Diario de sgchrist

On April 21, 2019, I went birding from 1:20-3:00 pm on the Island Line Trail in Colchester, Vermont. The habitat consisted of both a forested bike path and an open bike path surrounded by water. The weather during this trip started as approximately 67 °F with a cloud cover of approximately 40% and ended with a temperature of 65 °F with a cloud cover of 30%.
The first part of my walk started in a closed woodland. Mainly American Robins and Northern Cardinals were observed in the nearby trees. The male Northern Cardinal’s bright red coloration is a visual mate selection cue. Having these bright colors can signal to female Northern Cardinals the level of fitness a male has. Brighter colors often indicate resistance to parasites, resistance to disease, and access to resources. Based off of this information, females can determine which male to select. I continued to walk to the edge of this woodland toward the marsh environment that is located right before Lake Champlain. Black-capped Chickadees sang their “cheeseburger” or “hey sweetie” song. This is an oral cue for mate selection. This song is used to attract females. In addition to hearing this song, Black-capped Chickadees were seen entering and leaving small cavities in trees. This could possibly be a nesting site. Another visual behavior that indicates mate selection could be the defense of breeding and nesting habitats. A male Black-capped Chickadee might be chosen for his ability to defend a nest and based off of his choice of a specific cavity. This would be considered a visual mate selection behavior. In this same area, male Red-winged Blackbirds surrounded me on all sides of the path. These individuals sang back and forth to each other constantly. These vocalizations could be another oral mate selection cue for females which may indicate to a female that the male is looking for a mate. These calls also serve a dual purpose as a way to advertise territory boundaries. The males calling back and forth to each other around the path could have been communicating about territory locations.
Continuing on my walk, I reached the more open bike path surrounded by Lake Champlain on either side. Immediately to my left I spotted a lone Canada Goose in the water as well as a group of eleven Buffleheads. This mixed flock of males and females also emphasized mate selection based on visual cues. Females are a dark brown color with a white patch under the eye. Males, on the other hand, have a white stomach, dark back, and an almost iridescent purple and green head with a white patch on the back of the head. This coloration is flashier than the females’. Again, this coloration could play a large roll in female mate choice. Continuing down the bike path I took note of the multiple Herring Gulls circling on the air currents overhead, the two Double-crested Cormorants floating and occasionally diving into the water, and the two Tree Swallows flying around the bridge about a mile and a half from my starting location. Another interesting sight was the multiple Song Sparrows observed. At least three separate Song Sparrows were seen moving in and out of the rocks along the side of the causeway. Individuals would stay low to the ground and move in and out of rock crevices. Possibly this species uses this as a nesting location.
Multiple nesting locations were observed throughout the entirety of my birding expedition. Black-capped Chickadees were seen entering and exiting small cavities in trees. This nesting location could be specifically tailored to this species. The entry and exit hole is extremely small allowing for protection from large species of birds. The cavities also are difficult to spot which enhances the protection of young within the cavities. The small entryway also minimizes the young’s exposure to the environment. This could allow Black-capped Chickadees to survive and breed in harsher environments. Another type of nest seen was a small nest of sticks and mud located about halfway up a tree. This possibly belonged to an American Robin that was seen in close proximity to the nest. This nest is larger than the Black-capped Chickadees nest and would hold more offspring. This could be a trade off of having a nest that is more exposed to the environment. In exchange for more eggs, the American Robin must face more predators, more environmental conditions, and may need to put more energy into nest defense. Song Sparrows had a different tactic for nesting. Their nests were hidden amongst the rocks of the causeway close to the ground and water. This nest location might protect offspring from predators if hidden in vegetation or crevices. Nest niche partitioning allows all of these species to become more successful if they are not fighting over nesting locations amongst species.
Mini Activity:
This activity was helpful in organizing the species heard within this area. By listening for 5 minutes I was able to get a better idea of what individuals surrounded me. There were approximately eight different species that I could hear while standing in that location. Some of the species written down such as the Canada Goose and gull species only had one call heard during this time which emphasizes that they were possibly just flying overhead or quickly left the area. Other species called multiple times and it could be determined that there were multiple individuals. For example, there were multiple Red-winged Blackbirds on either side of me and a few Black-capped Chickadees calling in front of me. Writing down the species and their direction allowed me to determine how many individuals of each species were present in the area. I was unable to identify the unknown calls written down and marked with symbols. The symbols were not descriptive enough to allow me to remember the exact call; however, the variation in symbols did help me determine the diversity of birds in the area.

