Arquivos de periódicos de abril 2020

09 de abril de 2020

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.

Posted on 09 de abril de 2020, 03:53 AM by andrewgigs andrewgigs | 9 observações | 0 comentários | Deixar um comentário

15 de abril de 2020

Tuesday, April 14 - Lehigh Parkway in Allentown, Pennsylvania (14:40 - 15:50)

Birds were observed from 14:40 - 15:50 on Tuesday, April 14 at Lehigh Parkway in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The weather was 55 degrees F and sunny with little wind. This was a forested area with almost entirely deciduous trees. I walked along a trail in the forest that was next to the Little Lehigh Creek. The trees were a wide variety of sizes, there was a high level of underbrush. Overall, the forest was pretty densely covered with vegetation. Many of the tree had buds, and there were buds and small leaves on some of the underbrush. Also, a few small flowering plants were observed.
Over the course of my time at Lehigh Parkway, I observed 18 American Robins. Many of these robins were in a grassy field or in a pasture area of a farm that was next to the forest. A few of these robins were calling and some appeared to be feeding on the ground. 3 Northern Cardinals were either seen or heard throughout the area. One White-breasted Nuthatch was heard calling by the creek. One American Crow was heard calling far away. Three Blue Jays were seen high up in trees, and a few of them were heard calling. Two Mourning Doves were seen flying from tree to tree in the forest. One Red-winged Blackbird was heard calling near the edge of the forest. Two European Starlings were seen in a puddle near the farm by the edge of the forest. Two Canada Geese were seen walking and calling in a grassy area near the creek. One Common Merganser was seen on a rock in the middle of the creek. Finally, one Red-tailed Hawk was seen soaring high above the forest, and it was heard making a loud screeching call once.

Posted on 15 de abril de 2020, 07:52 PM by andrewgigs andrewgigs | 11 observações | 0 comentários | Deixar um comentário

22 de abril de 2020

Monday, April 20 - Pool Wildlife Sanctuary in Emmaus, Pennsylvania (8:00 - 9:30)

Birds were observed from 8:00 - 9:30 on Monday, April 20 at Pool Wildlife Sanctuary in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. The weather was 46 degrees F and cloudy with little wind. I walked along various trails at the sanctuary, and one of the trails followed a section of the Little Lehigh Creek. This was a forested area with mostly deciduous trees. The trees were a wide variety of sizes, there was a high level of underbrush. Many of the trees had buds or small leaves, and small flowering plants were observed.

During my time at Pool Wildlife Sanctuary, I observed 2 Eastern Phoebes by the river, perched on trees. I heard 1 Song Sparrow singing its song and 1 Blue Jay calling near the entrance of the sanctuary. I saw 3 Northern Cardinals, including a mating pair by the river. I saw 8 Mallards in the river, including a mother with 4 chicks. One American Crow was seen flying above the trees near the river. 2 Canada Geese were seen flying over the river. 6 American Robins were observed near the river. Most of them were in bushes or on the ground. One of these robins was observed in a nest on a branch in a bush. I walked from the trail near the river towards the northern end of the sanctuary. In this area, I heard 1 House Finch calling. I also saw 7 White-throated Sparrows moving through the forest's underbrush in a group. 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker was seen on a tree. 3 Carolina Wrens were observed flying around the underbrush. 2 Downy Woodpeckers were seen flying from tree to tree in the distance. I heard three Northern Cardinals, 2 Canada Geese, 2 Blue Jays, 1 White-throated Sparrow, and 1 House Finch calling in this area as well.

