02 de maio de 2020

Field Journal #8

Colin Lach
FJ#8

Walking through Shelburne Bay Park on Friday May 1st, I was able to identify some birds and observe their behaviors in their natural environment. The weather was roughly 51 degrees Fahrenheit and partly cloudy. The path that I was walking through included semi-vegetated and forested areas which provided a good opportunity to see a diverse group of birds. My walk and time spent observing lasted a little over an hour and a half from 12:20-1:52. While walking I was able to spot and take pictures of two different birds, Red-winged Blackbird and an American Robin.

Red-winged Blackbird x1
American Robin x1

Posted on 02 de maio de 2020, 12:25 AM by colinlach colinlach | 2 observações | 0 comentários | Deixar um comentário

27 de abril de 2020

Field Journal #7

Colin Lach
FJ#8

This week I walked through a forested area near my house in Shelburne on Monday April 20th. Throughout my walk I was able to identify some birds and observe their behaviors in their natural environment. This week, the focus was territorial and nesting behaviors. The weather was roughly 46 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny with minor clouds. The path that I was walking through included semi-vegetated and forested areas which provided a prime opportunity to see a diverse group of birds. My walk and time spent observing lasted a little over an hour and a half from 2:20-3:57 pm.
Throughout my time in the forest behind the house I was able to identify a few different species of birds. I saw a small group of European Starling, and heard multiple woodpeckers but could not identify which kind they were. Also, I saw a tree which I believe had been subject to some substantial pecking from a woodpecker. To answer the prompts provided, I did research online regarding species that I have encountered in the past. I also observed a bird's nest that I knew was near my house to see the type of materials that are used to build a nest.
The nest that is near my house is very delicately built using small twigs, weeds and pine needles and about 10 feet in the air in a pine tree. It is quite close to my house in a small neighborhood in a pretty open area that is scattered with trees and vegetation. I came to the conclusion that it could be a Mourning Dove nest based on its composition and the fact that two Mourning Doves are often around my house. Doves start building their nests as early as March. When picking territory they prefer open land with a scattering of trees and shrubs for cover. When a male is ready to mate, he circles in a courtship flight and chases rivals in an area where he desires to nest. These birds are also very adaptable to more suburban areas which explains why they are okay with nesting so close to a house in a fairly big neighborhood. This differs compared to other birds that would rarely be found in an area like this.
As I said earlier the Mourning Dove’s nest was constructed using small twigs, weeds and pine needles. They are also known to use things as light as grass to build their nests and will even nest on the ground if needed. All of these things are easy to find in this area pine needles from the pine tree they’re in, grass and weeds from the ground and small twigs found everywhere. Apparently Mourning Doves will reuse nests of their own and from other individuals of their species if available. The nest that I was observing was very delicately constructed you could almost see through the bottom.
While walking through a more densely forested area on the edge of my neighborhood I could hear which I later found out to be “drumming” by two woodpeckers. They would alternate drumming on a tree, apparently they do this to either establish their territory or attract a mate. Because there were two of them doing this, maybe this was part of the mating process. However if this was the two woodpeckers fighting over territory, I would say that they must be pretty dominant in their environment because there's lots of space and lots of trees for them to hunt.

European Starling x3

Posted on 27 de abril de 2020, 11:28 PM by colinlach colinlach | 1 observação | 0 comentários | Deixar um comentário

16 de abril de 2020

Field Journal #6

Colin Lach
FJ#6

Walking on a trail in Jericho, VT on Tuesday April 14th, I was able to identify some birds and enjoy a nice day outside in nature. The weather at this time had a high of 50 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny. The path that I was walking through included mostly forested areas that bordered a brook, this provided a good opportunity to see a large and diverse group of birds. My walk and time spent observing lasted a little over two hours from 11:40-1:50 pm. I was unable to capture any photos or recordings of my observations.

Identifications:
Downy Woodpecker x2
Blue Jay x3
Eastern Phoebe x1
Black-capped Chickadee x4

Posted on 16 de abril de 2020, 04:08 AM by colinlach colinlach | 4 observações | 0 comentários | Deixar um comentário