On April 1, 2019, I went birding from 5:30 to 7:00 pm on the Island Line Trail near Burlington, Vermont. This habitat consisted of both a forested bike path and an open bike path surrounded by water. The weather during this trip started as 38 °F with cloud cover of 30% and ended with a temperature of 35 °F with a cloud cover of 30%.
The first part of my walk started in a closed woodland. Within this area I observed American Robins on the ground foraging and moving between the trees, Black-capped Chickadees flying amongst branches, and heard the call of a Tufted Titmouse. Moving further down the bike path the closed woodland turned into more open marshland with tall grasses. Calls of Red-winged Blackbirds were evident and coming from all directions. There were approximately seven or eight individuals. The bike path soon turned into the Island Line Trail which has a few trees on the edges of the trail, but is surrounded by Lake Champlain on either side. Most of the water surrounding this portion of the causeway was frozen solid so no water birds were seen in the lake. The species observed in this habitat drastically changed compared to the birds in the forested and marshy areas. I followed one crow down the path as it moved from tree to tree every time I caught up to it. Ring-billed Gulls were constantly flying overhead mainly from east to west towards the Adirondacks. A group of mallards was also spotted flying north along the path. The most intriguing sight was of two Bald Eagles sitting on the ice approximately 40 meters away from the path. Both individuals were motionless on the ice for about 10 minutes and then the pair flew across the path to one of the nearby islands to rest in a tree.
The species observed were a mixture of year-round residents and facultative migrants to Vermont. Migration is energy costly and if birds can survive without migration it may be to their advantage to save energy and remain in the same location all year. The year-round residents according to All About Birds included Black-capped Chickadees, American Crow, Tufted Titmouse, Bald Eagle, American Robin, European Starling, and Canada Goose. These species are able to survive the harsh Vermont winter without needing to migrate to a different climate. This could be due to physiological, behavioral, or morphological characteristics. Physiological adaptations may include the ability to undergo torpor which would allow these species to burn fewer calories during thermoregulation. Their ability to lower their body temperature and decrease their oxygen consumption daily depending on the external temperature gives certain species an advantage when trying to save energy in the winter. A few behavioral adaptations that individuals may undergo include huddling with other conspecifics to minimize heat loss, utilizing sunny conditions to undergo activities such as foraging, or choosing a strategic cavity or other type of shelter that will maximize protection from brutal weather conditions. Perhaps another behavioral characteristic would be food choice. Generalists might be more successful in winter conditions since they are able to eat multiple food sources. For example, Black-capped Chickadees eat seeds, insects, berries, and invertebrates. They have a lot of choice in food and are therefore able to eat whatever is available to them. Specialists may have a tougher time surviving winter conditions. If their food source becomes unavailable then they may not be able to adapt to a new type of food. Morphologically these species may have adaptations that allow them to withstand harsh winters. For example, they may have an increased amount of down feathers or a rounder body that maximizes heat retention.
Both Red-winged Blackbirds and Mallards are facultative migrants. These species don’t stay in Burlington year-round. Red-winged Blackbirds typically move south to central and southern United States. Mallards also exhibit this pattern and fly south. The Mississippi Alluvial Valley is one possible wintering location for Mallards since it has water that doesn’t freeze over which allows for Mallards to have access to their preferred habitat and food supply. These species travel back north to areas like Burlington in the spring when it is time for them to breed. Possibly visual cues such as amount of daylight or morphological cues such as hormones trigger these species’ migration back to their breeding grounds. By this time, breeding habitats should be more hospitable to these species comparatively to winter conditions. Increased food sources should be available and weather conditions are typically milder around this time.
