5th Journal Post

April 5th, 2021
Start Time: 11:30 pm
End Time: 1:00 pm
Location: High Ridge Circle, Franklin Massachusetts
Weather: Blue skies, Sunny, East 15 mph wind speed and 0% precipitation.

Temperature: 59 F
Habitat: Suburban community with tall trees all around, especially in my neighbors' yard along with a couple of small and medium sized trees in the front of the houses.

Species: 1 American robin, 1 male Northern Cardinal, 1 House Finch

This one was tough because yesterday there was relatively very little activity, the first time I did a journal entry it was luck for the most part that I came across the birds I did, I realize that the trees are too tall for me to get a good picture or even get the best audio, I actually heard more birds than I recorded but I couldn't get a good recording of them or even be able to make out which ones they were. That being said, as I walked out I immediately heard some bird calls, it was like a chirping and fluttering kind of sound that was descending in pitch as it continued but not noise, it was decently loud the whole way through. I even was able to see this bird after, a small bird that was mostly grey, and after analyzing it later I realized it was a House Finch, I have seen House Finches when bird watching, but sadly I have never heard them. After the Finch I spent about 20 minutes walking around and looking up at the trees trying to find more birds. It was at that point I saw a speck of red flying into the trees and I looked through my binoculars and realized it was one male Northern Cardinal. The orange beak, black over its eyes, the red plumage all over its body, it was very hard to miss, sadly the trees were too tall and I could not capture a photo. After that it was hard, I spent 40 minutes alternating between sitting on my steps with my binoculars to walking around, until for the first time I saw a bird on the ground. I ran into my neighbors yard and snapped a picture of it, which was only its back, but I could see its front after, the reddish/orange stomach, black head and grey back, it was clear that this bird was an American robin. After that I stayed close to my home and waited until time was up.

Thankfully for me there was only one observed species today that does not winter outside of my state, which is the northern cardinal. These birds stay year round because migrating can prove more great harm as opposed to staying, they are not flyers and they are very territorial. Because of this territorial behavior it makes them the best type of bird to scavenge and forage for food in the desolate winter as well as find a suitable living space that is warm. In general, because these birds have a higher body temperature compared to mammals that makes them more suited to staying for the winter and aside from finding snags in order to hide in and stay cozy for the winter, these birds will also shiver to keep warm, not unlike humans. Also, these types of birds preen their feathers more often to make sure there is little dirt or moisture on it so they do not get extra cold.

The last two species, house finch and American robin, were migrant birds. Both species were facultative migrants, nut the house finch is a partial migrant, so they can bear the winter sometimes, depending on where they are, but in terms of the east coast the are more likely to migrate. Both of these birds are responding to changes in the atmosphere, most often drops in temperature in leaving Massachusetts and a rise in temperature in entering Massachusetts can cause bird species to fluctuate when they migrate. Also, food shortage is a big issue, while they can forage, often times the types of foods are selective and they might not be the most competitive which is why they would migrate to an area that is more plentiful in food, which is why they migrate out. But, moving back in is the time when there is more types of food growing and less competition, because in general the majority of the bird species are located in the south and tropic regions.

Sadly no observed birds were obligate migrants. However, a good example would be geese flying south for the winter and then north for the summer. A specific example would be the Canadian Goose, flying back north now would be advantageous in that they will be able to reap the rewards of having more resources with fewer competitors. On the other hand, if the weather fluctuates, which is possible to happen knowing the New England area as well as Canada, then they will be in a tough spot and it might stop food production (plants growing etc). For example, up until recently there was still snow on the ground, only a little, but it shows you how lingering the cold can be with the wind chill and everything.

Miles migrated mini-activity (the closest places for both birds in the most common area was central Florida, which is why I picked Orlando as a reference point cause it is near the center):

House Finch: Orlando Florida to Franklin Massachusetts (1271 miles)
American Robin: Orlando Florida to Franklin Massachusetts (1271 miles)
Total miles traveled: 2542 miles

Posted on April 5, 2021 07:45 PM by sdecrescinaturalist