User: | Open Learning Faculty Member:
To date I have completed my first round of point count surveys within Terwillegar Park to determine overwintering bird abundance/presence based on forest cover within the park (open area with scattered tree cover and forested cover). In my first round of point count surveys I completed 4 replicates in each of the areas mentioned above. I will complete at least one more day of data collection this week, bringing total replicates to 8 in each area.
To date the only problem that arose with implementing my sampling was by the time I reached the last point count locations, the number of people and their pets increased resulting in disturbance during my 10 minutes of recording bird observations.
Ancillary information that I have observed, such as the number of people and there pets that make me reflect on my hypothesis could lead to additional questions and studies to be completed however they will not be studied in my paper. The one question I have thought about on numerous occasions is does the increased presence of dogs impact the abundance of birds present in the park.
