Field Journal #6

On April 20th I went birding at Gilbrook Natural Area between 1:15 and 2:15 pm. It was cloudy and around 55 degrees Fahrenheit. The area was next to a couple different lakes and ponds, and it also had a trail that went further into the forested areas which were mostly younger trees.

I found a place to sit down and listen in the middle of the forested area. There I heard a Pine Warbler, a couple of White-breasted Nuthatches (2 or 3), a Dark-eyed Junco, and a Northern Cardinal. After a bit longer at this location I saw a couple Tufted titmice (3) and Black-capped Chickadees (4) in nearby trees. On my walk back I also heard an American Goldfinch and a couple Blue Jays (2) and American Crows. Additionally, the Merlin app picked up the calls of a Ruby-crowned Kinglet and a Red-bellied Woodpecker, which I looked for for a long time but was not able to find.

During my outing, both the Pine Warblers and the Black-capped Chickadees were very loud. I assume this is either to attract a mate or to protect their territory and scare away other birds. Also, during this time, I saw some Tufted titmice foraging on the ground and looking for nesting material such as leaves, trigs, and grass. I saw some birds looking for nesting material next to the lake, which I think has more variety of plants and grasses that can grow there. Most of the birds seemed to be nesting in the areas farther into the forest (farther away from the road noise) and by the lake. These seemed to be the optimal location for nesting and so I think that the birds nesting here have a high level of fitness. There were also a couple birdhouses people put along the trail, although I couldn’t tell if they were occupied or not. I also heard a Red-bellied Woodpecker drumming on trees, likely making holes to nest in. I saw many different Woodpecker holes in the trees along the trail, most were in dead trees and were small and round.

Posted on April 21, 2024 05:45 PM by emilymerryman