Date: 04/03/2021
Start Time: 11:00 AM
End Time: 12:25 PM
Location: North Andover, Massachusetts
Weather: 50 degrees Fahrenheit, slightly windy, partly cloudy
Habitats: my residential backyard, large trees, shrubs and grasses, various bird feeders in the yard, a lot of squirrels

This past weekend, I bird watched from the comfort of my own home (I was also driving in New Hampshire and saw a Bald Eagle so I had to include that in this post). My mom has become obsessed with bird watching and has put about 10 different bird feeders in our yard and on our large oak tree in the yard. My dog may have scared off many birds during the day but I still managed to see a variety of species during my time birding.

A majority of the species that I saw this weekend stay in Massachusetts (and Burlington) all year round. This includes the Black-capped Chickadee and the Downy Woodpecker. To me, this seems that these species of birds do not need to migrate down south for the winter months. These birds might not need migration for a variety of different reasons. They may not migrate due to the food being available for these birds as well as being physiologically adapted to the cold winter months in the northeast. In order for this to occur, the birds must have metabolism that works to have a higher body temperature which also allows for insulation through fluffing up their feathers to trap heat. Another important factor to consider is where they can stay overnight. The three birds that I found are often found in residential areas or woods where they can nest in the cavities of trees or in bird houses.

One facultative migrant that I saw in Massachusetts that will also be arriving in Burlington soon (or is already there) is the American Robbin. A facultative migrant is one that does not always migrant in the winter if the conditions are more mild than harsh. The American Robbin was most likely coming somewhere more south of New England, because some may stay in Vermont/Mass for the winter if conditions are mild, however, many do come from the Southwest and Gulf Coast Area. Food in these areas is more abundant than in the north so the reason for travel is to find an abundant source that has easier access to food. In Burlington, VT and in Massachusetts, the snow has mostly melted and the trees are starting to turn green and because it is now spring time with more warmth, there will be high productivity. This will allow for American Robbins and other facultative migrants to have an abundant source of food.

I did not see any obligate species during my time bird watching. One advantage of being an obligate migrant arriving to Burlington at the start of April would be that they are able to find and set up the best nesting/breeding site and create their own territory. This would all be able to occur before other species of birds start to show up later during the month. One disadvantage to being an obligate migrant was that it requires a lot of energy to travel long distances throughout various parts of the year.

Mini-activity:
The rough total mile for the facultative birds saw would be about 1250 miles.

Date: 4/17/2021
Start time: 1:30 pm
End time: 2:55 pm
Location: my house in North Andover, MA and my general neighborhood
Weather: about 50 degrees, slightly windy (10 mph or so), partly sunny
Habitat(s): bird feeders, yards, various species of trees and shrubs, nests on houses

Date: 04/24/2021
Start time: 1:00 pm
End time: 2:30 pm
Location: UVM Athletic Campus
Weather: high 60s, partly cloudy, slight wind (pretty slow speed), no precipitation
Habitat(s): University area, pine tree area, open sky, found in street trees, parking garage, places with disturbance of people and sounds such as cars etc.

In relation to a birds mate, nest, or territory selection, there are various behaviors such as aural and visual that play a large role in their process. The actions that the different species of birds take are vital in their survival. Some of these actions include singing the song to attract a female bird, singing their song to communicate for other birds about their territory or even about food selection, or communicating as a defense. For example, the American Robin is a very abundant bird that can be seen throughout campus in a variety of locations. However, more specifically they can be found nesting in the street trees that line the sidewalks and roads on athletic campus (but they can also be found elsewhere, just this area is where I found them).

The American Robin can be often found in the ground searching for worms that is close to their territory as well as building nests in these trees that are somewhat close in space so they can fly between them. Finding food is very important to the Robins fitness as it helps feeding their young. Nest building is very important when it comes to mate selection and producing offspring. This also involves defending territory of the area of the nest to ensure that the offspring are protected. Depending on the nesting requirements for a bird, the way that they defend the area can be very different. If the young require help from the parents, the more likely they may be to defend the area.

An example of a bird defending territory could be the Ring-billed Gull. Although they are often found by the water, the ones on campus are in search of food. Compared to other birds of this species, the areas they were defending could be considered poor or prime. Because there is a lot of traffic through the area, food may be easier to find. However, because of the high traffic, it could be harder to be able to be safe in retrieving the food as well as it being possibly far from their nesting territory. This might indicate that the Ring-billed Gull's fitness is that they are a scavenger and don't really have a preference of where they go to find food. I am not quite sure where they would be nesting if they are searching for food in this area. The nesting habitats of a Black-capped Chickadee vary from the American Robin and Ring-billed Gull. The chickadee often builds nests from moss or other rough materials while lining them with fur and other items of similar feel. They may build these nests in dead trees or branches or even bird boxes in residential areas. If they are nesting in a bird box usually not many materials could be required but for being in dead trees the materials are usually readily available on the forest floor or off the trees. Nesting varies greatly between species.