Ornithology Field Journal 3
Date - 3/07/24
Start time - 1:15pm
End time - 2:30pm
Location - Centennial Woods
Weather - Partly cloudy and a bit gusty, around 40 degrees fahrenheit
Habitat(s) - Deciduous, riparian, and edge habitat (Western section of park)
I documented a fairly low level of biodiversity on this outing, however I was able to observe several individuals from most of the species I did encounter. Theses circumstances allowed me to observe how birds of several species interact with members of their own species. The species I was able to observe interacting the most was the Black-capped Chickadee. Something I found interesting was how they use a mix of songs and calls when communicating, which can be hear at the end of the included audio file. Since the chickadees mostly traveled in groups of 3-5 and it is not quite their mating season yet, I assume that these communications are not part of their mating process, and instead important in building other social connections as well as alerting potential threats.
Several of the bird species I observed displayed drastically different plumages. Pine Siskins, for example, boast brown and grey earth tones to provide camouflage. The American Crow, on the other hand, has black plumage, which stands out much more. Crows are much larger than Pine Siskins, and therefore may not experience the same predatory pressure. One of the individual birds I observed, a chickadee, was flying around small trees near the edge of the park. I believe this activity was foraging, as the chickadee appeared to be investigating each tree closely. Since it is quite warm, I don't believe these chickadees are anywhere near the point of hypothermia, and therefore do not require as much energy to support their metabolisms in case of extreme cold events. All of the chickadees I observed appeared very active, and none seemed to be in a state of recovery from hypothermia or torpor. Unfortunately, my "pishing" attempts had no effect on the birds around me. "Pishing" is thought to reflect social calls of chickadees, and has an invitational effect on many other passerines. Another theory states that this sound is seen as a multi-species invitational call for passerines to flock together (Wikipedia).
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