Diario de esm398

I went out on a bird-walk on 4/6/18 from about 4:15pm to about 5:40pm in the Centennial Woods behind the UVM Rescue station. We walked from the hotel to the and stopped along the access road to walk about 30 yards into the woods in two spots before reaching the trail head and walking down the path. The snow started off as just a few flakes, and became an almost full white out until we entered the trail. From there, the trees filtered out most of the flakes. The trail was a nice mix of slushy mud covered in an inch of snow. We did not see any birds until we got further into the trail and the sounds of the road died away. Then we could make out a woodpecker drilling, and hear a Dark-eyed Junco trilling. We slid down the hill towards the stream and were able see some of what we were hearing. We saw some Black-capped chickadees that started on a low-hanging bush, and then flew up higher to an older hardwood when they were startled by us snapping branches as we walked. There were about four Black-capped Chickadees. In the hardwood that they flew up towards, we were able to spot the Hairy Woodpecker that had been tapping before. It was hopping around from branch to branch. From our vantage point, looking up the hill at the tree, it was not possible to get a clear picture. There always seemed to be a branch in the way or a phone died right when it was in position through binoculars. The only picture was of its wingtip as it moved behind the trunk. We could tell that it was a Hairy and not a Downy Woodpecker because its beak was a similar length to its head, whereas the beak of a Downy Woodpecker would have been shorter than the length of the head. The Black-capped Chickadees were also almost impossible to get a picture of. On the walk back along the access road, we spotted six American Robins foraging above a rainwater retention basin.
Not all American Robins migrate for winter. This may be due to the fact that they are chubby birds that are able to put on enough fat to survive the cold winter months. They are also omnivores, so it’s possible that they would be able to find food throughout the season, unlike some other birds that may eat only insects or only seeds. As for the Hairy Woodpecker, Vermont is not so far north that they would need to move south to survive. The population of Hairy Woodpeckers in Montreal or further north may have to migrate in order to survive. For the most part, the population in Burlington is able to stay year-round. Black-capped Chickadees are also common winter residents in Vermont. These three species are all omnivorous which may help them to find food throughout the winter. They would most likely change the specifics of what they each forage for depending on the time of year. When the temperature drops very low at night, it is highly likely that they all go into torpor to conserve energy.
An example of a facultative migrant would be the Great Blue Heron. Some choose to stay in Vermont for the winter, and some fly south for the winter. At this time of year, they would be preparing for migration, currently traveling or arriving at their final destinations. It all depends on the individuals and their goals. As mentioned in a previous journal, some may choose to raise their young in Florida, while others are surviving the winter in Vermont. To facilitate the arrival of a Great Blue Heron, the water in the area has to be open, meaning that the ice has to have cleared. Great Blue Herons need to be able to hunt in the shallows, and if there is still ice covering the water, they will be unable to hunt and unable to survive. If they were to be able to get to this area safely and to be able to hunt enough to provide for themselves, a Great Blue Heron would be at an advantage as it would be able to start building a nest for itself and to begin courting in preparation for mating. It would be able to pick a prime nesting location with access to water and hunting, while still being easy to protect from threats and weather. A disadvantage to arriving this early would be that there may still be a snap freeze, and the water would be closed off, not allowing the birds to hunt.

Time: 6:19pm
Date: April 20th, 2018
Weather: Snow on ground, slight breeze, actual weather 44 degrees Fahrenheit, felt closer to 30 with the wind and occasional snow flake.
Habitat: Varied-brick paths through grassy areas with patches of trees and fields. Some of the grassy spaces border parking lots.
Location: Vermont Technical College, Randolph campus, Randolph Vermont

Time: 3-6:30pm
Date: April 22, 2018
Location: UVM's Redstone Campus. Specifically in the front and back of WDW residence hall. 
Weather: Sunny, warm, felt like 70 degrees F. Actual 58 degrees F.
Habitat: Campus with open grassy areas, and small clumps of trees. Parking lots and buildings. More concrete and brick than grass and dirt.
Journal: At this time of year, there are many behaviors occurring that are related to mate selection, nest selection and territory selection. I have heard American Crow individuals cawing at each other, each round becoming louder and louder, faster and faster. The males yell at each other to be the more available and attractive partner to females. They are also defending territories by making themselves sound more menacing. I am also seeing Cedar Waxwings flocking in trees and descending to the grass in unison. That may be more for foraging, but they move around in flocks, perhaps looking for a territory for the summer? Some species are nesting on the roofs of buildings, while others are nesting in the tree tops or clumped in bushes. I think that a flocking bird such as the Cedar Waxwings would be likely to nest in the bushes so that they could stay close together, although I have not observed their nesting sites. The habitat requirements for nesting and territories vary among species because they have different group behaviors. The Waxwings move in flocks and are always together. Crows will forage in flocks, but for mating and nesting, will separate into their own territories.
I think that it would make sense that if a bird were singing extra loudly while defending its territory, it must have a prime territory and so it would be working extra hard to attract a mate to share it with. But it would also make sense that a female would see the prime territory and already be making a beeline to that male. That loud male may also be singing extra loud in order to appear more attractive and healthy to make up for the fact that it had a low quality territory. A large and prime territory would indicate that the male was healthy and able to defend a large territory, and win disputes more often- maintaining the territory. A weak or unhealthy male would lose more disputes and by default have a smaller territory.
A Bald Eagle is a very large bird. It would have to build its nest out of materials strong enough and in a place that would be able to withstand the weight of the pair, the chicks, the eggs, and the food. The adults may be 14ish pounds, so 28lbs of adult, maybe 3 eggs/chicks, so say 40lbs of bird total in the nest. Then the additional 20ish-lbs of a fawn for food, the tree or ledge that the nest was in would have to hold 60lbs of bird and food, and then the nest itself. It would need to be built in a strong tree that is older to be stronger, and less likely to be blown or knocked over. The nest would have to be built out of strong materials, unlike the twigs and grasses that might make up that of a Black-capped Chickadee’s nest. The Bald Eagle would be likely to use sticks and branches. If it were built in a tree, the Eagle might incorporate the live branches for stability. They would be likely to also line the nest with plucked feathers for warmth, as well as some grasses or leaves for cushioning too. The Eagles would have to search around the nest for these materials. The grass would be on the ground, feathers from their bodies, and then the branches and leaves from the trees around the nesting spot, or from the ground/fallen branches.