Field Journal #7

Start: 1:24 pm
End: 3:19 pm
Weather: Sunny
Location: Shelburne Farms
Habitats: Open air, water inlet, deciduous, pine trees, top of a pole

I did not get to observe many birds for long today. Most of the birds I saw flew by fast and went into the trees where I couldn't see them. I saw a male House Finch flying between trees and it seemed to be picking things off of the forest floor which could have been twigs and debris for its nest or food for its children. I couldn't get close enough to see what was in its mouth. I also saw what appeared to be an adult Osprey in a large nest on top of a very tall pole standing in a clearing in Shelburne Farms. The Osprey frequently ducked its head in and out of sight so I couldn't exactly tell what it was doing, but considering the plumage seemed to be that of an adult, I imagine it was tending to its young or incubating eggs. Throughout my trip, despite not seeing as many birds as I expected to on such a nice day, I saw multiple small nests in trees, one of which was right on the path I was walking along and was within an arm's reach. This nest didn't seem to have anything in it when I looked through small holes in its bottom. Many of the song birds I observed were likely nesting in the large deciduous tree stands throughout Shelburne Farms.

I unfortunately did not have the opportunity to directly observe any birds defending their territory, but when I did the mini activity I heard several American Crow and Black-capped Chickadee calls around me. While the crows seemed to be flying by in the distance, I heard what seemed to be three distinct locations in which Black-capped Chickadees may have been defending their territory.

Posted on April 26, 2021 08:55 PM by jonsolomon