Field Journal 6
Location: Delta Park, Colchester, VT
Date: 4/21/2024
Time: 2:30pm-3:30pm
Weather: 43 degrees F, partly cloudy, mild breeze
Habitat: marshy/wetland forest edge along Winooski River – very close to the mouth of the Winooski
Observation List:
- Red-winged Blackbird (many)
- Song Sparrow
- Canada Goose (a few mating pairs)
- Red-bellied Woodpecker (heard across the river)
- Mallard (breeding pair swimming)
- Double-crested Cormorant (2 flying overhead)
- American Robin (5+ calling and foraging)
- Ring-billed Gull (one flying overhead)
- Northern Cardinal (heard 1 individual)
- Downy Woodpecker (seen foraging on a tree)
- White-breasted Nuthatch
- Tufted Titmouse
- Black-capped Chickadee
- Common Grackle (heard calling)
- Great Blue Heron (1 individual flew overhead to land in a tree)
- Great Egret
What behaviors (visual and aural) are you seeing that are related to mate selection, nest selection, or territory selection? Where, specifically, on the property might some of your observed species be nesting? How do these habitat requirements differ from species to species?
During the hour spent at Delta Park, I observed a Mallard mating pair and two Canada Goose mating pairs swimming around the river. The Canada Goose pairs were calling loudly, maybe because I was approaching their area with my birding partner, maybe because they were calling to the rest of their flock for whatever reason. They were swimming around, eating some bugs in the water along the way. The Mallard mating pair were less vocal and had landed on the water after flying over the river. The female was swimming farther ahead with the male trailing behind her. They may have been looking for a place to make a nest along the river or looking for a pre-existing nest. The geese and ducks would be nesting along or at least near the water probably with some nearby vegetation to provide some cover for their nests. This habitat requirement for waterfowl would differ from the like of perching birds that prefer to make their nests in trees. This difference is because of body size differences (it would be difficult for large geese to make nests in trees) and because of food source differences (why would a duck make a nest in a tree if all of their food sources were in/on the water?).
Find a bird that may be defending a territory (i.e.. singing). Is it defending a prime or poor territory compared to other members of its species? What might this indicate about that birds’ fitness?
The Red-winged Blackbirds were very vocal in this area with several of them calling repeatedly throughout the hour that I was there. This area of Delta Park was very marshy with only the trail section above water. There were many flying insects available for the birds to eat, lots of nest-building materials on the ground, and many other bird species that the Red-winged Blackbirds may feel threatened by. I’m not sure how many soft-bodied bugs and insects have showed up so far this spring, but they may be appearing more and more, and the birds may be more territorial with this new food source. These blackbirds seemed to be relatively fit for their habitat because they were successfully defending their prime territory from other members of their species (or other species that require similar conditions)
Pick a different bird and describe what it may be using to build or line its nest. Where, specifically, would it have to go to acquire these materials?
There were several American Robin individuals foraging on the forest floor looking for food and possibly nesting material. Robins use twigs, long fibrous vegetation, and sometimes mud in their nests, and Delta Park is rich in all three. Mud is everywhere along the trail and the riverbanks. Twigs are more readily available than long fibrous vegetation, but there are still some remnants of different grasses and such left in the understory from last summer and fall that could be foraged for nest building.
Side note: I'm pretty sure I added my observations to the UVM Ornithology project, but I can't seem to confirm it for myself after I've uploaded them.
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