Diario de g_underhill

Yesterday I went to the Sand Bar State Park in Grand Isle, VT. I went around 3 in the afternoon to take advantage of the sunny skies and 50 degree weather. There was a light breeze throughout my trip, but not any significant amount of wind. I pulled into the parking lot and found a habitat that was surrounded on both sides by bodies of water. There was Lake Champlain on one side, and a small bog on the other that served the purpose of a waterfowl refuge. Sandwiched between the two bodies of water was a small park area that had a sandy beach near the shore, and some scattered trees. There were some areas that had more clumped areas of trees, such as near the bog and near a residence. Overall, this habitat was a pretty open area, with some scattered vegetation.
Out of all the birds that I observed on this trip, only one of them was a year-round migrant. At least, I think so. After doing some research, I found conflicting results on whether American Robins migrate or not. It seems like some of them migrate to the Southern US, while others move around within the northeast. This species is more influenced by the abundance of food, rather than temperature. Therefore, when food is abundant, American Robins seem to forego migration. To survive in the colder climates, Robins must change their diet as well as eat more. They survive off of berries that stay on vegetation throughout the winter, such as crabapples and hawthorn berries. Robins also change the social aspect of their life, moving on from being territorial to clustering in flocks. This allows Robins to increase their foraging efficiency and have a smaller chance of being predated. As for the other species that I observed, the Canada Goose was one of the more prevalent migrants. Similar to the American Robin, the Canada Goose is also primarily driven by food resources. Beginning in the late summer, these birds fly to the southern US to find more productive feeding areas. These birds migrate in a distinct "V" formation among their flock, as I am sure we have all seen before.
Using Cornell University's "All About Birds" site, I was able to see what the migration map looks like for the species that I observed at Sand Bar State Park. Canada Geese tend to fly towards New Mexico and Texas, which is about 2,000 miles from Grand Isle, VT. Ring-billed Gulls tend to fly towards the southern US , to states such as Florida, which is about 1,500 miles from Grand Isle, VT. The migration pattern of American Crows and American Robins is difficult to decipher from Cornells website, but it appears they migrate short-distances, or stay as residents. Overall, it seems that there was about 7,000 miles round-trip that these birds traveled during migration.

Today, April 15th 2020, I did my birding excursion from my home. Due to the quarantine and mandatory stay at home order, I figured that doing my birding from my house was the smartest decision for this week. I went out my yard at around 3 PM and was out until around 4:15 PM. It has been in the mid-40's today with the sun peeping in and out from behind the scattered clouds. The wind made it feel rather cold outside, as it blew west at about 10-15 mph. My apartment is located on Colchester Avenue in Burlington, VT. My house sits just a few minutes down the hill of UVM's Trinity Campus. I do not have much of a yard to work with, but I have a small patch of green in front of my house next to the road where two deciduous trees reside. This is a very residential area, and I am surrounded by two other apartments on either side of me. Across the road there is a small hill that is lined with many coniferous trees that block other apartments from the road in between us. Overall, this was not the most ideal habitat to go birding in, but I was still able to see four species of birds.

Yesterday, on April 21st, 2020, I went birding in the Greenmount Cemetery which is across the street from where I live. I went around 5:00 in the evening and stayed until about 6:00 PM. It was raining for most of the day, but cleared up towards the evening when I went outside. The sun was out with a few scattered clouds and minimal wind. However, it was still pretty cold and felt like it was in the mid-40's. The Greenmount Cemetery is a mostly open habitat that is lined by coniferous and deciduous trees on the perimeter. There is scattered vegetation, as well as graves throughout the open area. The Cemetery has houses on either side of it and is near Colchester Avenue, a rather busy street. I would classify the Cemetery as being in a residential neighborhood, but it has a very secluded feeling about it because of the perimeter of trees.
Throughout my time birding, I did not see any visual mating behavior. Most of what I encountered were singing males that were likely trying to attract females through their song. I heard the song of the Tufted Titmouse most often. This bird would begin his song, finish it, wait a few moments, and begin it again. I believe this lasted for about 10 minutes. As far as nest selection goes, I did not see any bird nests. I looked up in the trees to see if there would be any there, as well as around a few of the graves. There was one snag that I noticed had a cavity in it which seems like an ideal place for a bird to nest. It is possible that is where the Pileated Woodpecker could be nesting. I also do not have binoculars, so it is likely that some of the smaller songbirds could be nesting high up in the tree-tops where I am unable to see. There are also a few homes nearby that surround either side of the Cemetery. It is possible these homes have birdhouses where the songbirds nest, or it is possible they nest within the crevices of these homes. I would assume that the habitat requirements are similar for the Black-capped Chickadee, House Sparrow, Tufted Titmouse, Blue Jay, and Pileated Woodpecker. However, it seems like the Woodpecker can obtain better access to habitat because it can peck out a nest within a dead snag. The other songbirds are likely left to build nests in trees that are in areas where the wind is blocked. As for territory selection, I did not witness any aggression between males. However, it is possible that the male that I heard singing was attempting to defend his territory boundaries, rather than attract a potential mate.
There was a Black-capped Chickadee that I noticed was singing somewhere in front of and above me. I spotted him sitting on the branch of a tree on the perimeter of the cemetery. However, I didn't notice any food sources near this bird. It is possible that the trees near him are full of insects to eat and that is why he is protecting this area. It is also likely that some of the trees produce berries or seeds that will be available to the Chickadee later in the spring. However, I was unable to identify any of the trees, other than some of the coniferous ones nearby. Since I was unable to identify any food sources, I would assume that the bird's fitness is not very good during this time of the year. However, it may become more fit as the Spring continues and food sources become more abundant. Although there was a lack of evidence to say whether this was a prime or a poor territory, I would assume that it is a prime territory. The other Black-Capped Chickadees that I saw were in the same area as this one, and sat either on the same tree or trees close by. For this reason, I am not sure how this territory compares to the other territories that may be nearby.
The Pileated Woodpecker that I saw seemed like it was attempting to create a cavity in a snag. My assumption is he was doing this to create a spot to have a nest. I would assume that the bird would use small twigs that it finds on the perimeter of the Cemetery. The Woodpecker would find twigs here because trees likely have snapped some limbs off and they have fallen onto the ground. I would also assume that fallen leaves or grass would be used for a softer bed in the nest. These could be acquired from anywhere on the open area because leaves are scattered all over, and grass is abundant.

Link to my mini-activity: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1coTj-YzbLlLuxFOUdlitPOGhnKABC-TxW1W79mJzQGY/edit

Yesterday, April 28th, 2020, I went to Oakledge Park in Burlington, Vermont. I arrived around 4:30 PM and left around 5:30 PM after a birding adventure. It was around 54 degrees and the sun was shining in blue skies with very few scattered clouds. The wind was minimal, only blowing every once in a while. Oakledge is a large park, so I stayed in some of the open fields near the parking lots for this trip. There was a forest and a walking path to my left, where I saw many people and animals. In front of and behind me there was a large open space with minimal scattered vegetation and obstructions, such as a few planted trees and buildings. To my right, there was another open area and a parking lot on either side of it. Although this was an open area, there were many trees near me which is where I heard most of the birds singing. This park is also surrounded by Lake Champlain, which was visible from the patch where I was birding.