User: | Open Learning Faculty Member:
This weekend I returned to my study sight to test out the data collection method I’d designed (outlined in Blog Post #3). Saturday was a bust due to poor weather conditions, but Sunday afternoon looked a lot better. I brought along the data collection tables I’d designed with the plan of collecting data on 3 individuals from each of my 4 species (Cormorant, Canada Goose, Franklin’s Gull and Mallard) for a total of 12 birds. For each bird, I recorded their behavior at 15 second intervals for a total of 5 minutes, noting the location of each behavior along my gradient (Shore→ Shallows → open water).
Replicate: individual birds
Response variables: behaviors (categorical)
Predictor variables: species (categorical), time of day (categorical: AM/Midday/PM), point on gradient (categorical)
A few limitations and problems I noticed when I got to my site and started collecting data:
- I hadn’t planned HOW I was going to select individuals to study in order to avoid bias. Naturally, I was drawn to the most active birds who would be interesting to watch for 5 minute intervals. I was also drawn to the birds closets to my location on the pond.
- I realized that my lofty goal of trying to record the behaviours of multiple individuals from 4 different species over 3 different daily time periods might have been a bit over-enthusiastic for this project. The Franklin’s Gulls, for example, DO NOT HOLD STILL! This species was frequently in flight, touching down for only brief periods. The range of their flight paths made it impossible to ensure I was watching the same individual over the course of 5 minutes.
- I realized that the pond is actually quite a bit bigger than I realized when I needed to identify a Mallard from other similar looking duck species from a distance.
- My observations led me on a full loop around the pond, stopping to collect data when I saw birds of interest. Again, this isn’t a very standardized procedure and could lead to bias when large groups catch my eye.
- 3x 5 minutes of behaviour observation is not a very significant period of time over the course of a 24 hour day. Will this be truly reflective of behaviour patterns?
- The larger birds (Cormorants, Canada Goose) seemed to each have claimed specific territory around the pond. There were no observation sites that allowed me to view both species at the same time.
Reflecting on my trial run this weekend, I’ve come up with a few modifications to my research project:
- I plan to keep using the data tables I created as I found them easy to use and well laid out for the data I was collecting.
- I’m going to narrow my focus from 4 species to 1, the Mallard. This species was found at many locations around the pond, and at all points along my gradient. They were present in the highest numbers as well, giving me plenty of subjects to sample from.
- I’m going to use a randomized number generator (ie: 1-10) to select my subjects: I’ll count to the random number, starting from left to right across the pond, and collect data on that individual. This should eliminate bias in choosing subjects.
- I’m going to select one observation point to work from, in order to prevent bias from wandering around looking for birds.
- Now that I’m going to be observing 1 species instead of 4, I will increase my number of subjects sampled each visit from 3 to 5, and increase my observation time for each individual from 5 minutes to 10 minutes. Doubling my observation time should provide slightly better behavior data.
- I’ve ordered a pair of binoculars off Amazon Prime, they’ll be here Wednesday! This should help me identify Mallards from other similar looking ducks and allow me to record data across the pond from a fixed location.
Based on these modifications, my hypothesis requires some adjustment as well. I will keep the hypothesis that the water bird species studied will display increased levels of higher-energy activities (flight, feeding, etc) in dusk/dawn periods due to cooler temperatures, and increased display of lower energy activities (comfort, resting) mid-day when temperatures are higher.
Again, the null hypothesis would be that time of day has no effect on the time-activity budgets of water bird species.
Based on my research on Mallards thus far, I also suspect that typical behavior patterns will vary across my gradient, with resting/comfort behaviours being observed on land, feeding in the shallows, and locomotion/alert behavior taking place in open water. Mallards are considered “dabbling” ducks and feed by grazing on underwater plants indicating that I predict that I will see these behaviours most often in the portion of the gradient I have designated at “Shallows” (< 5 m from shore or visible plant matter appearing on/near the surface)
