FJ3 Field Observation: Ecological Physiology

Date: March 6, 2021
Start time: 8:00am
End time: 9:20am
Location: Calkin Trail, Intervale Center
Weather: 16*F, 7mph W wind, partly cloudy
Habitats: deciduous trees, river, shrubs

This morning I went to the trails at the Intervale to look for birds. When I first arrived, it was very cold and there was full cloud cover. I didn’t see any birds for maybe ten minutes. When the clouds parted a little and let some sunshine through, the birds started to emerge seemingly from nowhere. Perhaps the birds came out with the sun because it was slightly warmer. They stayed in their trees during the colder part of the morning to preserve their energy. I saw many Black-capped Chickadees, and they were looking very fluffy. They fluff their feathers in cold temperatures to maintain their core body heat. The Black-capped Chickadees seemed to travel in a group, and they foraged together. I saw them high in the trees, and it looked like they were feeding on something in the bark. In the winter, they feed on nuts, seeds and any available insects. In warmer months, they also feed on berries and other fruits when they are available.

The Tufted Titmouse I saw behaved similarly to the Black-capped Chickadees, and they were flocking in the same area. Both types of birds were being very loud, and I heard a variety of calls from them. I wonder if they were being territorial because they were competing for the same food sources. They also feed on insects and seeds in the winter. In addition, like the chickadees, the titmouse feathers were very fluffy to maintain core warmth.

I saw one Hairy Woodpecker on my way out of the Intervale, and it was pecking away at a dead tree. I identified the Hairy Woodpecker from a Downy Woodpecker because of the overall size of the bird and the length of its bill. It was a female because she didn’t have any red on her head. Woodpeckers are built to feed all winter. Their long and strong bills allow them to drill into trees to reach wood-boring insects and hibernating insects. In the summer and warmer months, there are different insects available to feed on. Hairy Woodpeckers build overnight nesting holes to keep warm in the winter. They build them in snags.

There were many snags on my walk in the Intervale. Some were in huge fallen trees and some were in smaller dead trees that were still standing. I saw many holes in these dead trees, but I was unsure how to differentiate a hold from a woodpecker drilling for food versus a nesting hole. I walked with a stick in hand and rapped on at least ten snags, but no birds emerged. Although I saw no birds emerge, the snags are very important homes for birds especially in the winter, as they provide a warmer shelter. The woodpecker I saw in addition to the chickadees both nest in snags in the winter for warmth.

Publicado el marzo 6, 2021 04:14 TARDE por klipton klipton

Observaciones

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Qué

Cuervo Norteamericano (Corvus brachyrhynchos)

Observ.

klipton

Fecha

Marzo 6, 2021

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Carbonero de Capucha Negra (Poecile atricapillus)

Observ.

klipton

Fecha

Marzo 6, 2021

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Carbonero Copetón (Baeolophus bicolor)

Observ.

klipton

Fecha

Marzo 6, 2021

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Cardenal Rojo (Cardinalis cardinalis)

Observ.

klipton

Fecha

Marzo 6, 2021

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Qué

Bajapalos Pecho Blanco (Sitta carolinensis)

Observ.

klipton

Fecha

Marzo 6, 2021

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Qué

Pato Norteño (Anas platyrhynchos)

Observ.

klipton

Fecha

Marzo 6, 2021

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