Field Observation 7

Thomas Maron
4/21/20
WFB 130
Field Journal 7

This field observation took place on April 21, 2020 in Westport, NY. The weather a balmy 49 degrees with the spring sun providing some much-needed warmth to what has been a cold spring in the North Country. Similar to my last two field observations, this journal took me from my backyard into a forested park that runs through the center of town and is focused around a small valley through with Hoisington Brook flows. As I moved through this natural area I heard several Chickadees and aw Robins and a multitude of Grackles. As I came into a large open area at the end of the park I stopped to watch a pair of rock pigeons build a nest under a large overhang on the side of a decrepit building. Leaving the park to walk along the lakeshore I saw another pair of Buffleheads swimming about 50 yards from shore. Through my binoculars I watched them as they repeatedly disappeared beneath the surface of the water, presumable diving for food. I continued along the shore for another quarter mile seeing several more Grackles high in large White Pines. Then, I spotted another head bobbing amidst the waves of the lake. At first, I thought it was a Double-crested Cormorant, but upon closer inspection it turned out to be a Common Loon! I sat down and watched him as he repeatedly disappeared beneath the waves for minutes at a time to feed. Moving on back through the center of my town I saw two male Cardinals, both high in opposing maple trees calling back and forth and really making quite a racket. The final bird I saw in my observation was in my front yard, a female Downy Woodpecker, making her way up and down a rotting branch intent on finding her next meal.
I saw several birds displaying behaviors related to territory selection and nest selection. The Rock Pigeon pair I observed were in the process of building a nest under the overhang of a building as I watched one of the individuals return to the beam they were roosted on with a sizable twig in its beak. The materials it might be using to build its nest would range from larger twigs to grass and to eventually droppings that solidify the nest as the pigeon fails to remove them. These materials are plentiful in the Pigeon’s habitat and given its proximity to humans most likely also includes softer man-made materials as lining. In terms of nest location, the nesting area of the Pigeon differs from the area in which some of the Robins I saw might be nesting as they would be more likely to take up a nest in the denser coniferous tree stands around my house. This highlights how habitat requirements differ from species to species as while the Rock Pigeon prefers the safety that a building offers and the foraging opportunities of towns, Robins are attracted to denser trees and the variety of feeding options that more wooded areas provide. The bird I observed that was likely defending its territory was one of the Northern Cardinals who was raucously singing in a large maple. This maple was close by other lower denser shrubs and bordered a small un-mowed field, both of which would provide ample quality feeding and nesting opportunities for this individual. Given the quality of the surrounding habitat, this individual was likely of higher fitness.

Mini Activity in Blue Jay Observation

Posted on April 23, 2020 07:49 PM by