Mini-Activity:
Red-winged Blackbirds:
-Spend the winter in central to southern United States
-Traveled: 250-1,300 miles
Mallards:
-Spend the winter in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley
-Traveled: 1,252 miles
Total by Migrants: 1,502- 2,552 miles

I went birding on March 14, 2019, from 8:20 to 10 am. The starting temperature was 42 °F with a cloud cover of 40 % and the ending temperature was 47 °F with a cloud cover of 20%. This birding walk took place in Joe Palaia Park in Monmouth, New Jersey. The habitat in this location consisted of both denser forested trails and open park area with minimal trees and large fields.
Right at the beginning of the walk I encountered a large mixed species flock made up of Mourning Doves, American Robins, House Finches, Dark-eyed Juncos, and Blue Jays. Although there were multiple species within this flock, the species tended to stay segregated from one another. The Dark-eyed Juncos grouped together on the ground to forage, the Mourning Doves sat on a telephone wire, and the House Finches, Blue Jays, and American Robins occupied different trees. It is interesting to think why these species would come together to this patch of trees together. Possibly it has an abundance of resources that allows all of them to coexist together. Another thought is that having a larger flock is beneficial to decrease predation risk, decrease energy spent on vigilance, and increase the amount of time spent foraging. The interactions amongst these species allows for every individual to gain an advantage.
The communication varied between species. The Dark-eyed Juncos, American Robins, and House Finches seemed to constantly chatter as they foraged on the ground while the Mourning Doves remained relatively silent. The constant chatter between these species could be an information exchange between individuals to share information about food resources or just to identify individuals within the species. It was interesting to listen to the Blue Jays who had a very different pattern of calls. In opposite trees, one Blue Jay would do its “jeer” call and a different Blue Jay in the other tree would make its “gurgle” call. These two individuals did this back and forth for a few minutes while I was observing this group of birds. Possibly this call could be mating or courtship behavior used to communicate between potential mates. Another idea is that this call and response is more competitive or territorial. Possibly one of these individuals was in the others’ territory.
Continuing on my walk I headed into a denser area of trees that had a much smaller presence of birds compared to the mixed flock found out in the open. Possibly this is due to less sunlight or resources. There was a male and female pair of Northern Cardinals within the trees. The male has bright red plumage with a few black markings around the face while the female’s plumage is almost a light brown with a few red highlights through the wings and black markings around the beak. The male’s bright coloring might aid in courtship if females prefer brightly colored males. This red color may indicate good genes or good health that the females would want to utilize for her own young. This bright red may also draw attention away from the drab female and nest if a predator is nearby. Dark-eyed Juncos have a much less colorful plumage. These birds have a darker head with a lighter shade underneath their body. These birds might be following a different tactic. Instead of attempting to stand out to find mates, Dark-eyed Juncos seem to be more inclined to blend in to increase their chance of survival. Their countershading allows them to camouflage. The lighter underside makes them less detectable from the ground if seen from below due to the usually sunlight background or bright sky above. The darker dorsal part of their body makes them less detectable if viewed from top down with a dark background. Plumage may indicate different strategies that species undertake to be successful.
One particular bird observed for a while was a Cooper’s Hawk. This individual flew and landed on a telephone pole around 40 meters away from the mixed flock described earlier. It remained facing the direction of the flock for about 10 minutes until my movement possibly scared it back into a nearby group of trees. This individual was possibly in the process of foraging if it was interested in the flock of birds nearby as a food source. The Cooper’s Hawk also could have been just resting in the sun to decrease the amount of energy it would have to expend on thermoregulation. Both of these are examples of an activity that would fit into its circadian rhythm.

Mini Activity:
During my time birding I was successful at drawing some House Finches out of their trees when I emitted some “pish” calls. Two emerged from the thicker branches and perched on the tips to look at me. At first I thought that this technique to draw out birds works since these birds may just be curious about the noise and want to see where the call is coming from. With some research, I understand that there are also theories that “pish” calls sound like an alarm call made by small birds. If a bird hears this alarm call they may want to investigate who the intruder is and whether or not they deem the intruder a threat. Hearing the “pish” instigates individuals to come towards you to investigate and allows the birder to get a better observation of the birds present.

My birding excursion took place on March 3, 2019, from 7:15- 8:45 am at the UVM barn and surrounding areas including the nearby fields, Spear Street bike path, and the Burlington Country Club. The temperature was 22°F with a cloud cover of approximately 40% at the start, while the temperature warmed up to 25°F at the end with a cloud cover of nearly 80%.
