Bird Banding at JANY (MAPS) July 3, 2011
Posted by Jennifer Schlick in Bird banding.1 comment so far
Acronyms. They can drive you crazy.
MAPS = Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship.
JANY = Jamestown Audubon New York
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Siblings - banded at Tom LeBlanc's SWAT (MAPS) Banding Station in Allegany State Park
There are also four-letter codes for the bird names. These are abbreviations, not acronyms.
This is an AMRO – American Robin
Someday, he might look like his daddy:
This is a HOWR – House Wren
This particular HOWR had a beak that didn’t line up properly:
Shall we call her a HOWR with a CRBI (crooked bill)?
GRCA = Gray Catbird
Now, you might be thinking, “Oh, I get it! Use the first two letters of the first name and the first two letters of the second name. Easy!”
Not so fast…
This one (from last week) is a YWAR – Yellow Warbler – which I don’t get. There is no other bird called YEWA, so why YWAR?
The hyphenated names, too, get weird, though some are logical – like Tom’s Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers above. They are, of course, YBSA.
This week, we were most delighted to recapture this fellow:
HOWA – Hooded Warbler
He is the one that got away last week before weighing and before pictures, for which we teased poor Eric mercilessly. And we made him hold the bird for pictures:
Eric and HOWA
I had to leave at 7:45am to go to work. I’m sure they caught lots more COBI (cool birds) after I left. (I made that last one up myself!)
MAPS at Audubon, Etc. June 25, 2011
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I’ve been home from my awesome adventure (3 weeks on the road with my family) for about a week now. I’m back at work and remembering what it was I do there. I’m getting back into the swing of my Real Life, which today meant volunteering at the new MAPS station at Audubon.
MAPS stands for “Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship” and involves mist-netting birds once in every 10-day period from June through August. I have long wanted a MAPS station at Audubon and thought we might have to wait until 2012 when Tom LeBlanc might have time to do such a thing.
To my surprise and delight, Emily Thomas, who has been banding birds at Audubon during our springtime demonstrations, called me while I was en route to Memphis, TN to tell me that she had applied and been accepted to start a MAPS station at Audubon. Today was the third banding session under this protocol – and my first chance to attend.
Terry LeBaron and I were assigned nets 8-10 and I got lots of practice putting nets up, removing birds from nets, scribing, and taking nets down.
Tying with Gray Catbird for most individuals from a single species… American Redstart. And oddly, all were first year males.
It was as if they were having a big bachelor’s party or something.
We are also starting to see some hatch year birds, such as this baby Song Sparrow:
And this baby Grackle:
A pretty little Veery hopped into net 1 at some point in the morning.
A pair of American Goldfinches were the first birds to finally enter net 8.
(Eric forgot to put a band on her leg, though he recorded all relevant banding data… Oh, Eric…)
Gotta love a Yellow Warbler:
And speaking of warblers, and speaking of blunders made by Eric… The last bird of the day was a beautiful male Hooded Warbler. Eric managed to get a band on this one and get a wing measurement… but we never weighed him, nor did we get pictures. Oh, Eric…
After MAPS banding, Terry and I tagged along to watch Emily and Eric band Kestrel babies.
“My” box has 5 eggs!
The boxes with babies were down just over the PA line.
Here’s a whole family of 4 boys. The other box had 2 boys and 2 girls.
Terry said that holding baby kestrels made last winter’s hard work on all the kestrel boxes totally worth the trouble!
Eric bands the Kestrel Babies:
Thank you Emily, Eric, and Terry for another fabulous day of learning!
An Old Bird May 8, 2011
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This is a very old Swamp Sparrow!
Scott and Emily left for their last net check of the morning, to be combined with taking the nets down. This usually goes quickly, for by 11 or 11:30am, there aren’t as many birds in the nets. From the Pavilion, I could see that the group at net 4 was taking an unusually long time, so I decided to walk over and see what the trouble was.
A poor Swamp Sparrow, already sporting a band, had gotten himself rather twisted and tangled in the net. Scott worked carefully and methodically to free the bird and place him in a bag for transport.
Back at the banding station, Emily removed him from the bag and read the band number to Scott. I wrote the other data, wing length, tail length, etc, while Scott searched previous year’s records for this bird.
He was originally banded here at Audubon on May 17, 2007. At that time, he was judged to be ASY – after second year. Some sources say that Swamp Sparrows live “up to 6 years.”
Carry on, old man!
Banding Demonstrations continue May 14th and 21st. Come on down! For more info, click –> here.
May Days! May 5, 2011
Posted by Jennifer Schlick in Bird banding, birds.3 comments
I always get plenty of fresh air in May. Hundreds of kids on field trips keeps me outside a lot for work. And between the birds and the wildflowers, most of my free time is spent outside, too! My self-appointed title “Reluctant Birder” may have to be retired. Yesterday, I went to shoot wildflowers and found myself wishing I had brought binoculars to see the birds flitting overhead.
