March 24, 2024

3/24/2024
1:30pm-3:30pm
Sunny, bright 31degrees farenheight. very low wind
Salmon Hole Walk along the winooski.

Most everything was covered in a think blanket of snow, and many of the winter residents of burlington were out in force. Several cardinals were spotted in the trees next to the river, but moreso they could all be heard very clearly. Cardinals do not migrate in the winter, as they are often able to find food in the cold areas by eating seeds. Food availivility is the driving force behind most birds that migrate, so any of our year round residents are adapted to be able to find food in snowy climates, whether that be seeds like cardinals, or hunting like hawks or crows, or burrowing insects like sparrows or wood peckers.

the one migratory species i saw was the european starling, unfortunately this was the only bird I was able to record as my phone died shortly after. the starlings migrate to avoid the cold, with juviniles heading south in the winter to texas and mexico for warmer climates. They return to the northern climates from late february-late march to enjoy the emergence of bugs for foraging as spring begins to kick off. unfortunately they did not seem too pleased currently with all the snow, I believe they showed up a couple weeks ago when it started getting warmer as I saw sone starling formations while going for a run. This coldsnap we experienced this weekend does not bode well for the birds as it could confuse them in their migrations. Starlings can winter all over the southern US but one city they frequent is Dallas, as they prefer urban environments for foraging, so that is roughly 1,700 miles travelled by this pack of birds.

Publicerat 25 mars 2024 18.56 av