The Organisms that I have chosen to study are The great egret (Ardea alba), The little egret (Egretta garzetta) and The grey heron (Ardea cinerea), however I might be mistaken with the identification of them.
During observations I will calculate the total amount of individuals and not separate them by species because I have already noticed that usually there are not more than 2-3 of them in the area. I will make observations 2 times a day, during high and low tide. Due to low-grade beach slope the sea floor opens on a great area during low tide. This area is full of rocks that is a perfect habitat for marine invertebrates (mussels, crabs) which are part of heron’s diet.
My hypothesis: Tide height has an effect on the activity of herons in the area.
My prediction: During high tide the activity of herons in the area will be less than during the low tide
Response variable: The amount of grey and white herons (continuous)
Predictor variable: Level of high and low tide (categorical)
