kylermose's Journal

Date: 01-April-2019
Time: 5:30-7:00PM
Location:, Woodside Natural Area, Essex, VT
Coordinates: 44.501455, -73.139805
Weather: Sunny, partly cloudy, 38°F (3°C)
Habitat: Swamp, riverside, light forest

Birds migrate in order to reach regions with high or increasing levels of food resources. Vermont is an excellent place to observe migration because many species leave the cold state in the winter to go South where more food is available. But, in the springtime, food resources increase and there is less competition, so these species migrate back to take advantage of growing insect populations and budding plants, as well as establish nest sites. Migration is a costly, so a bird must make physiological tradeoffs which has resulted in a variety of migratory distances/ patterns. Migration verses permanent resident status is a matter of life history strategies.

Permanent residents do not migrate, but instead invest energy into physiological and behavioral adaptions that allow them to survive the harsh winter conditions. For example, a Black-capped Chickadee has the ability to fluff its feathers to provide insulation, which is why a Chickadee in the winter appears larger than one in the summer. Many winter residents like the Brown Creeper, American Robin, Chickadee, and Woodpeckers also have the ability enter a state of regulated hypothermia (torpor) at night to conserve energy. Night cover is crucial, communal roosts of the American Crow and creation of protected shelters observed in the Pileated Woodpecker aid in heat retention during cold nights. Foraging poses another issue for winter residents as many insects and plants die during the cold months, but they have evolved mechanisms to overcome this. Creative foraging techniques such as the spatial memory of Woodpeckers or foraging in mixed flocks as seen with Chickadees, Sparrows, Finches, and Tufted Titmouse’s increases information sharing and caloric intake during periods of limited food availability.

Some birds forgo investing their energy into adaptions and intensified foraging efforts during winter time and migrate to more productive regions instead. There is a variety of migratory birds characterized by the distance migrated, from short to long distances. A short distance migrant observed is the Red-winged Blackbird, which is resident to Northern North America all year-round, but migrates to parts of Mexico for nonbreeding seasons and then can be seen in Northern Canada during breeding seasons. The southernmost distribution of the Blackbird is over 3,000 miles from Vermont, but considering this bird is native to almost all of the US year-round, it is unlikely any individual migrated this distance. Some medium distance migrants observed includes Song Sparrows and Eastern Phoebes, which both migrate as far south as Florida and Mexico during nonbreeding seasons up to Northern Canada during breeding seasons. The most southern distribution of the Song Sparrow is roughly 2,500 miles, but similar to the Blackbird, it has a wide American distribution so may be unlikely any individual found in VT traveled this distance. Both of these migration patterns can be characterized by the term “leapfrog migration” where Northern residents do not migrate as far south as more southern residents. The Eastern Phoebe is one of the first returning migrants to Vermont in order to breed, traveling as far as Southern Mexico over 4,250 miles away. Belted Kingfishers are characterized as long-distant migrants but can be found in central North America all year-round. During the nonbreeding season though, they can be found all the way to central American and the Caribbean and observed all the way up through Alaska in the breeding season. Although it is likely a migratory Kingfisher in Vermont came from more central North America, over 3,500 miles are between Vermont and central America. The Canada Goose has a similar resident and migratory pattern, but do not go as far south, only to northern Mexico, roughly 2,200 miles away.

Field Observation #6:
Reproductive Ecology and Evolution
Date: 21-April-2019
Time: 8:15-10:00 AM
Location: Woodside Natural Area, Essex, VT
Coordinates: 44.501455, -73.139805
Weather: Overcast, warm Spring day 65°F (18°C)
Habitat: Mixed forest, marsh, river

I went birding in Woodside Natural Area in Essex, VT which is a great location to see a variety of birds due to the mixed forest habitat wrapping around a marsh area next to the Winooski River. The weather was very warm so lots of birds were out and their vocalizations could be heard everywhere. The entire walk was full of lively chatter and lacked many quiet spots or areas where birds were vocalizing distress or warning calls. Observations of bird vocalizations and behaviors throughout the excursion supported that many birds are trying to attract mates and prepare a nest for the coming warm weather.

The entire trip had Red-winged Blackbird calls in the background and they could be observed throughout the entire marsh area that the trail circled around. These birds live and eat in marshes, where they build nests using stringy plant material among low laying marsh vegetation or even on the marsh itself. The males were either observed next to a female in low lying grasses or on high perches calling out to establish their territories.

Among the forests, Tufted Titmice were heard quite often as they reside within deciduous woods and feed in this habitat. They nest in cavities in trees, but since their beaks are made for eating insects and seeds, they cannot excavate them themselves, so are found residing in natural holes or holes formed by woodpeckers. The individuals observed during this field outing were all adults, as indicated by the rusty patch on their bottoms and were calling out from trees. They were most likely territorial males establishing their area, as no Titmouse encounters overlapped with another’s region.

The Pileated Woodpecker was another vocal individual during the trip, although not seen. They reside in deciduous or mixed forests where they nest in cavities they create. Many of these nesting sites were observed, primarily in dead, large trees. At one point during the trip I was even able to hear the bird pecking at a tree, indicating it may be creating a new nest for the breeding season. Similar to the Titmouse, all the vocalizations heard may have been used to establish a territory because there were clear distinctions in regions when the call was heard.

Many other mating behaviors were observed during this trip as well. A pair of Hooded Mergansers were observed swimming in the marsh. The female chooses a nest site within a tree, so considering both individuals of the pair were out swimming may indicate they are still increasing caloric intake to prepare for the costly investment of egg laying. Several Canada Goose pairs were also observed, but unlike the Merganser, they nest low to the ground on a slightly elevated site near water. Their nest sites are generally more open so the incubating female can have an unobstructed view and would be more likely that they are closer to egg laying than the Mergansers. A male Northern Cardinal was also observed where he was calling out from a tall dead tree. He had his tuft erect and was calling proudly trying to attract a mate, I even observed him move from a lower branch to the top of the dead tree to try and get more attention from a female.

I sat at en edge of the marsh at a bench with the forest behind me and listened for birds for five minutes. Since I was at the edge of the marsh it was expected to hear a lot of Red-winged Blackbirds, approximately six individuals. A Titmouse was calling the entire time I was sitting there with the generic “peter peter peter” call. A Northern Cardinal would occasionally call out from the same location past the marsh but was very clearly heard. A Pileated Woodpecker was also very easy to hear and was heard beyond the marsh, but at the end of the trip I heard another one in the location directly behind me in the forest. There is a decent amount of distance between these calls, suggesting it may be two individuals with their own territory. An American Crow landed near me and was calling out and was shortly joined by two other Crow’s where they called out to each other before flying off. There were two species I was unable to identify, two of the same species to the left of the marsh and one more in the woods to the right of the marsh. But, in the end, I recorded 10 different species heard during this five-minute listening period.