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January 8, 21
3-4pm
Sunny
-7 degrees Celsius
Initial Field Observations at Huron Natural Park – Meadow Trail
Huron Natural Park is a park located in Kitchener, Ontario. Within the Park, the Meadow Trail is the trail which I am choosing to observe. This trail is 0.6km in length. It is quite hilly, but is a relatively easy trail. Either side of the trail is forest, with a combination of deciduous and coniferous trees, though the trees are mostly deciduous along this trail. As it is winter, this means the forest is mostly bare. I chose this trail as it is one of my favourites at this park. The path itself is almost a clearing as it is quite wide. This trail is known for having a large number of bird species. At the top of the hill along this trail, there is a clearing with a bench. There are also two bird feeders located in this clearing area at the top of the hill. On my initial trip to the trail, I observed a blue jay, a brown creeper, and a red-breasted nuthatch along this trail.
The three questions which my observations made me consider were:
- Are bird species more prevalent at the feeders? This area does have benches for people as well, so I am unsure how popular these feeders may be.
- As partial-migrants, can I expect to see any red-tailed hawks at the clearing of this trail? They are known to occupy this area in warmer weather.
- As the park is far less busty due to covid-19 restrictions, can I expect to find more species here than can usually be found?
