Field Journal 3

3/24/2024
Start time: 2:30 pm
End time: 4:00 pm
Location: Delta Park, Colchester VT
Weather: 35°F, sunny, 6 mph NE winds
Habitat: Frozen march, wooded area, next to a neighborhood, river delta, Lake Champlain

One year-round resident I observed was the Northern Cardinal. Northern Cardinals are suburban birds and can rely on bird feeders for a source of nutrition during the winter, meaning that there is less incentive for them to migrate to find better food sources. To adapt to the colder weather, their diets shift mostly to seeds rather than seeds and insects in the warmer weather. Another year-round resident I spotted was a Black-capped Chickadee. Black-capped Chickadees go through facultative hypothermia to slow their metabolism down during the colder winter nights.

There were five Canada Geese I spotted resting in the delta. Canada Geese are facultative migrants that migrate to Canada in the spring. Burlington can be a breeding habitat or a pit stop during their migration. These geese arrive in Burlington in early spring in preparation for the breeding season. Canada Geese migrate south for the winter because the conditions in Burlington are too cold and it is hard for them to find food.

I spotted three Turkey Vultures flying above, surveying Delta Park. The Turkey Vulture is an obligate migrant. Advantages of the Turkey Vulture arriving early in April is that there is less competition as other migrants are still yet to come back. A disadvantage is that it is still very wintery outside with the snow and there might not be as much prey activity as it is used to in warmer weather.

Mini Activity - Frequent Flyer:

• Turkey vulture - migrates from North Carolina - Louisiana ; ~700 miles
• Canada goose - migrates from Pennsylvania/Maryland; ~ 450 miles
• Total miles traveled = ~1150 miles for the migrant species I spotted.

Posted on March 26, 2024 12:29 AM by aefaubert