4/5

Yesterday I went to Centennial Woods near campus at around 1pm. The weather was overcast, though not quite rainy anymore, and the temperature was moderate. I walked along the path for a little while, and quickly stumbled upon a few American Robins. They were flittering around and foraging on the ground, most likely for insects. Robins are residents, staying in their breeding range the whole winter. They roost in trees, and these roosts can get huge, as they must keep together to stay warm.

After observing them for a while, I walked further through the woods until I heard the song of a few black-capped Chickadees. I stopped to observe them, and upon closer inspection, I saw a White-breasted Nuthatch close by. Both of these are resident birds. Black-capped Chickadees stay warm in the winter by sleeping in their own individual cavities in rotten wood. They also store seeds and food for later, as they have a great memory for finding it again. Interestingly, White-breasted Nuthatches sometimes join in foraging flocks of Chickadees, likely to make finding food easier and to increase predator vigilance.

As I made my way back out of the woods, I stumbled upon an American Crow. Like American Robins, they roots in large groups in the winter to conserve heat. They are sneaky foragers and will steal the food of other birds. At the end of my walk I saw a flock of Canada Geese flying overhead. There is a chance they were migrating back up north for the spring, as this species can be migratory, however they will often stay right were they were born if ample open water and food is available. Lake Champlain likely provides this, and the more urban territory around Burlington likely provides a safe haven from natural predators.

Posted on April 6, 2017 08:35 PM by hannaht089