natalielaible's Journal

I went on a bird walk on Wednesday, May 2nd. It was around 11am and I walked around campus. It was the warmest day we have had so far, also very bright and sunny.

As I was walking down South Prospect Street toward campus, I observed two Common Grackles, a female and a male, both perched on the same branch in a medium sized tree. The male puffed up its feathers and raised its tail features to appear to look larger and more dominant. The female was smaller and more grayish brown in comparison to the darker male, who also had more fluorescent feathers. After this courtship display, the male mounted the female for about three seconds. It was interesting to see the mating process since I have never observed something like this before, especially in birds and this species.
Near Old Mill, I heard a loud Northern Cardinal singing and calling. It was at the top of a extremely tall deciduous tree, although its bright red plumage made it easy to spot. It kept singing for over fifteen minutes, and occasionally flitted away to sing in other high trees. Other birds I saw in the nearby area on the lawn, were Common Grackles, American Robins, and American Crows.
On the University Place green, I saw two American Robins in the same area foraging for food. I observed one robin yank a long worm out of the ground and swallow it. A Common Grackle was calling in a fir tree. I saw a European Starling standing on the green by itself, which I thought was unusual due to the fact I usually see them foraging and flying in large groups. I also saw a Ring-billed Gull flying above the University Green towards the waterfront.

On Thursday, May 3rd around 2:30pm I was able to see the Snowy Owl on top of Jeffords. It was a cooler, cloudy day. The Snowy Owl was white with black spots, and it occasionally swiveled its head around. It was very cute and so many other people had gathered to look at it. I was super excited to have seen it because I have never seen a Snowy Owl in real life before. I also borrowed someone’s binoculars to get a closer look.

I went on a bird walk on Sunday, April 22nd. It was very warm and sunny. I started the walk around 3pm. I saw a Black-capped Chickadee in a crevice of a tree’s snag, foraging for old seeds it cached during the colder months. I saw two European Starlings on the Redstone green. While walking down South Prospect Street, I saw three Common Grackles on the Redstone green, most likely foraging for food. All of them were dark black males, with fluorescent pigments like purple and green. The shiniest male with the longest or largest tail feathers is most likely the most fit, and females will select this male in comparison with the others. They were also making their rusty gate calls; the louder and clearer the call suggests higher fitness.

The Redstone green is usually filled with birds because it has a high food supply of insects, worms, and seeds. I would suspect that the Common Grackles would nest in small bushes or trees nearby the green. Habitat requirements differ from species depending on size, type of nest built, and foraging strategies. Smaller birds may be able to find nesting sites easier than other birds, but they are more susceptible to predation so they need a good hiding space.

In some tall hedges along the sidewalk, I saw an American Robin foraging for nest materials; it had a piece of hay or straw in its bill. It was a male due to its bright, rusty colored belly. Bushes, shrubs, trees, and urban areas with natural debris are great places for birds to find nesting material. I speculated that the robin was making its nest inside of the hedges, which would provide protection from rain and a hiding space to avoid predators who would prey on their offspring or eggs.

I walked down to the waterfront to Perkins Pier and sat in between some trees. I heard a Common Grackle above me, perched in a pine tree. Its plumage was dark, with green and purple fluorescence. It was singing its rusty gate call. It was most likely defending territory as no other birds were in the same trees. This would be a prime territory since trees and bushes are present that produce many seeds and nesting materials. Common Grackles are omnivores and feed mainly on seeds and insects. Due to the high territory quality, plumage pigments, and strong call, I suspect it to have a high fitness.

In the water, I saw a Common Loon swimming and diving for food. There was only one and it was not calling or singing. After diving a few times, it flew off out of sight. Its nest is probably somewhere close to the water.

I took a bird walk on April 17th around 6pm. I walked from the Davis Center along the Redstone path, past Redstone campus to 500 South Prospect Street, and towards the gym. It was about 40 degrees F and cloudy.

On the Redstone path, I saw a Black-capped Chickadee on the fence. It flew away very quickly, but I managed to get a photo. I did not see many birds apart from the chickadee, but I heard calls of a Common Grackle, House Sparrow, Song Sparrow, and American Crow. I recognized the Common Grackle due to its “rusty-gate” sounding call.

When I got up to the Redstone green, I saw two House Sparrows singing in a tree across from CWP. Two American Robins were also perched in the same tree. On the green, I saw about ten or more robins foraging for food. The grass was muddy and wet due to all the rain we recently got, so I expected worms to be abundant. I saw one American Robin pull a worm out of the ground, which was interesting to see. In another tree I saw four European Starlings perched high on separate branches.