09 de abril de 2020

Field Journal #5

Colin Lach
FJ#5

Walking through Wake Robin Retirement Community on Monday April 6th, I was able to identify some birds and learn a bit more about migration. The weather at this time had a high of 68 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny, spring has seemingly arrived and birds are starting to show up due to the warmer weather. The path that I was walking through included mostly forested areas which provided a good opportunity to see a diverse group of birds. My walk and time spent observing lasted a little over two hours from 12:30-2:50.
Throughout my time on the paths of Wake Robin I was able to identify an ok amount of birds however many of the species were heard not seen as I was able to identify a number of birds by calls or songs. I saw a number of Black-capped Chickadees (6) as well as heard and saw an Eastern Phoebe (1). Towards the end of my walk I was able to identify a pair of Northern Cardinals (2) and a pair of Mourning Doves (2), as well I saw a woodpecker that I later confirmed to be a Red-bellied Woodpecker (1).
Of these birds that I identified most of them are expected to be found in Vermont year round, such as the Northern Cardinals, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and Black-capped Chickadee. There are many reasons why these birds are able to forego migration and remain here year round. Specifically Black-capped Chickadees have certain adaptations that allow them to remain in the North-east throughout the winter. With research I was able to learn about three specific things that help them survive. They’re insulated, they’re active and they have a good memory. With a half-inch coat of insulating feathers, chickadees maintain their body temperature at 100 degrees fahrenheit during the daytime. At night, their temperature drops 18 degrees, which reserves their store of fat. Chickadees also remain active to keep warm during the winter, by flying and not staying still for too long. Chickadees gather food very quickly and during autumn they stash food all around their territory. Their good memories enable them to find food during the winter when resources are scarce.
Of the birds I observed the Eastern Phoebe was the only true migrant. Eastern Phoebes travel to the north-east for breeding from the south where they go during the winter non-breeding season. I am sure that this species of bird travels during these times because of temperature, the winter in the north is too cold for them and during the transition to spring the south is too warm. During spring the weather gets warmer and days become longer as well as the growth of more vegetation and possible food. This can serve to be the perfect breeding grounds for some birds including the Eastern Phoebe.
Some advantages of birds arriving in Vermont early in April is that some locations for breeding and better territories may be available that wouldn't be later in the month. However, some disadvantages could be that the weather has not completely shifted and the species has arrived too early to be successful.
Overall this birding trip was successful in terms of observations and I was able to learn a bit more about what birds are migrants and why they migrate. I look forward to future trips as the temp continues to warm up and am excited to see what other birds start to show up.

Black-capped Chickadee x6
Eastern Phoebe x1
Northern Cardinal x2
Red-bellied Woodpecker x1

Posted on 09 de abril de 2020, 03:53 AM by colinlach colinlach | 5 observações | 0 comentários | Deixar um comentário

26 de março de 2020

Field Journal #4

Colin Lach
FJ#4

Walking through Wake Robin Retirement Community on Tuesday March 24th, I was able to identify some birds and observe their behaviors and interactions between each other. The weather at this time had a high of 54 and a low of 50 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny with snow on the ground. The path that I was walking through included mostly forested areas which provided a good opportunity to see a diverse group of birds. My walk and time spent observing lasted a little over two hours from 12:08-2:12.
Throughout my time on the paths of Wake Robin I was unable to identify a single species of bird, it seemed as if the stay home order had affected the birds too as I only saw one bird throughout the entire time. The one bird I saw I was unable to identify however I was able to get a photo of it. To answer the prompts provided I did research online regarding species that I have encountered in the past.
Birds communicate in different ways, the two species that I looked into to learn more about communication were the Black-capped Chickadee and Northern Cardinal. I learned that when a Black-capped Chickadee is trying to communicate aggression or anxiety they will fluff up their feathers and dance around as well they may approach with their beaks open. Northern Cardinals use mostly songs and body signals to communicate with each other. Male and female cardinals use “chip” calls to keep contact with their mates to signal alarm.
I could not find much information regarding the plumage of Black-capped Chickadees and Northern Cardinals, however both of these birds have very different colors showing the diversity that can exist within a single environment.
As I observed in my last field journal and researched more this week many of these birds are changing their behaviors due to colder weather or starting to exit this stage. Black-capped Chickadees fluff their feathers to insulate themselves from the cold by keeping warmth in. Aswell Black-capped chickadees along with many other birds stash food for the winter in preparation for the lack of food available. During the winter Northern Cardinals seek shelter in trees, specifically evergreens. They group together in pairs to maintain warmth and they are found to be a much brighter red during this season.
Overall this birding trip was not the most successful in terms of observations, however given the weird times we are living in it was very freeing and relaxing to get away from all of it and just spend a couple hours walking through nature. I look forward to future trips as the temp starts to warm up and am excited to see the changes in behavior and appearance of many of the birds I have already identified. Birds communicate in very unique and interesting ways and after learning what I have I am excited to see it all in person.

