Käyttäjän polimpio päiväkirja

The observations were made Monday May 11th at 1:05 pm to 2:35 pm around UVM Campus and Burlington residential areas. During the afternoon when the observations were made, it was 59 degrees with 80% cloud cover and light winds from the west.

On April 23rd, I observed twelve species of birds. It was sunny with 25% cloud cover and wind (17 mph) at 53 Fahrenheit. I began observing at 2:00 PM and ended at 3:30 PM. All the observations occurred in residential areas or on UVM’s Redstone campus near the retention pond and golf course. These observations occurred two days after the brief snow fall, so I am curious if my observations would have been different had it not snowed. I was excited to be able to see two Ruby-crowned Kinglets, since they recently arrived in Vermont, and a Great Egret as I’ve never seen one. While I did observe a number of bird species on campus, I noticed many more near the bird feeders and shrubs surrounding the houses near the golf course.

During this birding excursion, I was focused on reproductive ecology and evolution. When I was at the retention pond located behind the Redstone Lofts, I saw a Canada Goose nest on the bank. There were was a pair of geese in the pond, most likely a mating pair. The geese are defending a prime territory as its protected by tall grass and an elevated surface near the pond. The geese most likely have strong fitness but may be a bit more tired after the unseasonal snowstorm which may have required more energy to warm the nest. This nesting location differs from the songbirds I observed as they are most likely in trees. Geese are acquiring the plants surrounding the bond while songbirds are using stich and leaves from trees and leaf and tree litter. The birds around the birdfeeder were being very vocal; perhaps they were attempting to defend the territory that had an abundant food source. While there was an ample amount of food, it may not be the best area to defend since it is out in the open for all species and possibly squirrels as well. Another observation related to mating was the two Mourning Doves spotted as they were flying around together and going from tree to tree with each other.

I enjoyed the mini activity of creating a sound map as it was a great time to practice bird identification and pay attention to direction and patterns of the birds’ movement. Not surprisingly, most of the sound was coming from the direction of the bird feeder in front of me. I also noticed there was hardly any noise coming from behind me where the golf course is located. I wonder if the Ring-billed Gull was headed toward Lake Champlain since it was heading westward.

The observations were made Sunday April 18th at 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm around UVM Campus and Burlington residential areas. During the afternoon when the observations were made, it was about 52 degrees with 70% sun and 30% cloud cover with no wind.

On April 2nd, I observed nine species of birds. It was a bit sunny with 75% cloud cover and light wind coming off Lake Champlain at about 32 degrees Fahrenheit. I began observing at 1:36 PM and ended at 2:58 PM. All the observations occurred within a mile of the Lake Champlain waterfront in Burlington. I was expecting to see more birds as we get further into spring, but I am curious to know if it was more "quiet" due to the sudden change in weather since Burlington's weather went from 60 degrees to snow. This time of year is also important for migrants since many birds are beginning to arrive in Vermont. Cardinals, however, are not migrants and can be spotted in Burlington all year round. Cardinals and other non-migratory birds save a lot of energy by staying in one place all year. More energy allows the cardinals to have more energy to find food, which they must insure there is enough in Burlington all year round since they will not be migrating. Some species, like Cardinals, have become used to the abundant nesting sites and bird feeders in the area, giving them a reason to stay put.

A Cedar Waxwing was spotted, and this species is known to migrate. Cedar Waxwings have a wide range and can travel all the way down to places in Central America, however, most usually winter in the southern states. Cedar Waxwings feed on berries, so migrating south allows them to still have access to abundant food sources. They are back in Vermont now as more fruit is becoming available, and these birds usually nest in the summer, which could be why these birds also come back. As stated earlier, I wonder if birds like Cedar Waxwings are confused by the weather in Vermont and if this could impact their migration patterns in following years.

Mini Activity:

I did not encounter many migratory birds, but the total miles traveled by my species is about 621.

