miahandtereinecker's Journal

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.

On Wednesday morning, March 25, from 11 am-1 pm, I engaged in an observational walk at Fresh Pond in Cambridge, MA. The temperature was 40 degrees Fahrenheit, with overcast clouds and a lot of wind. I started my walk on the path that surrounds the large pond, but it was so windy and cold that I soon diverged on to the golf course area that lies next to the pond. This area has many fewer people and is more protected from the wind, so I was able to see many more birds. The golf course has many small bushes, small ponds, and variously spaced out trees, but it is mostly an open grass area.
First, I saw many American Robins on the open grass all seemingly scavenging for food. For the most part, they were well spaced out and not interacting which each other through calls or other methods. However, I heard sudden louder songs and calls and noticed that two American Robins were engaging in a fight (picture attached in observation). I did some research and discovered that American Robins can be very territorial. It is possible that one of these birds infringed on the other’s territory, which resulted in the fight. I also learned that American Robins often sing when they return to their territory, which would explain the song and calling I heard right before the fight ensued. It is possible the American Robin was trying to warn the other to back off as well. Birds often use songs to establish their dominance in their territories and to tell other birds to back off. While fighting, the American Robins opened their wings, even while just standing, this visual cue shows the other that they are large and willing to fight. When they stopped fighting, one of the robins visually became much smaller, closing his wings. This cue shows defeat and backing down.
Moving along the golf course, I noticed two Mallards, two Canada Geese, and one Great Blue Heron. The Mallards were resting in the water’s edge of a pond and the Canada Geese were resting just on the banks of the same pond. I think that is is possible that these two pairs were mates, since the Mallards, at least, were of the opposite gender. It is also getting closer to breeding seasons, which also makes it likely that these two pairs are mates. This behavior of finding a mate is part of these species' circannual rhythm. They repeat the same breeding activity each year, based on the photoperiod. The photoperiod this time of year is allowing for more sunlight per day to occur, which can help trigger breeding activities for Mallards and other birds.
Moving along, I came across a more densely forested area of the golf course. I noticed a group of three Common Grackles in a tree, that flew off as I approached closer. I noticed another black bird on the ground and took a picture. As the bird flew off, I noticed that it was not another Common Grackle, because this bird had red coloration on its wings, making it a Red-Winged Blackbird. While it was on the ground, its red spots had been concealed allowing only for a small white line to be seen on the wing. This red coloration is an example of bold coloration that can be used to attract a mate. I did some research and discovered that in order to attract a female, male Red-Winged Blackbirds perch and open their wings in order to show off their red wings. This plumage pattern is very different from the House Sparrow, for example. House Sparrows have more of a cryptic coloration on their backs to camouflage into their surroundings. Female Red-Winged Blackbirds, however also have this cryptic coloration, which makes sense because the males are the ones who are attracting the mates, while the females have to camouflage while protecting the eggs.

I didn’t encounter any Chickadees this trip, so I tried Sphishing near some foraging American Robins. This sound resembles a mobbing sound and a potential threat to birds. So, it attracts some birds who want to know the cause of this threat and it also makes some birds flee because they do not want to be hurt by this threat. The American Robins I tried it on did not seem to care that much. A few of them changed their stance to an alert upright position to listen to my sounds and a few hopped away. Next time, I will try it near chickadees or near a more dense bush area.