There was a lot of bird activity at the UVM barn. Throughout the property there were European Starlings, Rock Pigeons, and House Sparrows. These species were possibly utilizing human presence as a winter adaptation. There are many feeding and shelter opportunities in this area. The House Sparrows were typically seen within the barns in the rafters or on the ground eating the cows’ food. The barn offers both an ample food source and protection from the wind and cold weather. The House Sparrows were extremely active and rarely stopped moving. Possibly the surplus food gives them enough energy to thermoregulate and maintain their body processes in the winter as compared to other species that utilize tactics like torpor.
The European Starlings and Rock Pigeons utilized other tactics to spare their energy in the winter. Both species were always seen in groups. The European Starlings tended to flock to the upper branches of trees while the Rock Pigeons lined the top of the barn. Possibly these species choose high up locations to capture more sun when it appears from behind the clouds. Being at the top of structures would allow them to obtain as much heat from the sun with little obstruction from other objects. The grouping of Rock Pigeons in a line may be another heat saving tactic. Huddling conserves body heat and may help individuals maintain their energy. Also, roosting in a line may help block wind from a few sides which can also decrease the amount of energy individuals spend on thermoregulation. Another tactic seen in the huddled Rock Pigeons is the fluffing of their feathers to limit their body heat loss. Positioning their feathers like this traps air among the feathers and ultimately keeps the individual warmer.
On the nearby bike path, there were less human structures and the habitat consisted of open fields and sparse tree coverage. There was a noticeable shift in presence of birds when the sun was covered by clouds and when it wasn’t. When there was no sun, there were no birds calling and no activity observed in the trees; however, as soon as the sun emerged multiple bird calls could be heard including a Northern Cardinal, Black-capped Chickadees, a Tufted Titmouse, and another unknown species. This was a drastic increase in activity compared to when the sun was clouded over. Possibly these species are more active in the presence of the sun since it will keep them warmer and cause them to expend less energy on thermoregulation. Two Black-capped Chickadees were observed foraging on a tree when the sun came out. From my observations, it appears that birds typically aren’t spending energy on breeding or high energy activities. They tend to use small amounts of energy to forage in good weather conditions, but mainly rest and save their energy in cold and sunless conditions. Limited energy use could also be due to limited food choices. During the winter birds have to rely on seeds or things that they cached throughout the year. In other seasons insects, berries, and other food sources may be more abundant which allows birds to obtain more energy, spend less time foraging, and more time exhibiting other behaviors including breeding or molting.
Mini Activity- Snag Watch:
Along the bike path and within the Burlington Country Club golf course there were a few snags and cavities in the trees lining the road. Many of the snags seen had at least one or two small cavities among the dead branches. Although I tapped on a few of the snags, no wildlife appeared. I can imagine that cavities are a useful habitat for wintering species as they provide habitat and protection from the cold weather and wind. Maybe cavities are utilized more at different times of the day. My birding expedition took place early in the morning. Perhaps birding in the afternoon or closer to dusk would have brought more results and observations of species near the snags and cavities. Two Black-capped Chickadees were observed moving around on a snag. One of these individuals kept returning to a cavity that was located on the snag. Possibly there was food cached there and this individual was foraging. Snags and cavities appear to be important in the winter as both a location to rest and to find food. Possibly smaller birds that winter in cold areas including woodpeckers, black-capped chickadees, and others utilize cavities the most.

My birding expedition took place on February 3, 2019, from 8:10 am to 9:50 am. From 8:10 am until 9:20 am I birded on the East Woods Natural Area Loop in South Burlington, Vermont. East Woods is an old growth forest with varied terrain including steep inclines and flat paths that followed closely to the Potash Brook. During my walk, there was at least a foot of snow cover on the forest floor. From 9:20 until 9:50 am I moved across the street to Farrell Park in the hopes of increased sightings. Farrell Park was more integrated into a human environment. There was a paved path in between open fields, sparse trees, and recreational areas including a dog park, playground, and sports fields. The environmental conditions during this time consisted of 100% cloud cover, no wind, and a temperature of 19 °F throughout the hour and forty minutes spent birding.
