Birds+of+Prairie+Ridge+Audubon+Society

At this Wake Audubon Society meeting, Brian O'Shea spoke about his job as an observer at Prairie Ridge and what he finds. He first began by explaining the significance of repeated surveys, like the Christmas count and his own job, and how it provides the best kind of data. Prairie Ridge, an ecostation in North Raleigh, was founded in 2004 and consists of two main parts, the managed Piedmont prairie and the arboretum showcasing trees of North Carolina. At this location, there have been 4967 birds handled to date (87 species). In his position, Brian O'Shea confirms breeding, markings, and recapture data that can help understand timing of migration, stopover duration, and winter territoriality. Another main part of O'Shea's presentation was his description of the bird watching throughout the year and the significance of it. Beginning in winter, there is a slow decline of some winter residents, earliest spring migrants start moving, and waterfowl become restless. In early spring there is a transition from winter to summer bird community, diversity steadily increases, and 50+ species of neotropical migrants breed at Prairie Ridge or pass through. With breeding season beginning in May-June, there is the highest level of diversity and there is the lowest abundance of the year (43 species known to breed on property). In late summer the swallows begin their departure, there is an influx of area and regional breeders, there are many juveniles around, and fall migration is underway by the end of August. As fall approaches, the number of birds begin to build to the annual peak in October, most of the neotropical migrants are gone by the third week in October, and there is a large influx of winter sparrow. Finally, in late fall, sparrow numbers peak, there is an invasion of goldfinch, and winter waterfowl return.

This presentation relates to environmental science because we have learned about population dynamics as well as indicator species, such as these birds at Prairie Ridge. The interaction between the birds and the community is a very important part of the overall environment and food chains, which we have also learned about in our class.