Field Journal 1

Ryan Martin
2-8-2024
Start: 1:34
End: 2:34

I chose to do my first field observation right outside my apartment. In our complex we have a small grass courtyard. In this area there are many tall old growth trees, alongside some medium growth ones. No brush or shrubbery besides some planted on the far outskirts near the parking lot. The trees are all fairly spaced out and have lost all their leaves. There's some snow scattered about the yard in the shaded areas, with some leaf litter still covering parts of the grass. I sat in our chair overlooking the yard. It was the warmest day of the year so far. The temperature had made its way into the 40s, and the sky was sunny with minimal clouds. There was some wind.

The first bird I saw was a northern cardinal. I was surprised to see one so quickly as I have not seen one in a long time. It was a bright red male, making it incredibly easy to spot. It quickly flew down to the ground. Stayed there for about 10 seconds, and flew off. I did not see it again. The next bird I saw was a tufted titmouse. It had perched briefly on a branch about 10 meters away from me. It stayed there for a moment, then flew to another branch before flying away. I then saw one more tufted titmouse, I at least assume it was a different one as I believe it was smaller. It made some similar movements from branch to branch before flying away. The wind picked up for a bit, I seemed to see and hear less birds for the latter half of the hour. I wasn't able to discern any calls, but there was an occasional noise. The last bird I saw was a black capped chickadee, it perched quickly on a neighbor's porch before flying off. All the birds I saw today were easily identifiable, nothing brown and streaky. I need to get better at deciphering whose calls are whose. Especially as the weather gets warmer. I think I should have chosen a less suburban area and I may have had more birding action. I should have also moved around more. I stayed within a quarter mile radius the whole time.

During flight, mourning doves typically exhibit a characteristic fluttering motion. They change between rapid wing beats and short glides, creating a "whistling" sound as air blows through their feathers. This noise can be used to identify it. They usually fly more slowly than other birds. They are ground feeders and dont need to fly fast to catch prey, they fly close to the ground in search of food. The cardinal I saw today had a short, quick, and direct flight. It flew in a way where it would be able to navigate its forested environment quickie in search of food.

Posted on February 9, 2024 10:49 PM by rmarti20