On Sunday March 21st, I began my observations at the waterfront in Burlington, VT at 9:30 am and ended at 11:00 am. There was 100% sun and it was 37 degrees. There were obvious signs that is was the second day of spring: birds being very vocal and very active. Many house sparrows were perched up high, basking in the warm sun and observing all of the neighboring species. It seemed as if they were resting, perhaps they just finished foraging or they wanted to recharge in the sun. This behavior fits into the House Sparrow's circadian as well as circannual rhythm as they are adjusting to day length and using their "body clock" that is stimulated in the pineal gland. House Sparrows and all bird species are going through physiological changes as spring is arriving and migrants are coming back to Vermont during this molting period.

I was excited to be able to see Common Mergansers, both male and female, as their plumage is very distinct and unique. This plumage may be beneficial for mating and their behaviors out in open water, especially when compared to Ring-billed Gulls that are very plain in plumage. However, this plain-white plumage benefits that gulls as it limits the contrast between the bright sky and their bellies, disgusting them from their prey in the water. The iridescence present in mergansers may be beneficial to hide them from their own predators, while also repelling water.

When located near trees and more inland, I tried spishing. Based on the fact that I did not see any flocks of birds, I'm assuming it scared off any species that were close by. This could be because it may come off as a sound of aggression. It may be enticing to small birds as they can group together and ward off a predator. They may also believe it is the sound of something they consider familiar or safe.

On March 5th, there was an overcast (about 60% cloud cover) with a light wind. When I began birding, it was 10:24 am and 14 degrees. To combat these below freezing conditions, the winter plumage is present in many birds to help retain body heat. Some species, such as woodpeckers and some pigeons, also utilize snags to rest in for the winter or store food. During my walk, I unfortunately did not encounter any species nesting or resting in a cavity. I did see a few snags and kept my eye out for what birds were present in the area, but came across no significant relationship or correlation which could be due to the timing of the day, the weather, or the location as I was near the lake.

When I was down by the shoreline, I saw many Mallards and began thinking about how they combat the cold water temperature of the lake. Mallards have evolved to control and limit the amount of heat they lose through their feet by controlling the blood circulation between the arteries and veins. This adaptation is similar to that of Herring Gulls, which were also abundant by the water. While the mallards seemed to be budgeting their time by resting, the gulls were very active: soaring and actively watching the water on the docks.

Overall, it seemed as if most of the species I encountered were active as they were seen flying, eating, calling, or active in a tree. I wonder if this is due to the fact that it was morning and they use their energy while light since it gets darker earlier in the winter and temperatures drastically decrease after the sun goes down. I saw robins feeding on berries, as I did in the previous journal, which is indicative of winter habits since in the summer robins tend to find insects in soil.

Today, on February 21st, I observed eight species of birds. It was sunny with 0% cloud cover and minimal wind in 21 Fahrenheit. I began observing at 9:07 AM and ended at 10:30 AM. All the observations occurred in residential areas or on UVM campus. There were noticeably more bird individuals and bird species present around houses that had bird feeders; these birds were not seen in flight. Another location that had many individuals present was a fruit tree outside a UVM dorm where American Robins, males and females, were feeding on berries in the tree and on the ground under it.

One of the first birds spotted was a Common Raven perched on top of the Redstone Water tower which was spotted again in flight. Ravens have elliptical wing which becomes apparent as they soar with these all-purpose wings. These wings can be identified on a raven when noticing the broadness and far-spread feather tips. Elliptical wings found on ravens help them maneuver. Herring Gulls, however, have high aspect ratio wings to allow the gulls to glide without exerting much energy which could explain why they were seen over campus as they might have been on their way from a water source back to Lake Champlain. Unlike ravens, gulls do not do much maneuvering. Something that was interesting was seeing a flock of gulls flying around with each other in one area which was most likely a pocket of warm air.

When thinking about flapping pattern, smaller songbirds differ from ravens and gulls. For example, a few Black-capped Chickadees were spotted in trees and in flight. While flying from one tree to another, a watcher can clearly see the fast flapping of the chickadee’s wings. This is somewhat similar to the robins that were seen; when traveling from one fruit tree to another, the robin’s wings were flapping quite a bit when compared to birds like ravens or gulls.

Mini-Activity: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oqpVLkUlpYT3fHL7CGkQtah-N64e4d7WLyFiU06rH9o/edit?usp=sharing