I observed two Northern Cardinals together, and one as male and one was female. It is likely that they were a mating pair. The birds traveled through the area that I was in quickly, and I was not able to identify any specific courtship behaviors. The two Downy Woodpeckers that I observed may have also been a mating pair. I was too far from the birds to be able to identify their sexes, but the woodpeckers appeared to be chasing each other through the trees. At times, it appeared that they may have been flying more slowly, which is known to be a courtship behavior of Downy Woodpeckers. The American Robin that was observed in a nest appeared to be building the nest. It was moving up and down and around in circles in the nest. It also flew out and back to the nest a couple of times, and it may have been gathering small pieces of brush to build its nest. There did not appear to be any eggs or nestlings in the nest. The robin's nest was in a bush on a branch, as mentioned earlier. The branch that it was on was hanging over the river. I observed 6 other smaller nests near the same trail by the river. All of these nests were perched on tree branches at least 10 feet above the ground. I was not able to identify the species of the trees where the nests were, due to the lack of leaves on them. However, all of these trees were deciduous. One more nest was observed in a deciduous tree, about 15 feet above the ground, next to a meadow in the center of the sanctuary. I did not observe any birds in the near vicinity of any of the nests, except for the American Robin's nest. All of the other nests were smaller than the American Robin's nest and were likely the nests of smaller songbirds. Also, the American Robin's nest was in a bush, and this was the only observed nest that was not high in a tree. I heard Northern Cardinals calling from different directions in the northern part of the sanctuary. One of the calls from coming from the west, near the river. The second call was from the north, in a densely forested area. The third call was from the east and appeared to be coming from far away, near a residential property that borders the sanctuary. These cardinals may have been defending their territories. I am unsure how to rank their territories in terms of how prime or poor they are. However, the cardinal heard in the east may have been defending edge habitat near a residential property, which could be considered prime territory. The other two cardinals were in forest habitat with dense vegetation, which could also be considered prime territory, because cardinals prefer to nest in dense bushes. All of these cardinals may have high fitness, because they likely have access to sufficient food (feeders) or prime nesting sites (dense bushes). The American Robin was observed in its nest, as previously mentioned. Its nest was made up of many small twig and thin pieces of grass. Most of these materials were most likely gathered in the near vicinity of the bush that the nest was in. The surrounding area had many small twigs on the grass and there was some grass like plants as well. The robin appeared to be building or modifying its nest while I was watching it. It appeared to be placing small pieces of brush in its nest.

Link to Mini Activity- Sound Map: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1r34_aOR4U8iigEEczjQtsHm9bvjFucWT/view?usp=sharing

Posted on 22 de abril de 2020, 10:57 PM by andrewgigs andrewgigs | 13 observações | 0 comentários | Deixar um comentário

25 de abril de 2020

Saturday, April 25 - Quakertown Swamp in Sellersville, Pennsylvania (17:20 - 18:50)

Birds were observed from 17:20 - 18:50 on Saturday, April 25 at Quakertown Swamp in in Sellersville, Pennsylvania. The weather was 64 degrees F and partly cloudy with little wind. Quakertown swamp is a wetland that is 518 acres in area. The wetland includes areas of open water, wet meadows, and forested swamps. The forested swamps contained mostly deciduous trees. Quakertown swamp features a Great Blue Heron rookery, which may be one of the largest in Eastern Pennsylvania.

Over the course of my time at Quakertown Swamp, I observed 1 Mourning Dove, 1 White-breasted Nuthatch, and 1 Black-capped Chickadee by the edge of a forested area next to the parking lot. I saw 13 Great Blue Herons in the rookery. Most of these herons were standing in nests, high in trees in the wetland. At least 15 Red-winged Blackbirds were seen throughout the wetland, and many of them were heard calling. 5 Common Grackles were seen in trees near the edge of the wetland, and a few of them were heard calling. 1 Turkey Vulture was seen soaring over the wetland. 1 Mallard was seen in a small stream near the wetland, and 1 Northern Cardinal was seen flying near this stream. Finally, 1 Osprey was seen perched in a tree near the edge of the wetlands.

Posted on 25 de abril de 2020, 11:47 PM by andrewgigs andrewgigs | 9 observações | 0 comentários | Deixar um comentário

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