FJ4

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

Posted on April 4, 2021 07:39 PM by grady_jakobsberg