grady_jakobsberg's Journal

Date - April 4, 2021
Start time - 9:00 am
End time - 10:30 am
Location - University of Vermont Athletic Campus and Burlington Country Club
Weather - temp: 35 degrees F, 60% cloud cover, 2-7 mph winds
Habitat(s) - urban/suburban walking paths, some deciduous and coniferous tree groves, detention pond, and surrounding marsh

There were a good number of non-migratory birds that we encountered today, but the Black-capped Chickadee is one of the most iconic for this region. Despite being small and light, they are surprisingly hardy birds. During the winter, they stock up on seeds, fruits, and frozen insects to survive during the cold nights - usually shivering throughout the night to keep themselves warm. It is also essential that they find a good place to roost, usually small cavities in trees where they can stay insulated. They can be found in coniferous forests because the pine needles provide more shelter and insulation than barren deciduous trees. There are several reasons why BC Chickadees and other birds don't migrate. Migration is energetically expensive and high risk. BC Chickadees are generalists, so they are better able to find food during the winter than specialist insect eaters. Staying during the winter also gives them the ability to find the best roosting spots that they are so reliant on. They also tend to be at the center of mix-species flocks that stick together to drive off predators with mobbing behavior.

We saw a bunch of facultative migrants, including Canada Geese, Red-winged Blackbirds, American Robins, Song Sparrows, and Turkey Vultures. The Canada Geese were already beginning to nest, being an early migrant and early nester. We saw predominantly male Red-winged Blackbirds since they migrate before the females to set up territories. With spring just beginning in Vermont, the ground has thawed out and plants are starting to bud. We saw a few American Robin on the ground, poking around for worms, which probably wasn't possible until a couple of weeks ago. Red-winged Blackbirds were gorging themselves on the high protein tree buds. These birds are coming from tropical environments that have relatively low productivity, so springtime in Vermont provides a lot of abundant food sources. However, Vermont can still get very cold this time of year, causing the ground to refreeze and food sources to be harder to find. Many of these species, like Canada Geese and Mallards, will continue to fly north from here, but this area could very well be the stopping point for a lot of species.

Mini Activity- Frequent Flyer:
Canada Goose: about 1,200 miles
Mallard: 750 miles
Red-winged Blackbird: 800 miles
Song Sparrow: 500 miles
Total: 3,250 miles - not all the migratory species but some

Date: 4/17/2021
Time: 2:00 - 3:30 pm
Cloud Cover: 60%
Temperature: 46 degrees F
Wind: 2-7 mph
Precipitation: None
Habitats: Suburban and mixed forest

Date: 4/24/2021 Time: 9:00 - 10:00 am Cloud Cover: 100% Temperature: 53 degrees F Wind: 5-10 mph Precipitation: None Habitats: Urban, Suburban, Retention Pond, Deciduous Forest, Coniferous Forest We found a number of empty nests today, primarily in bushes or small trees. The one occupied nest that we found was an American Robin in the crook of a small, baren tree. Compared to many of the other nesting spots we found, this one was very exposed and didn't look like an optimal spot. This might indicate that the bird is not very fit or dominant relative to its peers. Many of the other empty nests that we found were within dense evergreen shrubs. These were all empty, but while we were snooping around one spot, a robin was singing incessantly at us - likely in an effort to defend its territory. At a different nest we found, we were able to see the difference in the material in different parts of the nest. The bottom was extremely smooth and fine - likely a combination of material choice and the effect of a bird sitting on it so constantly. The outside material was made of larger, distinct twigs and straw pieces, with some down and plastic mixed in. It was hard to tell if the nest was still in use - there was no evidence of a bird being there recently but the nest was in good shape if it was abandoned. We saw a lot of nests up higher in the crooks of tree branches that could've been squirrels' nests or abandoned squirrel nests that were reclaimed by birds. Looking from the outside, these were primarily made of leaves with some largest sticks poking out. These nests were likely constructed in fall - considering the need for easily available, dead leaves. Mini Activity- Sound Map: - Image Submitted Separately on Blackboard with the URL