Observations:
Unknown Bird x1

Posted on 26 de março de 2020, 03:39 AM by colinlach colinlach | 1 observação | 0 comentários | Deixar um comentário

07 de março de 2020

Field Journal #3

Walking through Shelburne Bay Park on Thursday March 5th, I was able to identify some birds and observe their behaviors in their natural environment. Because it is still winter I was able to witness behaviors that are specific to the season, the weather was roughly 40 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny with minor clouds. The path that I was walking through included semi-vegetated and forested areas which provided a good opportunity to see a diverse group of birds. My walk and time spent observing lasted a little over an hour and a half from 12:20-1:57.
Throughout my time on the paths of Shelburne Bay Park I was able to identify an ok amount of birds however many of the species were heard not seen as I was able to identify a number of birds by calls or songs. I saw a number of Black-capped Chickadees (6) as well as heard and saw two separate pairs of Blue Jays (4). Towards the end of my walk I was able to identify a pair of Northern Cardinals (2) and what I believe to be a small group of European Starling, although I was not able to confidently identify them as such I will leave them out of my reported sightings. While walking I observed these birds behaviors, to gain a better understanding of the steps they take to survive during the winter.
The birds that I observed were all very active and flying around almost constantly, this is something that I found surprising because I expected them to be saving their energy to remain warm in the cold weather. However after doing research when I got home I saw that this is a strategy birds use to build up warmth in their bodies by staying active. As well when landing I noticed the Black-capped Chickadees had been fluffing their feathers, this insulates them better from the cold keeping warmth in. This makes sense to me as a strategy as I recall when seeing Northern Cardinals or Blue Jays at my feeder they seemed to be extra fluffy or larger than usual.
The activeness of these birds could as well be equated to time spent hunting or looking for food, the birds that I was able to identify spend their time looking for seeds, berrys or insects. I’m sure because of the weather they must have to spend more time looking for food as it is less available but in the more forested area of the paths I did see a lot more sources of food. During the summer seasons I’m sure they would have a much easier time finding berries and nuts. As well I read online when I got home that Black-capped chickadees along with many other birds stash food for the winter in preparation for the lack of food available. This intelligent strategy provided yet another reason to why I love Black-capped Chickadees.
When thinking about where these birds would spend their time sleeping overnight, I assumed that they would group in the more forested areas in the trees. This provided more shelter and maybe more warmth for them as well as protection from other birds. I noticed that it was hard for me to identify birds in the more forested areas even though I knew they were there based on calls and songs. The fact that I couldn’t find them provided me with evidence that it would be a much safer place to spend your time.
Overall this was a successful field trip and provided me with a lot of new knowledge and excitement to do it again. Shelburne Bay Park provided a diverse set of environments and along with it a diverse set of birds, I look forward to going there again as seasons change. I was not able to capture any pictures of birds or recordings as my phone died during the hike, I will make sure this doesn't happen next time when I go.

Observations:
Black-capped Chickadee x6
Blue Jay x4
Northern Cardinal x2
European Starling? x5

Posted on 07 de março de 2020, 01:15 AM by colinlach colinlach | 3 observações | 0 comentários | Deixar um comentário

18 de fevereiro de 2020

Field Journal #2

While watching birds in my backyard in Shelburne Vermont I was able to identify several birds gathered around the bird feeder. This time of observation started at 12pm and lasted roughly an hour. The weather was 27 degrees Fahrenheit with a slow breeze heading to the north. The goal of this observation time was to gain a better understanding of basic flight patterns and I felt a bird feeder would be the easiest way to do this rather than walking a trail.
While observing the birds I started to pay close attention to their distinct flight patterns and behaviors. Specifically the two species I observed were the Northern Cardinal and Black-Capped Chickadee. These are species that can be quite regularly found at the bird feeder during this time of year. When watching the Northern Cardinal’s flight patterns I noticed that they alternated flaps of their wings often pulling their wings all the way to their sides. When observing the Black-Capped Chickadees I noticed they quickly moved from spot to spot with rapid wing flaps. However when Chickadees would fly longer they would flap their wings in rhythmic patterns dipping down and rising back up after each flurry of flaps.
This pattern of flight by Black-Capped Chickadees could be used in future field observations in the wild where the birds will not be inclined to hang around something like the feeder. For Cardinals their color makes it quite easy for them to be identified however for female Cardinals this flight pattern could aid in identifying this species while in the wild.
In total four types of birds were found gathered around the feeder: Northern Cardinal, Black-Capped Chickadee, House Sparrow and Dark-Eyed Junco. There are many reasons that only a few species were seen during my time observing the bird feeder. The most obvious being the location, in such an open spot with little vegetation it was not likely for me to see a very diverse group of birds. Only the birds that are small enough and comfortable visiting the feeder would be likely to be seen there. If I were to explore this area more in depth I would venture in to the forest more and locate birds away from the feeder. There is quite a lot of trails around my neighborhood and I think I would have a lot more luck finding a more diverse group and greater number of birds there.

Posted on 18 de fevereiro de 2020, 11:47 PM by colinlach colinlach | 4 observações | 1 comentário | Deixar um comentário

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