Throughout my time in East Woods there were few sightings, but many audio cues describing which birds were in the vicinity. Within five minutes of entering the nature trail a Black-capped Chickadee, a White-breasted Nuthatch, and a Tufted Titmouse could be heard in the trees surrounding us. I continued to walk along the path in an attempt to get a better vantage point to spot the birds visually; however, I couldn’t get a glimpse of them. The first birds I saw I was unable to identify. Three Black-capped Chickadee sized birds flew out of the top of an approximately twenty foot tall tree. Their quick escape didn’t allow me time to view them in my binoculars. Continuing down the nature trail I heard another Black-capped Chickadee in addition to a Blue Jay. Again, neither of these birds were spotted. Possibly they were hidden in the dense trees, or too far from the path to see. As I continued on the loop I spotted another unidentified bird. This individual was approximately the size of an American Robin and had an undulating flight pattern. This led me to think that it was possibly a White-breasted Nuthatch. I reached the end of the nature loop without any more sightings; however, next to the road outside of the woods I immediately saw two American Crows flying overhead. The lack of sightings in East Woods could possibly be due to weather conditions. It was extremely cold and there was no sun due to cloud cover. Also, the dense tree coverage could have prevented me from seeing some of the birds I heard. Another thought as to why there were limited sightings could be the noise pollution in this area. Specific parts of the loop were very close to the highway, 189, and the noise from the cars was extremely loud. This could influence which habitats a bird chooses to spend time in.
I changed location to Farrell Park which is directly across the road from East Woods. Immediately there was an increase in bird sightings. Within five minutes of arriving, I saw three Black-capped Chickadees within the branches of a tree next to the parking lot. These three stayed in the uppermost branches and did not take on many long flights. Mainly they took short flights between nearby branches. Continuing on, a dog walking group passed me on the path. As soon as this group passed I saw a Downy Woodpecker, a White-breasted Nuthatch, and three Black-capped Chickadees. One of my hypotheses is that the presence of the dogs brought the birds out towards the bike path. All of these species were calling and were seen in the branches directly next to the bike path where the dogs were walking. Possibly the birds were becoming territorial and saw the dogs as a threat. I observed that both the Downy Woodpecker and the White-breasted Nuthatch remained on one tree. Neither flew between trees and only moved up and down the initial trees that I saw them on. Both species could effortlessly climb vertically up the trunks. It was surprising to me that I saw more birds in the more humanized environment than in the more isolated and preserved environment. Comparatively, I saw three times as many birds on the walking path in Farrell Park than in the more secluded East Woods. This could be due to limited noise pollution from the highway or maybe these species preferred more open habitats.
The presence of the dogs gave me a good opportunity to look at these species and observe their flight patterns. Black-capped Chickadees had extremely fast wing beats. Almost impossible to see an individual flap of the wing as they moved from branch to branch. The Black-capped Chickadees tended, as I mentioned earlier, to only attempt short flights between branches. Sometimes these even appeared to look as though the bird was just hopping from branch to branch. They could quickly change direction amongst the trees. Possibly this species would be considered to have a low aspect ratio which describes short and wide wings. This allows for speed and maneuverability. This flight pattern is extremely different than the flight pattern of the American Crow which I saw earlier near East Woods. The American Crow utilized steady wing beats that could each be individually detected, unlike the Black-capped Chickadee. The American Crow did not change direction and was seen in open air instead of a habitat that requires maneuverability around branches or other obstacles. A key feature to identify the American Crow would be its steady wing flaps and slotted primary feathers. Slotted primaries allow for each feather to become an independent airfoil. This is oftentimes seen in birds that undergo long distance travel. This characteristic is an indication that American Crows may undertake longer distance flights than Black-capped Chickadees. This matches my observation of the Black-capped Chickadees only flying short distances between branches while the American Crow was flying constantly during my observation of it. Flight shape and pattern can indicate species and behavior. Low-aspect ratio emphasized the maneuverability and speed of the Black-capped Chickadee and reaffirmed the idea that this species is oftentimes located within dense trees. In contrast, slotted wings and a steady wing beat indicate the American Crow can be found in more open habitats and allow for long distance flights.