Mia Kosel - Field Observation 6
I went to Oakledge Park in Burlington on April 19th, 2019. I got there around noon and stayed till 2. It was a very nice day – temperatures in the high 60s but a storm was coming in so there were some clouds. I walked the trails an also sat on a high ledge overlooking the water to do the mini activity and also try to observe some water birds.
The first bird I observed was a Northern Cardinal hopping around in some trees in the open area of the park. The Northern Cardinal was singing very loudly and proudly. I would believe that he was trying to find a mate. I heard a few other Northern Cardinals in the distance singing. He was easy to locate with his bright red feathers. I then saw a Red-breasted Nuthatch a bit into the trail. I noticed a few more Nuthatches moving around through the trees. One of the Red-breasted Nuthatches was singing very rapidly and loudly – seemly a mating call. I then heard a Brown Creeper song. I looked around to try to locate it and saw a few Brown Creepers up on a tree trunk. There was one that was singing loudly – he was likely trying to attract a mate. I then saw a fluster of the Brown Creepers moving about in the tree. It is possible I was witnessing some competition between the male Brown Creepers for a mate.
When thinking about questions in the prompt in regard to these three species, there are differences and similarity between all their reproduction behavior. Male birds singing loudly is often an attempt to find a mate. Over the past few weeks, I have noticed more and more bird calls around me. This is due to breeding seasons starting for birds and thus there is a lot more vocalization. Bird species have unique courting displays and behaviors. Male birds that have high fitness will be more likely to find a mate and successfully reproduce. Along with competitions for mates, there is also competition for the best nesting spot and the best territory. Some areas are better for nesting and the birds will fight for the best spot. I did observe a lot of commotion in the forested area around the woods on my walk. I did not see any birds physically nesting, but the first three birds I witnessed I do know have different nesting preferences. I have learned that nest habitats vary greatly between birds. Brown Creepers built their nests on tree trunks, usually snags or other dying trees. Northern Cardinals built cup-like nests in dense shrubs and similar vegetation. Red-breasted Nuthatches make nests in tree stumps of snags creating a cavity for the eggs. All these three species have very different nesting behavior. This allows for different niches within the forest.
After walking through the trails, I sat on a high ledge overlooking Lake Champlain. I saw two Herring Gulls fly around the sky – often swooping down towards the water. I also saw two Wood Ducks flying through the sky and then eventually land by the shore. I also did the mini-activity at this spot while watching the water. I heard the Herring Gulls making some noise while flying and I could also see them, so I placed them on the circle I had drawn. The area behind where I was sitting was pretty forested and I could hear many bird vocalizations. It was a bit tricky to figure out exactly where the songs were coming from because I could not see the birds and the songs were getting jumbled together making it hard to identify. I could clearly hear at least two European Starlings. I also heard a Tufted Titmouse. This was an interesting activity to do as I found it challenging to figure out where to put the song on my paper. I also had a hard time trying to figure out how many birds I could hear due to the volume of songs.
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