Centennial Woods

Time: 2:35 pm
Date: March 25, 2018
Location: Centennial Woods, Burlington, VT
Weather: Cold, sunny
Habitat: Forest

I observed a group of five Black-capped Chickadees in Centennial Woods this afternoon. They were communicating with eachother very little, although every once and a while one would "seet" a bit at another. Perhaps this was just to check in and say hello. When I stepped closer, each bird hopped back and gave frantic a "dee dee dee" call. It was as if they were setting off an alarm, saying "back off!" When I did back off, they seemed to calm down and go about their business.

I only saw Black-capped Chickadees on this particular bird walk. Their plumage, pigmented by melanin, provides very good camouflage in the understory where they stayed for the duration of my visit. This is a clear evolutionary advantage against predators looking down at the understory from above.

All of the Chickadees I observed seemed to be foraging. One bird in particular was hopping from one small tree to another, landing perfectly and grasping the stem each time, while it scanned the ground for food. This fits into the circannual rhythm of Chickadees in that it is the muddy season in Vermont. The wet ground probably makes it easier to eat insects that live underground and these individuals were taking advantage of it.

Mini Activity: I "pished" at the group of Chickadees but nothing happened. They seemed to be ignoring me until I stepped closer. I'm not sure why this would work for other birders. Perhaps it mimics the sound of an insect that the birds would want to eat, or birds are just naturally curious creatures. Nevertheless, it did not work for me and I had a much harder time getting a photo for it.

Posted on March 27, 2018 12:24 AM by laurenberkley