While watching these birds, I noticed a lot of short calls and very few songs. I think this is because they were trying to communicate that there was a food source (the bird feeder on the tree in front of my house). Each sound that a bird makes means something different, but I am curious is birds can recognize the meanings of sounds from other species. Or is it like hearing a different language all together?
As for the plumages of the birds, I compared the Dark-eyed Junco and the Northern Cardinal that I saw. These birds have very different plumages. The Northern Cardinal (male) having bright red feathers while the Dark-eyed Junco having a dark grey above and a cream belly area. I would assume that the colors that stand out less (on the Dark-eyed Junco) give them the benefit of blending in and hiding while the bright colors (on the Northern Cardinal) make it stand out and maybe are even a warning sign to predators (like how colorful frogs are usually the poisonous ones).

One behavior that I observed that I thought was interesting was that the male Northern Cardinal that I saw was sitting on a branch (and remained there for quite a while) while the female Northern Cardinal was at the bird feeder eating. I know that Northern Cardinals form monogamous pairs, so I am assuming that those two were a pair. Thinking back to the last time I went birding before this, I remember seeing a female Northern Cardinal sitting on a branch for a long time. For that field journal assignment, I assumed it was doing that to conserve energy. I wonder if the male Northern Cardinal I saw this time was also doing that in addition to maybe keeping a look out while his mate was eating. Maybe they even take turns. I bet this behavior changes as it starts to warm up.
For the mini activity, when I repeatedly made the “pssssh” sound, a few Black-capped Chickadees flew closer to me. I think “spishing” attracts birds because maybe it is a sound that birds are not familiar with so they want to investigate what could be making that sound. But if this is the case, then shouldn’t any unfamiliar sound attract birds? So it must be a sound that the birds are familiar with. Maybe the “psssh” sound sounds like another bird call. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a bird make a sound that is similar to “spishing,” but maybe I’m not listening hard enough. I think the specific “psssh” sound works because best imitates an actual bird call. Whatever the reason is, I felt really silly making those sounds.

Some of the year-round species I saw were White-breasted Nuthatches, Black-capped Chickadees, and Tufted Titmice. They may forego migration because they do not have the energy needed to migrate warmer areas. Because they don’t migrate, they need some adaptations to get through the winter. For example, Black-capped Chickadees go into facultative hypothermia to save energy. This is a physiological adaptation. A behavioral adaptation that may birds have is they can puff up their feathers to trap heat.
I didn’t know what the difference between facultative and obligate migration, so I looked that up first. I now understand that facultative migration is optional and usually happens in response to the environment while obligate migration is “hard-wired” and usually happens at the same time each year.
Considering a facultative migrant, the species may be coming from the south where it is warmer and there may be more food and other resources available to help them survive the winter. I did not see ant obligate migrants. Some advantages of arriving in Burlington this early may be getting first pick at breeding habitat and first pick at food resources. Some disadvantages of arriving in Burlington this early may be that the weather is unpredictable here during this time of the year. While it is starting to warm up, we still may get some pretty intense cold snaps that could be harmful to these species of birds.
For the mini activity, I saw a lot of American Robins. American Robins are considered facultative migrants. According to All About Birds, the American Robin breeding range is in Canada and the northern most parts of the US and their winter range is in northern Mexico and the southern most parts of the US. They begin migrating south when temperatures being to drop, usually in October. They migrate back north beginning in early spring. According to Columbia University, American Robins can fly up to 250 miles a day during their migration. Their migration distances may vary, but I calculated that from the Ethan Allen Park (where I saw them) to the closest part of their winter range, in northern Florida, an American Robin may migrate 1,103 miles.