to class. The seagulls were all over the place and calling to each other. I sat next to some of the shrubs that are located along Christie Hall. Here is where I noticed the chirping of the House Sparrows. Some flitted out of the shrubs and into some nearby trees. I also watched the European Starlings up in the trees. They were clicking. I decided that I wanted to head to some more forested area, so I made my way through the Redstone campus and onto the golf course. At first I had trouble locating any birds, but after remaining still for a bit I began to hear some song. I followed the song until I encountered a White-breasted Nuthatch perched high in a deciduous tree. I continues to listen for birds, and follow my ear to them. This was an effective strategy. I made my way through much of the golf course, jumping between the more forested patches as I wasn't finding any birds in the open grassy fields.

Today was a fairly warm day, so maintaining body temperature was likely not as much of an issue for many birds. However, I did notice that the House Sparrows were perched within a shrub. The shrub could be acting as protection from wind. This is a behavior utilized by birds to maintain body temperature. The European Starlings and House Sparrows were spending most of their time simply perched in their trees, resting, suggesting that they are trying to reduce their energy output so that they can allocate this to maintaining their body temperature. Also, they could have done their foraging earlier in the day and were settling down for the night (the sunlight had an orange glow that suggests the sun was soon to go down and night was approaching). Contrastingly, the Ring-billed gulls, White-breasted Nuthatches, Black-capped Chickadees, and American Crows were often in flight. I noticed in particular that the White-breasted Nuthatches spent a lot of time foraging. Perhaps since it was a warmer day, they had to allocate less energy to staying warm and could therefore spend more time feeding/foraging. They were tapping at the bark which was surprising. I assume they were foraging for insects or seeds, but I would not expect many insects to be out yet. I would have expected to see them in some of the trees that still bear fruit, as was the case with the House Sparrows. I would think to find most of these species roosted in trees further away from human reach or within the shrubs. However, on the edges of Redstone campus, they would be at less risk of human influence, but perhaps protected from predators who do not want to approach the highly human-influenced setting.

I did see a number of snags, but I did not notice any birds utilizing these snags. However, in the bigger snags there were larger cavities which could be associated with greater bird abundance. If the birds utilized huddling to maintain body temperature during the cold nights, more birds would be able to fit into a large cavity, resulting in higher abundance here during nightfall as they find their places to roost. Snags are important because they provide protection from the elements and ground predators. I would expect to find birds that cannot go into torpor or controlled hypothermia in here as a way to maintain their body heat and huddle with others. Small birds may be more likely to use them because they have a higher surface area to volume ratio, meaning that it is easier for them to lose heat to the environment.

I went out on Monday 2/17/2020 for an hour and a half starting at 12:15 pm. I was in a fairly forested area with a decent mix of deciduous and coniferous trees. It was 27 degrees Fahrenheit out and very sunny. There were occasional clouds. There was a slight northeast breeze at about 5 miles per hour with occasional stronger gusts. I was in East Montpelier around a residential property but then moved onto some recreation trails.

I started near the residential property and was having difficulty locating any birds, although I could hear distinctly 3 black-capped chickadees calling from high up in the trees. I was wondering if the reason for their timidness was because there are two domesticated cats that live on the property. They predate on birds. Further, the property is surrounded on all sides by roads, creating a very small fragment of land. For edge sensitive species or species with large ranges, this may not be ideal territory. I decided to move further away from the range of the cats and into a more continuous wooded area to see if this provided better success, and it did.

I observed 10 Black-capped Chickadees while along the trail. They traveled in groups of 2-4. They were foraging within the trees for seeds. They jumped between branches or used a few quick wing flaps to propel them to nearby branches. They had elliptical wings which allowed for easy maneuverability through these dense trees. In contrast to the Black-capped Chickadees, the singular Common Raven had fewer flaps of its wings. I saw it gliding through the air. Its wings were more like slotted high lift wings, the primary feathers splaying out towards the end of each wing. This provides better lift which they can utilize to keep them aloft while simultaneously minimizing stalling during flight due to consistent air foils created by the primaries. This allows for gliding which can be conducive to their method of foraging, including scouting for carrion among other food sources down below. This demonstrates how clear differences in wing physiology can play into niche differentiation. Smaller elliptical wings are conducive to short flight and easier maneuverability through dense vegetation while slated high lift wings are more conducive to gliding in open air.