Field Journal 2

2/22/24
Start time: 8:36
End time: 9:36
Location: Intervale center, Burlington, VT
Weather: 34°F, 17 mph wind, cloudy
Habitat: Forest, riparian area, river, developed land nearby

The Black-capped chickadee I saw today was perched on a branch of a tree picking at berries off of the branch. It was barely moving, possibly to retain energy and heat. The diet of the Black-capped chickadee may vary in winter compared to the summer by eating more berries. In the summer, they may eat more insects because insects are more active in the summer. The other birds that I could see, the crows, were flying overhead possibly trying to sight prey.

Snag watch: On my walk I saw about 10 snags with cavities in them. From what I saw, cavity size becomes bigger and more prevalent on the snags as the size of the snags increase. I tapped on many snags but nothing popped out of the cavities. Snags are important shelter for bird species, especially in the winter. The birds more likely to use cavities are woodpeckers because their beaks are specialized to create cavities in wood.

Posted on February 23, 2024 01:39 AM by aefaubert