Field Journal 6
Date: April 21, 2024
Time: 11 AM – 12 PM
Location: Muddy Brook Wetland Reserve
Weather: The weather today was 45 degrees Fahrenheit and fully cloudy: there was a slight chilly breeze and 9 mph winds.
Habitat: Muddy Brook is a wetland nature reserve that consists of open grassland, marsh/wetland, and conifers. There was a pond in the center of where I was observing, and the paths surrounding were very muddy from a previous rain. Smaller bushes lined the sides of the walking path where the conifers were located.
Prompt:
Today was a wonderful birding turnout! There were tons of active birds during my observations, and it was hard to keep track of them all, for the noise surrounded me on all sides. The noisiest bird of all today was the Red-winged Blackbird; there were many calling and singing simultaneously. Most of the time, these birds were perched on a branch of a bush or tree, looking out over the wetland. There was rarely multiple in one spot at a time, so it appeared to me that they were each trying to defend their territory; when there were two together, they would bicker. They kept on making a repetitive alarm-sounding call to keep others away (it definitely seemed to have worked). Red-winged Blackbirds prefer to nest lower to the ground near the marshy waters, so the more successful of these birds had claimed territory/nesting sites right near the pond. The blackbirds were much chattier located near the pond than those in the hidden, grassy parts of the wetland, meaning competition is more competitive here in this prime habitat. To build their nests, these birds use stringy plants and weave them with wet vegetation/leaves, decayed wood, and mud, which all can be found easily in this wetland area. Dry grasses are also used as a finishing touch, which can typically be found nearby.
While Red-winged Blackbirds prefer nesting near the ground of marshy wetland, the Ruby-crowned Kinglets prefer to nest high up in the safety of tree canopy above. To build nests, these birds use grasses, feathers, fur, plant material, etc., which would be found on the forest floor. Using these materials requires regular nest maintenance so the nest remains intact; this is much different than the solidified muddy nest of a Red-winged Blackbird. When I observed the Ruby-crowned Kinglets lower towards the ground, darting about in the little bushes, they would only make small chatters. They were very skittish and constantly on the move. However, these birds sang beautifully when they were up higher in the conifers of Muddy Brook; it appears that they were singing to defend territory, hence why I only heard their song from up high above rather than low in the bushes. There were a couple instances where I heard two singing simultaneously, meaning a quarrel between two males was likely amidst.
A favorite find of mine from today’s observation was a solo Belted Kingfisher! I have never seen one before in real life and I first identified it through its familiar chatter. They are much larger than I ever anticipated so I really had to do a double take when I actually saw it. After further research regarding nesting, I discovered that Belted Kingfishers like to make burrows in banks near water. This Kingfisher was continuously flying in circles around the pond, landing on branches of trees and then taking off again, constantly chattering throughout. I never did see it land on the ground, so I am not sure where the nest is located or where the potential mate is. I read that they mate in April-May, so there is the possibility that this Belted Kingfisher has not found a mate yet or began to build the nest. It appears that this bird was likely establishing its territory around the little pond and warning off others with its continuous calling and circling.
Observações
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