The birding class we are offering at Audubon this spring is turning out to be one of my favorite activities during these jam-packed days.
First of all, our experts, Don Watts and Scott Stoleson, are being so generous with their time and knowledge. Second, the participants are so enthusiastic. And third, the birds are just being so darned cooperative.
The class is being offered as 4 Wednesday evening lectures and 4 Saturday morning walks. The lectures are filled with useful information. But the walks are the most fun (for me!). Last Saturday’s walk as on the grounds at Audubon and started at the bird banding station. We kept hearing a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker’s uneven tapping. Toward the end of the walk, we finally saw one just off of Redwing Trail near the building. When I went back to the banding station after the walk, they had even captured one in the net!
I’m hoping I never forget the song of the Swamp Sparrow. We certainly heard that quite a bit while out on the trails.
Swamp Sparrow
One of our classmates is Terry Lorenc, who gave me permission to use some of his photos on my blog! He’s been toting his camera to class and on the walks to help us remember what we’re seeing.
Yellow Warbler – by Terry Lorenc
Red-winged Blackbird – Male – by Terry Lorenc
Red-winged Blackbird – Female – by Terry Lorenc
Terry got some amazing shots on Saturday, too. Two little Chickadees had us transfixed for quite some time! We watched them excavating a cavity for nesting.
Black-capped Chickadee – by Terry Lorenc
From the double-decker tower, Terry got an amazing series of a Bald Eagle coming down to get a fish.
Bald Eagle – by Terry Lorenc
Check out the whole series by clicking –> here.
If you feel like you are missing out on the fun, maybe you should join us. Classes continue through May 21st. Learn more by clicking –> here.
Northern Saw-Whet Owl November 11, 2010
Posted by Jennifer Schlick in autumn, Bird banding, birds.5 comments
Jackets on. Headlamps on. We trudge up the steep hill behind Tom‘s (new!) house to the nets. From a small speaker comes a sound like a child playing the same high-pitched note over and over on a cheap recorder: Hoot hoot hoot hoot hoot hoot hoot hoot…
No owls at the first net check at 6:30 p.m. We return to the house for chit-chat and a tour. By 7:15 p.m., Patty is home from work with groceries, but not ready to accompany us for the second net check. Tom teases that this is a good thing, because they never get birds when Patty tags along.
Back up the hill and this time, I notice the brillance of the stars in the black sky. This time – 2 little puffballs are caught in the nets. Tom deftly removes them and places each in his own separate carrying bag and we head back down the hill.
Tom let’s me handle the first bird and I am thrilled. Wing measurements and weight are taken first and compared to a chart. Males are smaller and lighter than females. This one definitely falls in the male range. A leg gauge helps me determine the right size band. Next, a tail measurement, and a check for fat and muscle condition. Finally, we use a blacklight to look at the feathers on the under side of the wing. New feathers appear pink under this special light, older feathers look “normal”. The combination of pink and normal tells us that this is not a hatch year bird; he has more experience than that.
And now it’s picture time!
The second owl is feistier. When I try to handle him, he grabs on tight with sharp talons. He does not break the skin, but I fear he will leave a bruise. He finally releases his tight grip. Tom offers to band him. Thank you, Tom. This one is a hatch year male.
I wonder if he will mellow with age? Or are owls, like people, born with personalities that stay with them for life, merely intensifying with life experiences?
The third net check brought us nothing. I decide to head home. The moon is bouncing on the top of the distant hill – a huge orange sliver.
Learn more about the Northern Saw-Whet Owl at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website –> click here.
Read more about Tom’s owl studies at his blog –> click here.
Opening Day at SWAT May 31, 2010
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SWAT is the name of Tom LeBlanc‘s MAPS bird banding station in Allegany State Park. Today was the first day of banding… And I was glad I awoke early to attend. We saw some very beautiful birds!
The first bird out of the net was a life bird for me…
Blackburnian Warbler – male
Isn’t he pretty? We later got a peak at the female as well, but she managed not to get entangled in the nets… She is similarly colored, but not as vibrant.
According to the Cornell website, these pretty warblers breed in mature coniferous or mixed forests. After raising young, they may join mixed flocks of chickadees and kinglests to forage.
Another great bird for me was the Black-billed Cuckoo… I’ve heard them, and seen pictures and taxidermy mounts… and I think we got a through-the-binoculars view of one at Tom’s other banding site one day last summer… But to see him up close like this was spectacular… What a gorgeous bird… These pictures do not do him justice:
It was just last summer that I learned that Cuckoos eat a good deal of the spiny caterpillars… so they are my heros…
We had a good number and a good variety of birds… Here are a few others:
Black-capped Chickadee
American Goldfinch
Yellow Warbler
Cedar Waxwing
Downy Woodpecker
It was a great day with great friends. Thank you, Tom, for knowing how to show a girl a good time.
