Ornithology Field Journal 4/22/2024

Date: 4/22/2024
Start Time: 15:40
End Time: 17:00
Location: Centennial Woods Natural Area
Weather: bout 50 degrees Fahrenheit, sunny, not very windy
Habitat: mix of hardwood and coniferous trees, some parts of the walk had a fair amount of underbrush but the majority of the area lacked sufficient underbrush

The Black-capped Chickadee that I was able to take photos of during this bird walk was actually transporting materials into/out of a hollow in a piece of standing deadwood. It looked like most of what the bird was doing was clearing out what was likely old nesting materials to then replace it with new linign. This is likely done to lower the risk of disease or parasites being passed to the chicks. Given the timing, it is likely that most chickadees in Centennial have already begun to lay their eggs, or will in the next couple of weeks. Black-capped Chickadees line their nests with bark, moss, feathers, and other soft, pliable materials. This individual likely wouldn't have too hard of a time finding these materials. The most difficult item to find would likely be the feathers/down used to line the nest.
While this Black-capped Chickadee was the only bird I saw actively building a nest, it definitely wasn't the only individual to be hard at work during my birding walk. However, I did hear (and very briefly see) a Red-bellied Woodpecker that was drumming at a potential nesting cavity. This individual was likely trying to attract a mate. However, it is fairly late for an individual to still be searching for a mate, so they could have been doing something else, as well. Either way, the area where this bird was drumming was an area of prime territory in Centennial Woods. There was plenty of standing dead wood, providing lots of opportunities to search for food, build nests, and cache found food, and there was lots of undergrowth and surrounding trees that would likely provide a steady supply of various tree nuts, seeds, and insects. Additionally, the area also included a small vernal pool and was alongside a river, so the individual could likely find amphibian larvae and frogs to eat, as well.
However, bird habitats vary greatly with the species. While this area was prime real estate for the Red-bellied Woodpecker I was observing (and likely would be for other species such as a Tufted Titmouse or Barred Owl, as well), another individual such as a Canada Goose, Red-tailed Hawk, or Chimney Swift would not be very interested in protecting this territory.

Posted on April 23, 2024 03:41 AM by aschwarz57