I next went to the pond near the gym. Around it there is a lot of bushes and twigs, and I saw two Song Sparrows hopping around on the ground and flying onto branches. I also saw three European Starlings perched in a tree, as well as an American Robin and an American Crow. In the pond I saw two Canada Geese, and they are probably the same ones I have seen before. One of them is always sitting on a small island of grass and twigs in the middle of the pond, while the other one is swimming. Canada Geese usually lay their eggs in March and April, so I bet the female was incubating the eggs on the grass in the pond’s center.

Year-round species observed: American Robin, European Starling, Canada Goose, Ring-billed Gull

I went on a bird walk by myself on April 3rd around 3pm. It was about 40 degrees F outside and cloudy. I walked around Redstone Campus, near the Lofts and the gym. I saw a pair of Canada Goose swimming in the pond near the Lofts. They were probably mates since Canada Geese mate for life.

I saw a small flock of European Starlings perched in a tree and singing.
In a smaller and shorter nearby tree, I saw a really big American Robin. Feeding a lot in winter is another way of surviving the cold months, as staying warm requires a lot of energy and food.

Migration is energetically expensive, and mortality is high in inclement weather. Reproductive output must offset mortality during migration for it to be worthwhile. Survival must offset mortality from lack of migration. These are all reasons why some species of birds do not migrate. The birds I observed on my walk that were year-round residents choose not to migrate for some of these reasons. For example, Canada Goose are able to survive cold Vermont winters due to their extremely warm down feathers. They are widely known for their soft, insulating down. Because of this, they have higher survival rates without migration than other types of birds that lack the same insulating down.

European Starlings use more behavioral adaptations to keep warm during the winter. They tend to roost in areas that protect them from the cold and the wind. This includes habitats such as coniferous trees, barns, under bridges, etc. They flock and forage together, increasing foraging efficiency which also supports their survival in the winter months.

Facultative migrant species observed: Brown-headed Cowbird

I observed this species on a lawn on Redstone campus, foraging for food.

It was coming from farther down south as temperatures start to rise and going north. Reasons for migration include climate, temperature, food availability, and predation risk.

As springtime has arrived, the temperature is starting to slowly increase. This leads to a better climate for flowering vegetation, leading to increases in food availability, such as fruits and insects.

Advantages of arriving in Burlington in early April include not many predators since the temperatures are still fairly low. Disadvantages include cold weather which is energetically expensive to survive in, and low food availability since spring has not fully sprung.

I went on a bird walk by myself on Thursday, March 22nd around UVM Redstone Campus. It was a bright, sunny day and about 33 degrees Fahrenheit. The bird species I observed included American Robin, Mourning Dove, American Crow, Northern Cardinal, and Black-capped Chickadee.

Around 12pm I heard a Mourning Dove outside my window at Redstone Apartments and recorded it. I went outside to get a picture, but it flew high onto the roof before I could get a good shot. While it was hiding from me on the roof, I could see its head and identify its skinny, down-curved bill. During its flight to the roof, I observed its body colors. Its underside and head are a creamy, light brown color while the retrices and remiges are a light gray. Their overall pale color helps them blend in with tree trunks, snags, and other neutral tone habitats. They also have dark gray spots on their backside, which aids in camouflage as well. I captured a good audio of the song (cooooOOOOO-woo-woo-woo), which is produced by the male in order to attract mates. It is almost always uttered by the male and not the female. It is also interesting to note that most Mourning Doves mate for life, so once they do find a companion, they remain loyal to them.

After encountering the Mourning Dove, I walked down South Prospect Street and came across a small group of American Crows foraging on a lawn. American Crows are entirely black with shiny feathers. The color comes from melanins they produce themselves. High concentrations of melanins in feathers prevents significant wear and tear and allow birds to molt less frequently. This allows them to save energy for other expensive processes such as flight and keeping warm during the winter. American Crows make loud caws to communicate with other crows, as they are extremely social birds. Calling is important because being in groups most likely increases their ability to find food, especially in the winter.

On the other side of the road in a far tree, I heard a Northern Cardinal. Its bright red plumage revealed its location to me, although it pretty far away. Cardinals get their pigments from carotenoids, which come directly from their diet. Unlike the American Crow and the Mourning Dove, they are very vibrant in color. Males use their bright red feathers to attract mates; the more vibrant the color, the more likely they are to find a female companion. The males call in order to find a mate, which is important for its reproductive success, and therefore a good call as well as plumage color are evolutionary advantages.

