Field Observation #4

This morning (April 5th, 2017), I visited Burlington's "Urban Reserve" along the waterfront at about 10:45am. It was about 45 degrees and overcast, but the birds didn't seem to mind! There was lots of activity near the skate park, especially from some singing Northern Cardinals and Song Sparrows. Some of the more exciting species that I saw today were a Pileated Woodpecker and four Common Mergansers.
I called over about 5 Black-capped Chickadees with some pishing, and was able to spend some time watching them forage and call to one another. These birds are nomigratory residents who are well-equipped to deal with the Vermont winter. They nest in cavities, which keep them dry and protected from the wind. They're also able to feed on a wide variety of different resources, and in the winter they can rely heavily on seeds and plant matter to subsist. The advantages to staying up north through the cold season include better access to nesting sites, a potential earlier start to the breeding season, and avoidance of the physical toll of migration.
There's a possibility that the Song Sparrows I encountered were migrants; we are located at the northern edge of their winter range (according to AllAboutBirds). Despite the high cost, migration has its benefits; these birds could potentially have avoided some of the harsher cold weather and may have had access to better forage further south. Longer photoperiod and warmer weather may have contributed to their arrival (if they were, in fact, migrants).
As the weather continues to warm, I look forward to encountering more species!

Posted on April 5, 2017 09:30 PM by cafrigo