jenna_siders's Journal

Date: 03-08-2024
Start Time: 8:12
End time: 9:12
Location: Burlington Bike Path
Weather: The weather today was partly cloudy, but sunny at some points. It was also very hazy, probably due to the fact that I went in the morning. The high for the day was 45 degrees, but when I went it was 30 and felt like 24.
Habitat: Few trees, most were dried with no leaves. There were some coniferous trees lining the path I was on. The ground was pretty clear, with the exception of a few areas of dead leaves. Overall it was very dry.
To me, it seemed like most of the birds, at least most of the song birds, were able to interact and coexist peacefully. They were able to share perches and occupy the same areas of space with minimal conflicts. Concerning audio cues, many of them displayed their songs or calls to one another. None of the sounds I observed sounded hostile or territorial, with the exception of one blue jay, and none of their calls seemed to be in alert of anything. Concerning visual cues, many of the birds moved between branches or trees, while keeping a respectful distance from other birds. Again, there was the one blue jay who let off an alarming call then hastily flew off in one direction, but that was the exception. There seemed to be a “you do your thing and I’ll do mine” mentality between the birds, allowing them to coexist.
Two species I observed were the Northern Cardinal and the Black-capped Chickadee, which have very different plumage. The cardinal, at least the male, is much brighter than its female counterpart and other species. This may be advantageous when finding a mate, but it no doubt makes it easier for predators to spot. Contrastingly, the chickadee has a plumage of much more neutral tones, allowing it to camouflage and blend in more.
The male cardinal I observed was with what I assume to be its mate, perched on a nest. I go on walks on this route at least once a week and usually see them, so I’m assuming they are a breeding pair. I imagine these birds are at the nest in the morning and at dusk. They may also return to the nest periodically, but I think for the majority of the day, they will be out and about, foraging. This does also depend on if they have chicks or not, but I don’t believe there are any at the moment, so they don’t need to be near the nest constantly.
I was able to try “spishing” on one small group of birds close enough to me. I wouldn’t say that it attracted them, but they didn’t fly away right away either. They stopped vocalizing to each other for a couple seconds, almost as if they were listening to me, then returned to vocalizing. I’m not sure what exactly makes this work, but I feel like the “pish” sound is very non-threatening. Perhaps the birds don’t feel threatened, then their curiosity takes over and they go to investigate the person. Another reason is that it could mimic the sounds of another bird species, also prompting them to investigate.

Date: 03-25-2024
Start Time: 5:33 pm
End time: 6:33 pm
Location: Burlington Bike Path
Weather: The weather today was mostly sunny, with a few clouds here and there. The high for the day was 46 degrees, but when I went it was around 43. There was a lot of snow on the ground, but it was in the process of melting.
Habitat: Few trees, most were dried with no leaves. There were some coniferous trees lining the path I was on. The ground was mostly covered in snow, however, there were some soaked patches of grass where the snow had already melted.

Some of the year-round resident species I observed include Northern Cardinal, Black-capped Chickadee, and House Sparrows. These birds are able to forgo migration mainly because of their size. They are small enough to still find shelter in dead trees or in tree hollows. They also don’t require as much food as bigger species, so they can survive off of seeds, nuts, and the scarce insects. In other words, their diets are adapted to survive barren winters. Additionally, these small songbirds aren’t always physiologically built for migration. Birds that migrate need strong wings to carry them hundreds of miles; their wings often have a longer, narrower shape, while songbirds have wings that are shorter, proportional to their bodies.
A facultative migrant that has been arriving recently is the American Robin. This species was likely coming from a more southern state, and could be going further north than Vermont, or staying here. This is likely due to the fact that in the winter, a southern state would be warmer and have more food availability. As the snow is melting here, though, more plants are able to start to bloom and flower, providing an additional food source. Some advantages of arriving in early April might be that those individuals get first pick at territory and nesting areas. However, a disadvantage is that it is still cold and might snow again, making it harder to survive here.
Based on my calculations, the rough total miles is at least a couple thousand. American robins have been known to reside as far south as Florida in the winter, and that distance alone is about 1200 miles. Furthermore, Canada Geese fly that distance and more. I saw a flock today flying overhead, so I’m assuming they’re flying even further north.