I came across a tree closer to central campus, in which about three Black-capped Chickadees were perched and calling. I made some “pish” calls to attract their attention and see how they would react. Most of them flew away to another tree and started calling again. Pishing is an effective birding tool since it is a sound that humans typically do not make, and sounds generally like a bird. It is similar to the scold calls of chickadees. Scold calls are a form of mobbing behavior in order to attract more birds to determine the threat level of a predator.

Sources used:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pish
http://www.birdsandblooms.com/blog/10-surprising-facts-about-mourning-doves/

On February 22nd around 3pm, I went on a bird walk around UVM campus with TA’s Rachel and Danielle. It was a cold, winter day with light wind. We saw some flocks of European Starling above Jeffords and American Robins perched in trees. Songs and calls I heard during the bird walk included Tufted Titmouse, American Robin, White-breasted Nuthatch, and Black-capped Chickadee. I also was able to get somewhat close-up to a Black-capped Chickadee on the sidewalk on South Prospect Street before it flew away.

European Starlings keep warm in the winter with various types of regulation. This species of bird does not migrate, so they must be able to increase their metabolism during winter months to keep warm. These birds are very good at warming themselves up, and have higher metabolic rates than other species their size. They also may puff up their feathers to retain heat, which is an example of a behavioral temperature regulation. I saw some of the flocks stop to perch on top of Jeffords or on the ground, most likely to forage for food and rest from flight, which is extremely energetically expensive. They feed in flocks, and may help other individuals find food, especially juveniles who may need more help. European Starlings feed on mostly insects and other invertebrates, and also eat seeds, fruit, and garbage. Their diet may change during the seasons; for example, insects will be less available during the colder months. They roost in flocks, which most likely helps them retain body heat due to being in close contact with each other, similar to huddling.

We learned in class that Black-capped Chickadees undergo facultative hypothermia during the winter to retain body heat. They lower their body temperature by 6 degrees Celsius at night when they need to save energy. This species’ diet consists of mostly seeds, berries, and insects. In the spring, summer, and fall, Black-Capped Chickadees eat animals as 80-90% of their diet. At feeders, they eat seeds, peanuts, mealworms, etc. They tend to nest in small cavities, and sleep in thickets, dense shrubs, and tree cavities. In order to have a steady food supply for winter, they hoard and hide seeds in small places to save for later.

During the walk on South Prospect Street/Redstone Campus, I noticed two snags with crevices that could be inhabited by birds. One of the holes was very tall and skinny, and one was very small. I see the large tree with the tall crevice everyday during my walk to class, and in the past I had seen a woodpecker on this tree- most likely a Pileated Woodpecker. There are probably more snags in Centennial Woods than on campus because there's many more trees, and more birds in general.

Snags are important because they have many holes and cavities for birds to take advantage of. Woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches, owls, and so many other birds use cavities in snags as hiding spots, safety, or to store food for later. Woodpeckers peck at snags bark to find sources of food such as insects and larvae. Snags provide habitat, places for birds to keep their nests, and branches for them to perch on. They can also be used as song posts to attract mates and label territories. Without snags, so many different species of birds would be negatively affected.

For my first bird walk, we went to East Woods. It was a fairly cold winter day and there was a bit of wind. We saw and heard a bunch of different species. I saw an American Crow in flight, and its flight pattern was slow and steady with firm wing flaps. The wings are partly rounded and asymmetrical. It was flying high above the trees, but sometimes would stop to perch. Other times I have seen American Crows, they were perched in trees or walking on the ground. Its habitat niche is usually treetops, fields, roadsides, open woods, beaches, and town centers. It is fairly easy to identify an American Crow in flight due to its deep wing beats and solid black color; its tail also fans out in flight, which distinguishes it from other species. Its wings in flight are quite thick and its primary feathers fan out and are easy to identify.
Another species I saw was a Ring-billed Gull, which has a very different flight pattern than the American Crow. It soars very gracefully and makes few wing flaps. It glided over the trees without flapping and it did not stop to perch on any trees. Ring-billed Gulls have very long, skinny wings. Their wings are very streamlined compared to the American Crow; their wings have a strict, smooth outline. They are found in urban and suburban areas as well as coastal areas. The gull I saw was most likely heading to a nearby source of water.
I saw a fair amount of birds in my walk, but when the weather starts getting warmer and birds start to migrate back, I will be able to see more species. We played a Barred Owl call to attract the species, but we had no luck. We would have a greater chance of seeing or hearing one if we went out for a walk at dusk or dawn, as they are a primarily nocturnal species.