April 7 Uxbridge Community Gardens and Soccer Fields Journal 4

On April 7, 2020 from 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM I hiked 2.5 miles at Uxbridge Community Gardens and Soccer Fields in Massachusetts. The weather was warm at a temperature of 60º F with clear skies and westward breeze. Uxbridge Community Gardens and Soccer Fields is a converted agricultural area that has undergone succession. Currently, the area is a meadow filled with invasive thorn species and ornamental bittersweet and a hardwood forest primarily made up of sweet birch and red oak family species. Bird species found were both yearlong residents and migrants of Massachusetts. At Uxbridge Community Gardens and Soccer Fields 26 species and 80 individuals’ birds were observed.

Pulling into the parking lot I was greeted by a singing Northern Mockingbird. Perched on overgrown ornamental bittersweet it was mimicking a singing male Song Sparrow. To my surprise, a rival male Song Sparrow appeared in response to the Northern Mockingbird. As amazing this interaction was, it represents the growing number of migrants traveling north and the start of the breeding season. Massachusetts is unique from Vermont in that some species that are migrants in Vermont are residents in Massachusetts as the Northern Mockingbird. Other notable resident Massachusetts species found included: Mallards, Mourning Doves, Great Blue Heron, Northern Harrier, Cooper’s Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Downy Woodpecker, American Kestrel, Northern Flicker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Carolina Wren, European Starling, American Robin, House Sparrow, American Goldfinch, Dark-eyed Junco, White-throated Sparrow, and Northern Cardinal. I visited this location prior on January 10, 2020 and saw all these resident species here. For me, the most notable resident species were the Northern Harriers. On both occasions, January 10 and April 7, I saw two Northern Harriers. The Northern Harrier pair has been able to survive here for there are plenty of resources. Migration is an energy-expensive behavior and being a resident is a more advantageous decision for these Northern Harriers.

Uxbridge Community Gardens and Soccer Fields have enough available resources to sustain this pair and being residents is less energy demanding task than migrating elsewhere. However, the Northern Harriers do face challenges being residents such as securing food resources and withstanding winter conditions. To address food resource security this pair has developed a feeding territory excluding other Northern Harriers and other raptors. There is plenty of food resources as seen by mammalian scat and sightings prey (Mallards, Eastern Chipmunk, Grey Squirrel, Racoons, and Deer Mice). As a response, the Northern Harrier pair were seen soaring at the boundary of the meadows appearing to defend the area and its resources. This can be seen as one of the Northern Harriers did chase off an American Kestrel on April 7, 2020 claiming exclusive usage of the area’s resources. To address harsh winter conditions, they undergo advantageous physiological changes regulated by their circannual cycles.
As daylengths get shorter this promotes Northern Harrier to promote dense winter plumages, reduce breeding behavior, and metabolic activity. Managing food resources and winter conditions Northern Harriers and other species of birds can be resident species in Massachusetts.

Not all bird species cannot be residents for they do not have access to food resources nor withstand winter conditions. Therefore, these species have developed migration routes to sustain themselves during the winter season and return to these resource-rich areas in the summer. Migrant species observed included: Killdeer, Turkey Vulture, Song Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, and Brown-headed Cowbird. Each of these species migrates, yet the scale of migration performed differs by species. Facultative migrants are one type of migrant that can migrant typically short distances, yet can stay in their breeding range. In Massachusetts Killdeer, Song Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird are facultative migrants. These species most likely arrived from southern states from Texas to North Carolina or could have stayed in Massachusetts during the winter. Now in Massachusetts these species are either staying here or migrating further north to breed and use available resources. As the snow has melted and temperatures are rising food resources are becoming more available such as new plant growth and emerging insects. Another type of migrate observed is the Turkey Vulture which is an obligate migrant. Obligate migrants have to migrate and typically long distances and cannot withstand winter conditions of their breeding range. The Turkey Vulture seen most likely came from southern states or even Mexico and is now preparing to breed in Massachusetts or elsewhere in its northern range. Turkey Vultures arriving early can be advantageous for it allows them to establish territories before other rival conspecifics arrive. However, Turkey Vultures arriving early can be disadvantageous for environmental conditions may not be suitable for Turkey Vultures such as temperature and available food resources (carrion). Between all of the migrant species found an average total millage performed was 6600 miles (Turkey Vulture 2200 miles and Killdeer, Song Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, and Brown-headed Cowbird each 1100 miles).

Birding today was a unique experience to see Uxbridge Community Gardens and Soccer Fields both during the winter and now in spring migration. It was great to see familiar feathered faces of the Northern Harriers and also the new faces of migrants. Now is still early for spring migrants and as it gets closer to May more and more migrants, especially obligate migrants, will be arriving soon. I cannot wait to see both residents and migrants start to breed and interact with each other. The first interaction of the Northern Mockingbird and the Song Sparrow for me best symbolize the excitement I have for birding this summer.