Bird Banding May 17, 2010
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Twenty-four adults and thirteen children visited the bird banding station today. They were treated to the following birds:
Canada Warbler: according to the Cornell website, this is one of the last warblers to come through in the spring, and one of the first to head south in the fall to winter in South America. The range map shows that they may breed here – though most breed further north in Canada.
Indigo Bunting: Probably the most incredible blue you will ever see!
Lincoln’s Sparrow: We seem to get one of these each year. These fellows are just passing through on their way to wintering grounds further north.
Chestnut-sided Warbler: This is the handsome fellow who sings from the woods that he is “Pleased, pleased, pleased to meetcha!” We actually caught a pair of these. The male is pictured here:
In addition to these, we also had:
- Song Sparrows
- Swamp Sparrows
- Cardinals
- Common Yellowthroats
- American Goldfinch
- Chickadee
- American Robin
- Gray Catbird
A delight to children of all ages:
Bird Banding 2010 May 8, 2010
Posted by Jennifer Schlick in Bird banding.3 comments
I finally got a chance to spend the whole morning with Scott, Linda, and Emily at the bird banding demonstrations this morning. (Don was at a wedding, so I made the Rhubarb cobbler again… Apple next week, since Don doesn’t like rhubarb.) The weather started warm(ish), but got cooler and windier with each passing hour. We ended up closing the nets a little early when the wind was rather strong.
We had more birds than we expected… (I don’t have pictures of all of them)
- White-throated Sparrow
- American Robin (no picture)
- Gray Catbird (4 of those!)
- Northern Waterthrush
- Black-capped Chickadee – this was a recapture… It was banded on May 2, 2009. We caught it twice this morning in two different nets. (no picture)
- Northern Cardinal Female – we banded her, then she flew back into the same net later in the morning.
She was a little upset about being handled and let Emily know about it:
- Eastern Phoebe (no picture)
- Yellow-rumped Warbler
- House Wren – recapture – originally banded on 4/26/2008 (no picture)
- Chipping Sparrow
- Song Sparrow (no picture)
There are still two more weeks to enjoy watching the scientists at work! Come Saturday, May 15 and 22 to the picnic pavilion at Audubon! 7am-11am
Hey! Who’s that Floridian releasing a bird? Could it be our 2010 college intern?
Screech Owl Quest February 8, 2010
Posted by Jennifer Schlick in Bird banding, birds.2 comments
Nick and Scott hold the ladder while Don checks the Kestrel box.
Don checks our Kestrel boxes at Audubon. He suspected an Eastern Screech Owl might be using the one in the parking lot… He climbed up there and got photographic proof that there was indeed a screech owl using the box! So, he returned one day with Scott (and the banding equipment).
A crowd gathered to watch, hopeful that they would see one of our most endearing little owls.
Alas and alack… the bird had flown… perhaps roosting elsewhere in one of our other boxes?
In the bottom of the box there was evidence aplenty that a Screech Owl had been using the box: pellets gallore and the remains of a cardinal.
We think of owls as being strictly nocturnal… but the Screech Owl may also hunt at dusk before the Cardinals and other songbirds have hit the sack.
Photo by Tom LeBlanc
Eastern Screech Owls can be either gray or red. Curiously, later on this very day, a friend of Audubon brought us a poor unfortunate red individual that had been hit by a car and killed. We now have both a gray and a red in the freezer and are looking for a generous donor to send them to the taxidermist. (Audubon has federal and state permits allowing us to collect and display birds collected in this manner for educational purposes.)
Learn more about Screechies:
An Indigo Bunting Day… July 26, 2009
Posted by Jennifer Schlick in Bird banding.6 comments
Unfortunately, yesterday was the last opportunity I’ll have to go bird banding with Tom this summer. Luckily it was a great day. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera. So… All the pictures on this post were “lifted” from Melodee’s and Diana’s Facebook accounts! Thanks, ladies.
Often when we head out for a net check, one or more of us “call” a bird. That is we say something like, “OK, this net check, I want an Indigo Bunting Male in full breeding plumage.” Here’s Melodee, having gotten her wish:
The theme of the day was Indigo Buntings: We caught 2 males and 2 females… I know some were re-captures and some needed bands, but I can’t remember the exact details. Aren’t they gorgeous birds?
I got to meet Melodee’s friend, Diana. Here she is having just learned the “photographer’s hold” with a Gray Catbird.
Carolyn joined us, too, and earned the honor of banding this bird because she was the only one who could identify it!
Did you get it? American Redstart. Way to go, Carolyn!!
Melodee took this one out of the net, but I knew what it was, so I got to band it:
Magnolia Warbler
I didn’t get out as much this summer as last because of a busy work life and because of preparations for my class reunion (next weekend)… But I think I learned a few things and hope to find some other banding opportunities before winter hits…
Thanks to Tom and his crew for all the fun and learning!
