epbrophy's Journal

Emma Brophy
Field Journal 1

Date: February 8, 2024
Start time: 14:42
End time: 15:50
Location: Centennial Woods
Weather: 44 degrees F, 5mph South, sunny, no precipitation.
Habitats: New growth and old forest

On February 8th I went to Centennial Woods during the late afternoon on a sunny day. Before fully entering the woods, I heard and saw a large group of Black-capped Chickadees at 14:42. The Chickadees were easy to spot as they rested on sparse young trees relatively low to the ground. The Black-capped Chickadees where easily recognizable by their call, flight pattern, and black cap and throat. I watched the chickadees as they flew from tree to tree staying on the edge between the start of the trail and deeper into the forest. The Chickadees have elliptical wings for short maneuverable flying. As they fly, they alternate from flapping their wings fast to folding them, making them look like they are bouncing. Chickadees seemed to have a generalist niche as I have spotted them in urban areas, on the edge of the forests, and deeper in the forest.

After observing the Chickadees for about 15 minutes, I moved deeper into Centennial Woods listening and looking for other species. At around 15:24 I spotted a few Woodpeckers in an area of the trail with larger older trees. After closer investigation, I identified them as Hairy Woodpeckers, based on their size, beak proportion, and red patch. I was also able to identify them by their drumming. I focused on one Hairy Woodpecker that was traveling down a mossy log, tediously picking at it. I decided to draw this bird as I was able to get quite close to him and he was moving much slower in comparison to the chickadees. I still found it difficult to sketch him though as he was moving so much, I was only able to get a couple of sketches. Once the woodpecker was done on the log, he flew to a larger tree flying in the similar flap-bounding flight as the Black-capped Chickadee. The Hairy Woodpecker moved up the tree in a spiral drumming at the bark.

The Black-capped Chickadee and the Hairy Woodpecker have very similar flight patterns. They both have elliptical shaped wings that are good for quick take off and maneuvering through trees. Both species also have flap-bounding flight patterns where it looks like they are bouncing in the air. Chickadees are much more active in comparison to the Hairy Woodpeckers. The Hairy Woodpeckers focus a lot of pecking at the same trees where the Blac-capped Chickadees are quickly moving from branch to branch. When considering habitat, Black-capped Chickadees were identified throughout Centennial woods, where Hairy Woodpeckers were only identified deeper in the woods.

Emma Brophy

Date: 2/23/24
Time: 10:47 – 11:52
Location: Centennial Woods
Weather: 40 °F, partially cloudy/sunny, 9mph N, no precipitation.
Habitats: New growth forest with young trees and shrubs, Old growth forest with older trees.

Species:

20 Black-capped Chickadees
2 Tufted Titmouse
1 Red-breasted Nuthatch
3 White-breasted Nuthatch
1 male Hairy Woodpecker
1 female Hairy Woodpecker
3 American Crows

On February 23rd at 10:47am I took a walk in Centennial Woods, making sure to take a different root than I did my last field journal. Immediately as I enter the woods I hear and spot about 5 Black-capped Chickadees flying around. Black-capped Chickadees are the most common species I encounter during my period of observation as I can hear and see them consistently throughout different habitats in Centennial. Black-capped Chickadees appear to be well insulated and fluffy as they gain more feathers in the winter after molting in the fall. Black-capped Chickadees are very active birds that are constantly moving throughout the day. This active behavior they have benefits them well keeping their body temperature high. As I watch them, I notice that they are often in groups, constantly communicating. Staying in groups helps them find food faster. Black-capped chickadees are also omnivorous giving them a wider range of food in the winter in comparison to other bird species. At night the Chickadees go into torpor, lowering their body temperature from 108 degrees to about 78 degrees. When overnighting, Black-capped chickadees look for tight tree cavities. I observed Black-capped Chickadees throughout the entirety of my hour-long observation noticing that they are adaptive species.

At 11:15am, I spotted two White-breasted Nuthatches on a large deciduous tree. Unlike Black-capped Chickadees, these birds conserved their energy spiraling down the tree’s trunk. They moved more similarly to the Hairy Woodpecker, but rather than moving up they moved down. I watched the Nuthatches for about 15 minutes and witnessed one pull out what I thought was a grub from under the tree bark. After researching more about White-breasted Nuthatches, I learned that in the winter they store seeds under loose bark, caching, to maintain a steady food supply. During the winter their diet is mostly consists of seeds, changing to insects in the warmer seasons. White-breasted Nuthatches also group around Black-capped Chickadees to help spot food and predators easier, as I saw during my field observation.

At 11:25am, I saw a male Hairy Woodpecker traveling up a young tree. Hairy Woodpeckers and White-breasted Nuthatches are similar in size, but the Hairy Woodpecker seems to be slightly more active than the White-breasted Nuthatches. Hairy Woodpeckers do not migrate, being yearly birds in Centennial Woods. Their main source of diet is insects they find in trees but can switch to acorns and seed in the winter months. Switching from insects to seeds in the winter seems to be a commons diet change among the species I have observed. For overnighting, they nest in tree cavities they have excavated during the fall. These cavities can be seen throughout centennial and are also used by White-breasted Nuthatches.

Mini Activity:
Along my bird walk I took note of snags along the way as well as woodpecker cavities. There seemed to be snags throughout centennial woods and I noticed a lot of short ones with large cavities. These cavities could be useful for some winter birds, but it is likely that the cavities are too low and large exposing them to predators. The snags and cavities that seemed the most beneficial for winter birds were taller and smaller. All three species I have discussed during my journal nest in tree cavities and are small.

Winter for black-capped chickadees. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.gofingerlakes.org/winter-for-black-capped-chickadees/#:~:text=The%20chickadee%20stays%20warm%20all,wind%20will%20have%20to%20do.

Campbell, V. (2024). Four nuthatches, four ways to make it through a cold winter. Retrieved from https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/four-nuthatches-four-ways-to-make-it-through-a-cold-winter/#