rmarti20's Journal

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.

Ryan Martin
Date - 2-25-24
Start time - 10:50
End time - 11:55
Location - Walking Alongside the golf course behind redstone
Weather - Warmer for a february day. In the low 40s, with some wind. There is a cold front coming on tonight but for now it's beautiful
Habitat(s) - Lightly forested land. Some coniferous trees. All other trees still have no leaves. Snow lightly scattered on the grass. Weather has been warmer, the ground is saturated with water. Patches of mud in areas where people and other life have walked and disturbed the land. Some light brush on the outskirts.
The main bird I heard throughout my walk was the tufted titmouse. The “peter peter peter” call is easy to identify. I believe I also heard some chickadees. I did see a pair of tufttifmouse resting upon a branch of a dead snag. I prodded in a hole in the tree to see if there was any life. There seemed to be nothing, probably too early in the day for a bird to be resting. The weather was also getting warmer so birds were out foraging. I did see a male cardinal fly to some leaf litter to search for food. The other bird I saw a lot of was chickadees. They were flying from branch to branch, there were also some down in the leaf litter scavenging. Winter birds prioritize activities differently than in other seasons. Since food sources are limited, most of their time is spent foraging. They search for seeds, berries, insects, and even small vertebrates. This was seen a lot on today's walk. Resting and conserving energy become crucial during the colder months, with less emphasis on breeding and territorial behaviors. Nighttime is often spent roosting communally in dense vegetation or sheltered areas like tree cavities to conserve heat and protect against predators. I walked in the morning so I didn't see any birds nesting in snags. Dead snags play a critical role in winter bird habitats. These standing dead trees provide nesting sites, shelter, and foraging opportunities for a variety of species. The presence of cavities in snags is especially important as they serve as potential nesting sites for birds. The size of the snag may influence the size and availability of cavities, thus impacting bird abundance and diversity in the area. Certain birds like nuthatches and woodpeckers nest in snags more frequently and would be seen more prevalent in areas with a lot of snags. There weren't that many where I walked, and I didn't see either of those birds.