היומן של jderby125

On Friday March 9th, I went to the forest around O’Hare international airport to observe wildlife. We arrived at about 9:30 am and it was sunny, but cool. Immediately we spotted a Red-tailed Hawk soaring over the trees. As we ventured further in to the woods we saw a lone Dark-eyed Junco perched on a dead branch.

For a while, there was not much life around so we followed a deer trail towards a small river. As we walked along the river we spotted a Downy Woodpecker overhead climbing up a tree. We continued on under the highway and discovered some footprints on the ground we believed to belong to a Great Blue Heron. Following the deer trail we came to a small clearing occupied by a small flock of Dark-eyed Juncos. At the end of the trail we stopped next to a pavilion and spotted a pair of American Crows and a lone Sharp-shinned Hawk flying overhead.

Despite the cooler weather, there was still a lot of bird activity. Most of the species we observed, with the exception of the crows, seemed to be foraging or hunting most likely to get energy to survive the cold nights. None of the birds stood still for more than a few seconds suggesting that they were continuously moving to stay warm as well as to get nourishment to thermoregulate.

In terms of snags, there were not very many around. Of the few that we did see, many had birds perched on or by them, suggesting that they are important habitat in these forests.

On March 13th, I went to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary to go birding. We arrived relatively early in the morning with clear skies and a temperature in the low 60's. Upon arriving, three Wood Storks flew overhead. We then entered into the sanctuary and made our first stop at a bird feeder where we found a Painted Bunting feeding. Nearby, we observed a Palm Warbler, Eastern Phoebe, and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher perching in trees. The plumage of the bunting was a stark contrast to the other birds. The bunting was covered in vibrant reds, yellows, greens, and blues. While the warbler had a yellow rump, it was mostly drab and the phoebe and gnatcatcher were both gray, although the gnatcatcher did have a bluish tint. These color differences may have something to do with habitat. When the bunting was startled by our arrival, it hid in some vegetation and was well camouflaged while the others were all perched in the open.

Once we reached the more flooded areas of the swamp we saw many wading birds. Anhinga, Little and Great Blue Herons, a Great Egret, a Limpkin, and a couple of Black-crowned Night Herons were all observed around the small lakes in the sanctuary. Each of these birds looked distinctly different. The Little Blue Herons were more uniformly colored throughout while the Great Blues had a white underbelly and some black striping. This could allow for the taller birds to blend in better with the sky and make it harder for their prey to see them. The egret was a stark contrast to both being solidly white. The white plumage may be a simple adaptation to prevent breakdown of pigments or it could have something to do with camouflage.

The Limpkin's mottled plumage was probably meant to help it blend in with the reeds it was standing in. As opposed to the other birds that were wading through the water, the Limpkin mostly rested on the banks looking for food. The blend of white and brown would probably make it harder to see from underwater, giving it an advantage. All of these lighter colored birds were a contrast to the Anhingas with their jet black plumage with some white and brown mixed in. Based on the fact that they bask to dry off, I imagine that the black coloring helps with heat retention and makes it easier for them to dry off after swimming.

We observed a Great Crested Flycatcher hunting for flying insects which was fascinating to watch. Seeing its ability to maneuver and chase down flying insects was remarkable. This behavior fits in with this birds circadian rhythm as the bugs it was preying on (dragonflies) are diurnal as are the birds. It would make sense that the birds would be hunting when they and their prey are both the most active.

Further down the boardwalk we found a group of warblers giving alarm calls due to the presence of a Red-shouldered Hawk perched nearby. The only one I was able to actually see was a Black-and-white Warbler. This bird's plumage allowed it to camouflage in the shadows of the tree branches it was creeping along. It was also very different from any other warbler I saw in Florida in that it did not have any bright coloring. At this spot we attempted to use the pishing technique but it did not work very well. The birds seemed to alarmed by the hawk to be receptive to it. From what I know, this technique works as it sounds like a commotion in the trees and draws the birds closer to investigate the source of the sound.