Field Journal 8

For this birding trip, I went to the Stateline Wood Preserve in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania from 7:30-9:00 am on April 22. The weather was sunny and mid-40s and the habitat was open farmland, grassland, and deciduous forests. I started walking through grasslands and some brushy edge habitat and went through a forest, up a pipeline clearing, and through a farmed field.
Many of the species I observed preferred nesting in edge and brushy habitat or in cavities. I saw many different species calling from their defended territories. It was interesting to see how the relative density of the species and territory size was quite easily observable. I saw many Red-winged Blackbirds calling from the tall grass of the open fields while the sparrows mostly called from different areas of brush. The blackbirds were exclusive to the middle of the fields or high in edge trees while the Chipping, Song, and Field Sparrows were somewhere between the ground of the cleared field and edge brush while the White-throated Sparrows were in the forest or on the edge brush.
It seems that the Red-winged Blackbirds calling from the middle of the fields tended to fight with each other more, perhaps indicating that this was a more desirable habitat. This may indicate that they have higher fitness than those calling from the tops of trees along the fields. Also, the Eastern Bluebirds that I saw were gathering grass from the plowed field. Most likely to fill their tree cavity or bird box that they nested in.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/10yWDa1sl4hrD4klmDe82z0gmp3nz1Qu9g9F8MR6vnhc/edit?usp=sharing

Publicado el 22 de abril de 2020 a las 11:04 PM por lukebeeson