Field Journal 7
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.
Havainnot
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