Field Journal Assignment 3- Ecological Physiology
On Sunday, March first, I was visiting my parents in Boston and went on a bird observational walk with my mom from 10 am until 12 pm. It was a very sunny day with the temperature at around 35 degrees Fahrenheit. My mom and I drove to Fresh Pond in Cambridge, MA, which is s fairly large pond surrounded by a heavy foot and bike traffic path. There is also a golf course connected to the path. We began our walk in this golf course and came across a Northern Mockingbird and an American Robin engaging in a sort of fight, resulting in the American Robin leaving the area and the Northern Mockingbird staying in its territory. Northern Mockingbirds eat insects in the summer and rely more on berries in the winter. They are also very territorial of their foraging and hunting areas. This particular bird most likely wanted to protect its foraging land from other birds in order to make sure it is able to feed enough. In the winter, insects are often harder to find because of the cold temperatures and hard grounds, so there is a lot of pressure to find food, which may have led to the inter-species territorial battle I observed. As we continued to walk through the mostly tree-less golf course, we came across the songs of two Mourning Doves. We spotted one flying back and forth between a dirt mound and a small, lone tree. The bird seemed to be scavenging for seeds in the mound of dirt.
As we walked through the golf course, we came across a small pond that waa connected by a creek to the main, much larger pond. This pond was surrounded by tall grass and a few trees. We noticed a fallen tree leaning over the pond on which a Great Blue Heron stood. This is interesting because often, Great Blue Herons migrate a bit south in the winter in order to stay in warmer areas and be able to find food in winter months. This particular bird may spend its summers a bit more north, perhaps in Vermont! Great Blue Herons hint aquatic life, which is why it was located near the water. In the pond, there was a small group of Hooded Mergansers and a larger group of Mallards. As shown in the pictures observations attached, some of the ducks had their bills buried in their feathers. This protects their apteria from the cold, harsh winter air. This also highlights the fact that they are sending a lot of time resting, which conserves body energy and makes them more capable of maintaining high body temperatures in the cold weather. I noticed a Hooded Merganser diving for food in the pond. The legs of these birds remain warm in the cold water due to the counter-current exchange of the blood flow that takes place. Hooded Mergansers eat mostly aquatic life, so the bird was probably searching for prey. It is very important for birds to eat in the winter because they require so much energy in order to stay warm. This can be difficult for some birds, whose diets switch from insect-based to more berry-based, like the Northern Mockingbird. Because of this difficulty, some birds allocated their time differently in the winter and rest more during the day to preserve their energy for heat.
Throughout our walk, I noticed multiple snags of different sizes. In one particular area, there were about 5 snags next to each other that were also surrounded by bush area. In this area, I observed 4 Black-Capped Chickadees. These Black-Capped Chickadees most likely spend the night in high covered areas, like the bush I observed them in or holes in snags, in order to maintain warmer body heat. In order to converse energy, the Chickadees most likely lower their body temperatures as well. Snags are very important because they provide homes for many bird species, like owls and woodpeckers. The cavities in snags provide a shield from the cold weather of the winter, which is why many birds reside in them. They also are a source for food for some species of birds, like Pileated Woodpeckers and Brown Creepers.
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