Archivos de Diario para marzo 2019

martes, 05 de marzo de 2019

Shelburne Bay Park: Surviving Winter

Somehow, this trip was my first visit to Shelburne Bay Park. For anyone else who hasn't had the chance to visit, Shelburne Bay Park is a public park which runs along Shelburne Bay. Most of the area is forested; it consisted of a large number of evergreens, such as Eastern White Pine and Northern White-Cedar, and hardwoods such as Shagbark Hickory and young American Beech trees. This time I traveled with two friends (thanks to both of them for all of their help). We started at the parking lot, followed the Shelburne Recreation Trail up to the point where it reached the Clark Trail, and then wrapped back around. The trail was relatively icy, and there was still a good layer of snow on the ground. The weather was relatively warm, but it did flurry on and off during our trip. We started just after 10 in the morning and finished shortly after noon.

Unfortunately, the birds were relatively shy and scarce. We heard multiple common species (American Robin, Northern Cardinal, and Tufted Titmouse), but were not able to see any of them. We also heard American Crows quite often, but only saw a few when they flew overhead. A few other birds were quite vocal, including White-breasted Nuthatch, and we were very excited to hear a Brown Creeper singing while watching a group of Black-capped Chickadees.

We had the best luck spotting birds at a specific point along the Shelburne Recreation Trail, where the forest bordered a field. The first group to appear were the Black-capped Chickadees, as they often are. The chickadees flitted between a group of shrubs, some small trees, and a denser grove of white pines. They also foraged on the ground on occasion, usually by the base of one of the trees. When they weren't searching around, they were usually in the denser trees. The chickadees were also noticeably fluffed up when they were perched in the trees, trying to retain body heat.

The Eastern Bluebirds appeared while we were watching the chickadees and perched in a tall tree over the field. They didn't remain there very long, as a large group of European Starlings flew into the same tree. The bluebirds retreated into other trees along the edge of the forest. They also appeared to be somewhat fluffed up. As a side note, the bluebirds didn't actually appear very blue due to the cloud cover. It's an excellent example of structural color; the lack of light back the birds appear more grey at a distance.

Since so many birds seemed to be staying hidden and out of the weather, we also spent a good amount of time checking dead snags, as they can provide good shelter. We didn't find any wildlife actually living in the snags, however. We did find significant evidence of woodpeckers. Many small snags had small, round holes in them. Larger snags often had bigger, more rectangular holes. A good number of snags appeared to be dead Northern White-Cedars, but these snags had fewer cavities, if they had any at all. Some living trees also had a decent number of large cavities. Specifically, we found an old Eastern White Pine which had two recently excavated, large, rectangular cavities. The debris was still scattered around the base of the tree.

Overall, most birds seemed to be taking shelter, either in denser trees while foraging, or deeper in the dense portions of the forest. The variety of songs we heard and other signs we encountered, however, suggest that a wide variety of species are likely present in better weather. Currently, birds are trying to save energy by staying out of the elements, or searching for limited amounts of food available. As the weather warms and more food becomes available, they'll likely become more mobile and active again.

Publicado el martes, 05 de marzo de 2019 a las 03:51 PM por kayley-j-dillon kayley-j-dillon | 9 observaciones | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

domingo, 24 de marzo de 2019

The Intervale: Bird Behavior and the Start of Spring (Hopefully)

Today I had the opportunity to visit the Intervale with Meghan, a good friend of mine. We took off relatively early this morning (March 24th, 2019); we arrived shortly after 9:00 AM and left a little after 11:00 AM. It was a sunny morning after a few less pleasant days, so we were optimistic. We followed the trail along the Winooski River for the first stretch of our walk, then looped back through the woods and past the fields to return. This route gave us the opportunity to search for waterfowl on the river and search the woods for songbirds, woodpeckers, and any other birds we may see.

Today's trip certainly didn't disappoint. Our first exciting sighting was a Brown Creeper, who was both singing and visible on the side of a tree. It's a species I haven't seen before and one that's relatively shy, so it was a pleasure to get to see one in person.

Shortly after, we encountered a large group of Mallards on the river. Most of the birds were either resting on a small island or feeding around it. A few seemed to be taking watch, including a male who notably kept his head up and remained alert while we were watching. This behavior highlights the benefits of being in a flock that we discussed in my Ornithology class. Overall scanning time is decreased, and individuals are able to spend more time foraging. They're both safer and more successful. A similar pattern was seen in groups of Canada Geese as well.

Another incident that stuck out to me was an interaction between a pair of Downy Woodpeckers. Both were pecking on a few trees and snags, and one flew in and chased the other bird off of a branch. The second bird was fluffed up and the red spot on the back of its head was particularly noticeable. The first bird didn't attempt to regain its place, and the second continued searching for food in the cavity. It seemed like the second bird was using this physical cue to lay claim to a food resource and scare the other bird off.

Before leaving, we also encountered a Red-tailed Hawk being mobbed by a group of American Crows. The crows chased the hawk into a tree and vocalized frequently in an attempt to scare the hawk off. The hawk remained perched in the tree. It was an excellent example of cooperative behavior for mutual benefit.

Overall, we encountered a wide variety of other birds today as well, including American Goldfinches, Song Sparrows, American Robins, Northern Cardinals, Black-capped Chickadees, and White-breasted Nuthatch. We tried some pishing while out and about, and some chickadees actually responded pretty consistently. It was a technique we had discussed in class before; I think the "pish" sound actually resembles the Black-capped Chickadee's call. Chickadees are pretty bold birds, so they may respond and can encourage other birds to make themselves known. It's a fun technique, and a good way to attract chickadees and other birds that interact with them.

The trip was as successful as I'd hoped, and it's wonderful to see so many birds active in the morning again. Hopefully spring is finally on its way in the great Northeast. I'm looking forward to more trips as the weather improves and the migrants start to return for the summer.

Publicado el domingo, 24 de marzo de 2019 a las 07:38 PM por kayley-j-dillon kayley-j-dillon | 13 observaciones | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

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