Date: 04-22-2024
Start Time: 4:28 pm
End time: 5:28 pm
Location: Burlington Recreation Path
Weather: The weather today has been pretty sunny. The high was 48 degrees Fahrenheit and the low was 31 degrees, but when I went, it was 47 degrees. There was a slight wind chill making it feel like 45 degrees.
Habitat: Few trees, most were dried with no leaves, but some were growing buds. 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. Some of the grass and dirt lining the path was muddy.
One of the main behaviors I’ve been seeing in relation to onset of mating and breeding season is an increase in vocalizations. Compared to my earlier bird walks at the start of the semester when it was colder out, my more recent walks have been much louder with a jump in vocal activity. I’ve also seen birds be a bit more hostile recently. Not to say that they are aggressive, but I’ve noticed birds being protective of their own personal space a lot more than before.
I think a lot of the birds I’ve been observing have been nesting in shorter bushes and shrubs, rather than trees. At this point in time, many of the trees are just beginning to bud and still have a lot of exposure. In contrast, many bushes have a lot more leaves, providing greater coverage and shelter. It also makes it easier for the birds to hide from predators and blend in. However, I guess not all birds are able to nest in places like this. Bigger birds might require more space for themselves, or might need larger branches to support their nests. Birds of other species with different dietary needs may also choose to nest somewhere closer to their main source of food.
There is a pair, I’m assuming a mated pair, of Northern Cardinals that I have seen on a couple of my bird walks. Today, I saw the male in the spot I usually see them; I’m assuming their nest is somewhere nearby. I think he was doing an adequate job of defending his territory; he was singing and he was the only bird in the tree, possibly meaning he was able to successfully ward other birds off. However, I did not see any other cardinals today, so I did not have much to compare his activity to. Based on this alone, I’d guess that this particular cardinal has a decent to high fitness.
A species I saw a lot today was American Robins. From experience, I know that their nests are mostly made of straws, grasses, some small twigs, and dried plants. They don’t tend to use a lot of mud in their nests. To acquire these materials, they would have to pick through the dried plants and leaves on the ground between trees. They could also go to a field to get dried vegetation.
