Module/Week 9
Behaviors Field Notes
Recitation Media Piece
Behaviors Field Notes Objective
Collect information about animal behaviors, classify the observed behaviors, and consider how they may impact fitness.
Recitation (the 50-minute activity) attendance is not required, but you are welcome to use that class time as office hours to ask your GTA questions, or study with classmates in 127 Weniger.
Assignment (due Sunday on Canvas)
Background information can be found on in the Migration webpage:
Behavior Field Notes
Break out the field kit and safety checklist; this is an assignment that focuses on documenting animal behaviors. In case circumstances do not permit a field excursion this week, you can use the optional videos below to complete this assignment successfully.
This media piece is collecting data specifically about an animal’s behaviors. The animal can be domesticated or wild. You will be looking for behaviors that are listed above (communicating, foraging, etc.) and capturing that behavioral information with field notes. These notes can include photos, videos, sketches, and/or writing.
You will be uploading to Canvas your field notes on an animal’s behaviors. Specifically document what the animal was doing, how you would classify the behavior (categories are in Tables A & B on the migration webpage), and also whether you think the behavior is innate and/or learned, and whether/how it may impact fitness. These concepts are introduced in the Fitness Guide. You can use our standard field note structure (date, location, time, etc.) or your own preferred structure for documenting behaviors.
As always: be alert and travel with a companion in the field whenever possible and minimize impact to any animals and their environment.
Optional videos for assignment
You can use these photos and videos as a source of observations for the media piece in case you are not able to access animals for the assignment.
Videos are taken in Newport Oregon, February 2019.
Heading west on waterfront drive, Newport Bay is directly to the left, Pacific Ocean about a mile straight ahead.
Heading east on the same road, Newport OR.
Introduction to sea lions in Newport Bay.
Panorama from the north side of the bay.
Newport Bridge and distant view of sea lion-covered jetty.
Sea lions on a jetty, all are males of different ages. The females stay in the breeding grounds south on the coast of California.
These six videos show the sea lions that were directly below the dock, next to a fish processing facility and a group of shops and restaurants. There are dozens of people with us on the walkway, some crabbing, others tourists like us taking photos and video.
Media Directions
Submitted to Canvas.
Upload your behaviors field notes to Canvas. Your notes can be submitted as a PDF, a word document, or even a video. Multiple assignment formats are supported.
