Saturday, April 4 - South Mountain Preserve in Emmaus, Pennsylvania (15:00 - 17:00)

Birds were observed from 15:00 - 17:00 on Saturday, April 4 at South Mountain Preserve in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. South Mountain Preserve an area of 350 acres of protected forest, that includes 9 miles of hiking trail. The weather was 55 degrees F, cloudy, and winds were blowing 4mph NNE. Birds were observed throughout South Mountain Preserve, starting from the trailhead at Alpine Street. The forested area contained almost entirely deciduous trees. The trees were a wide variety of sizes, there was a moderate level of underbrush. Overall, the forest was pretty densely covered with vegetation. There was no snow on the ground, buds on some of the trees were observed, and there were some other small flowering plants observed.
Over the course of my time at South Mountain Preserve, I heard the sounds of three different woodpeckers drumming on trees. I was not able to visually observe any of these birds, but all of the sounds were heard in different parts of the forest, and there were likely from different birds. One Northern Cardinal was heard calling near the northern edge of South Mountain preserve. Also, one Black-capped Chickadee and 3 Blue Jays were heard calling in the same area as the Northern Cardinal. 3 Turkey Vultures were seen circling high above the center of South Mountain Preserve. One Hairy Woodpecker was seen on deciduous tree. Initially, it was drumming on the tree, but it stopped drumming when approached. The woodpecker continued to pick at the branches of the tree. Two American Robins were seen flying near the edge of the forest by a utility cut that runs through South Mountain Preserve. One White-breasted Nuthatch was heard calling near the utility cut. 4 Song Sparrows were seen on the ground and in bushes in a small meadow in the utility cut. The sparrows were heard making a few calls as well.
Some of the species that I observed today are known to be notable year-round residents of Pennsylvania. These species are Black-capped Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, Song Sparrows, Blue Jays, Northern Cardinal, and Hairy Woodpecker. These birds do not migrate because they are able to tolerate the colder temperatures of winters in Pennsylvania. Also, they are able to find enough food by eating seeds and dormant insects. For example, Hairy Woodpeckers are able to find invertebrates to eat by boring holes in the sides of trees. Blue Jays are known to store away food to consume during food shortages in the winter. Some chickadees and nuthatches are also known to do this. Most of these birds benefit by finding seeds in the winter, and most of them utilize bird feeders as well. Black-capped Chickadees are known to have lower temperatures in their feet than the rest of their body, in order to avoid losing heat. American Robins are known to be facultative migrants. The robins that I observed were likely coming from further south and traveling further north. These robins were likely further south in the winter in order to have access to more food, such as berries. Pennsylvania is now much warmer than in the winter and more food sources for robins are becoming accessible, like worms. Thus, there is an increased chance of survival now for robins than in the winter, likely facilitating the arrival of robins that chose to migrate south. Turkey Vultures are considered to be obligate migrants. Some of the advantages of arriving in Pennsylvania in early April include warmer temperatures than the winter and increased food availability. The increase of animal activity in the spring likely leads to more opportunities for Turkey Vultures to scavenge. Some of the disadvantages of arriving in Pennsylvania in April may be that many plants have not sprouted or fruited yet.
Most of the species that I observed are known to be resident species of Pennsylvania and may have not migrated at all. However, American Robins, a facultative migrant, are known to migrate are far south as Guatemala, which is approximately 1,972 miles from my site. Also, Turkey Vultures, an obligate migrant, are known to migrate as far south as Argentina, which is approximately 5,460 miles from my site. Thus, the rough total miles traveled by both of these species is 7,432 miles.

Publicado el 09 de abril de 2020 a las 03:53 AM por andrewgigs