Field Journal 3

Date - 03/07/21
Start time - 3:00 pm
End time - 4:30 pm
Location - Burlington Country Club/UVM Campus
Weather - 28℉, Sunny, 5 mph S wind
Habitats - Lightly wooded areas, open fields

Most of the birds I saw on my bird walk were flying around, some were quickly hopping to a nearby branch, and others, like the crows and hawks, were flying overhead. The Black-capped Chickadees and American Robins I saw were sitting on branches with their feathers fluffed to help them retain heat. The American Robins were also sitting close together, which I assume is so they can share their body heat with each other to stay warm.
The birds seemed to be only doing tasks necessary to survive and when they weren’t they were resting on branches as much as possible. The crows all seemed to be flocking toward what I assume was a carcass or a large amount of food of some kind, the Red-tailed Hawks were flying high in the sky seemingly hunting for squirrels and other small animals, and the Hairy Woodpecker was hunting for insects in a tree. The diets of these birds are probably restricted in the winter due to less availability of seeds and nuts coming from trees and fewer animals running around for predators to eat.
Various species might overnight in the trees on the quad in front of the Grossman School of Business or in the Redstone Pines. Various species could also overnight in snags that are on the edges of campus, which are important because the smaller species of birds can nest in them for protection against predators and the weather. Snags are probably also good for keeping the birds warm because to an extent it is able to contain the heat that the birds give off.

Posted on March 8, 2021 06:29 AM by akipp