User: | Open Learning Faculty Member:
So far I’ve collected behavior data on 18 birds, with a goal of 150 (50 in the morning period, 50 midday, and 50 in the evening). I’ve run into a few problems along the way and have made small adjustments to my sampling design as a result.
- Initially, my study was going to focus on Mallard ducks only. I’ve noticed however, that at times I cannot find a single mallard on the pond. The Mallard is just one of several species of “dabbling duck” present in the pond so I’ve expanded my data collection to all dabbling duck species. Thus far I’ve found Blue Winged Teal and Gadwall, in addition to Mallards.
- It’s June in Alberta – Nothing makes you remember how quickly the weather can change for the worse around here than sitting on the far side of a pond without shelter! I’ve had 2 data collection periods cut short by sudden bad weather so I’ve started taking advantage of “good” collection periods (ie: good weather AND a good number of ducks on the pond) by taking extra readings when the opportunity arises. I still plan to collect the same number of replicates (150), will still keep my time frame to the same 3 hour windows previously stated, and will still strive to collect data on unique individuals at each visit, however I won’t be strictly sticking to the “10 day: 3 collection periods: 5 birds per period” structure I’d previously designed.
I’ve noticed some interesting patterns in my observations.
- The ducks I observe are frequently in pairs, usually a male and female, but occasionally 2 females.
- In the evening collection period, I’ve been having a hard time finding ANY mallards to observe. I wonder if they live elsewhere and have returned “home” for the night?
- The PM observation period is associated with a lower number of all birds, including species that I am not studying.
I don’t have enough data yet to draw any comparisons to my hypothesis yet, but I look forward to seeing if my ducks exhibit similar behavior patterns to ducks in natural wetland habitats.
