Field Journal 1

For my first field journal entry I visited Outlook Park in South Burlington on February 9th and started observing at 3:47 p.m. The temperature was 50 degree and fully sunny with 13 mph winds blowing North. I ended my walk through Outlook Park at 4:50 p.m., making my observation just a little over an hour. The park consists of paved walking trails surrounded by commonly found tree species in Vermont. A large patch of Staghorn sumac dominated the edge of the path at the beginning of the park. There are many ornamental species around and, in the park, as well because it is in a residential area. There were large patches of Eastern white pine dominating the overstory of the habitat in the park. Other common tree species I observed while walking on the path included sugar maple, red maple, black cherry, and white oak.

When I first arrived at my observation site, I immediately noticed small groups of medium-sized black birds all flying north-east. Their body shape resembled an American crow or a common raven. They were flying very high in the sky and constantly flapping their wings but swooping down every 20 seconds or so. I am unsure of exactly what species this was, but I knew that they were completely black, and their tails had a trapezoidal or diamond like shape. They were travelling in groups about three and throughout my walk I would see groups of these birds flying high above every 5 minutes or so.

The only other species I observed on throughout my observation was a black-capped chickadee. It was perched for a brief second in the branches of the staghorn sumac. The bird was pecking at its feet before it flew away, every movement the chickadee made was jumpy and quick. When I saw the bird fly away also towards the northeast, it flew in short sporadic burst dipping up and down quickly. This birds small body size and flight pattern allows it to navigate the narrow branches and shrubs embedded within a forest. Observing how body size relates to habitat is fascinating because I realized how adapted each species is to their environment and how different each species is.

Overall, through my observation, I did not observe many birds. I think that the time of day may have affected abundance. I also believe that because I was in an open park near a main road if affects bird distribution. The habitat is extremely fragmented because the park is smushed between Spear Street and a residential area. For my next observation, I want to go to a more secluded location without human disturbances earlier in the day to see how my experience could be different. I have never been bird watching before and I'm very new to identifying species, being in an area with greater species density will allow my identification skills to build.

Publicerat 10 februari 2024 00.52 av sheamacleod