Reproductive Ecology and Evolution
For this observation I was in two different locations, in the morning I went to Centennial Woods and in the afternoon I went to Shelburne Bay. One of the most striking aural mate selection observations I heard was the song of the winter wren which was a very impressive display of a complex song to attract a mate. I played the song back and he came in a little closer, while repeating it back every time I played it. This could be his defense of his territory to let other males know that he is around and has laid stake to it. Winter wrens nest in tree cavities near to the ground or as much as 23 feet up. The habitat I saw this individual in was tall conifers intermixed with deciduous understory. Many of the tall conifers had cavities likely excavated by pileated woodpeckers which would be very suitable for winter wren nesting. The next bird I observed was a pileated woodpecker, which upon call-playback did the same thing and came in for a closer look. These birds are also cavity nesters but they can excavate their own cavities pretty easily. As long as there are tall dead snags and ample trees full of insects they will nest, and this was true for the area in Centennial Woods. The most interesting species I observed from a nesting point of view were two ospreys in Shelburne Bay. They were undergoing the process of building their nest on a platform close to the water's edge. They would bring large sticks to build up the nest in the anticipation of a soon to arrive chick. These species need to be near water as their primary prey source is fish, and one was even eating one as I was watching it.
The mini-activity of the sound map was a very interesting exercise. I heard 5 red-winged blackbirds in various locations around me, two northern cardinals, one belted kingfisher, an eastern phoebe, about 2 american crows, one song sparrow, and a woodpecker drumming. In total I heard 7 species.
