Communications Team

The Ugly Ducklings

July 13, 2011 By Communications Team

Turkey Vulture baby at Rushton Woods Preserve — Rushton Turkey Vulture baby -36 days old. (Lisa Kiziuk in the background)

A couple of weeks ago, we got up close and personal with the somewhat unfortunate looking (and terrible smelling!) Turkey Vulture babies of Rushton Farm. The two vulture babies were born this spring in a nice little cave of vegetation near the bird banding shelter. On June 23rd when the babies were about 36 days old, they unwillingly met visiting Turkey Vulture banders from Hawk Mountain who are studying vulture movements and ecology…

Read more about our Turkey Vultures’ big day and see more juicy pictures from Adrian Binn’s blog, Notes from the Wildside.

I also wanted to share the following announcement from our master bander, Doris Mcgovern, in case you want to get in on more baby vulture action:

“Vulture banders from Hawk Mountain’s Acopian Center will be at Delaware County Community College on Wed. morning, July 20th to place colored numbered tags on two Black Vulture chicks. Although the exact time has not been set (+/- 10:30ish) and parking is limited, we invite you to the tagging process and to learn more about vultures from the experts. When you indicate that you will be attending, parking instructions will be sent.

Following the tagging at DCCC the banders will move to Smedly Park on Baltimore Pike in Media where they will tag two Turkey Vulture chicks. We expect that time to be around noon if the start time is 10:30 as expected.. Parking is not a problem at Smedley. Send positive replys to mcgovern@eskimo,.com so that we can judge the size of the crowd and supply parking instructions if needed.

For a preview, please see http://bcdc-pa.blogspot.com/2011/06/tagging-turkey-vultures.html“

They may not be the most beautiful of creatures, but vultures are fascinating birds and a very important part of our ecosystem; without them there would be a lot more dead things decomposing everywhere!

Cute baby bird blog coming soon…

~Blake

Bird Banding Proven to Be Safe for the Birds

July 8, 2011 By Communications Team

Bird banding has been around since the 1950s as the authoritative technique for monitoring bird populations and studying their movements, lifespan, and ecology. The first thing people usually ask when they observe mist netting and bird banding for the first time is something to the effect of, “Do the birds get hurt?”

Ruby Crowned Kinglet in net — Ruby Crowned Kinglet in mist net. One of North America's smallest birds, but the female's large clutch of eggs (each 0.65g) can outweigh herself!

Trained bird banders have handled hundreds or thousands of birds and know exactly how they can and cannot handle the bird in order to avoid injury. In addition, banders are constantly monitoring external conditions and do not hesitate to close nets that are exposed to strong wind gusts, rain, extreme temperatures, direct sun or predation. Mist nets of the correct gauge are a very safe way to catch birds; they hit the soft net and are then cradled in a pocket where they remain until the bander arrives and extracts them as quickly and safely as possible using specific techniques. Good banders are also always monitoring the birds’ health status in the hand; signs of stress include “crowning” (meaning the feathers on the head are sticking up) or “fluffing” (when all the body feathers are fluffed out), “winking” (when the birds eyes are closing), or panting (when the bird’s mouth is wide open attempting to cool off). If a bird seems too stressed, we either let it go after banding without processing it (lightly referred to as “ringing and flinging”) or we streamline the process to only include vital information such as weight, wing cord and band number.

Unfortunately, every once in a while a bird may get injured, often while thrashing around too much in the net. Birds are miraculous creatures though, and they heal much faster and more successfully than people! It’s not uncommon for banders to catch a one legged bird year after year that is doing well and breeding. Deaths are more seldom than injuries and usually occur because the bird was already in poor condition when the bander received it. This is common during migration for tiny birds like Wilson’s Warblers and Ruby Crowned Kinglets that didn’t have enough fat reserves for the long journey.

Male and Female American Redstart pair banded together at Powdermill Avian Research Center, Spring 2011. Don't they look good together? For a bander, two birds in the hand are much better than two in a bush!

Ultimately, the contributions of bird banding to our understanding of birds and their conservation greatly outweighs the risks to individual birds. You can rest assured knowing that most bird banders love birds even more than they love science and are not willing to sacrifice the life of even one bird simply for the sake of science.

We thought you might be interested in this Conservation Magazine article about the risks of injuries to birds during banding. Finally, banders have scientific evidence to prove that bird banding is indeed safe for the birds. Thanks for sharing, Lisa!

Jr. Birder studying a bird guide — A Jr. Birder studies the field guide intently.

Last, but not least, please don’t forget to invite your children or any that you know (ages 8-12) to next week’s PA Young Birders meeting at Rushton Farm, “The Birds and the Beaks”: Wednesday July 13th, 6:00-7:30pm. Junior birders will learn about fascinating bird beaks and eating habits, and they will study how each bird is perfectly adapted to obtain and eat specific foods. Then the children will be transformed into birds themselves and experience what it really means to “eat like a bird…”

Hope to see you there!

Baby Birdie Blog coming soon…

~Blake

Light and Refreshing Summer Reading

July 1, 2011 By Communications Team

Looking for a refreshing little book to bring with you to the beach this summer? Particularly one full of lovely poems that provoke quiet contemplation while you soak in the warm sun, listen to the calming waves, and of course, observe the charismatic gulls and other shorebirds?

Shorebirds — Red knots, Ruddy Turnstones, Sanderling, and Horseshoe crabs in the Delaware Bay, Mispillion Harbor. May 2011.

If so, I suggest you put in an order for “Never a Note Forfeit”, a chapbook with a heavy bird influence by our very own beloved poet, Catherine Staples. The book is hot off the press as July 1 (today!) is its scheduled publication date, according to Seven Kitchens Press. The book is Number 8 in the Keystone Chapbook Series and co-winner of the 2010 Keystone Chapbook Prize.

Now if you are like me, you may be wondering, “what the heck is a chapbook?” I wikipedia-ed it and learned that ‘chapbook’ is a term that was developed in the 19th century for a pocket sized booklet of political and religious tracts, nursery rhymes, poetry, folk tales, children’s literature, or almanacs. They were aimed at buyers without formal libraries and, in a time when paper was expensive, often ended up as wrapping paper or bum fodder (toilet paper). The term, chapbook, is now used to denote publications of up to about 40 pages, usually poetry bound with some form of saddle stitch. With the recent popularity of blogs, short collections of poetry published online are frequently referred to as “online chapbooks.”

“Never a Note Forfeit” is a timeless treasury of Cathy’s beautiful poetry, which often has strong ties to birds, from the title on. Even the cover of the book has bird-like wings pictured. “The title, Never a Note Forfeit, refers to red-winged blackbirds—those incessant singers, never quitting their songs even as you flush them,” says Cathy. Her passion for birds and eye for their beauty was evident as she helped the Junior Birders create their own avian poetry last month during the PA Young Birders meeting at Rushton Woods Preserve. Cathy is very introspective and in touch with her “sense of wonder”, with a gift of observing great detail with great emotion, which is the stuff of all great poets! Below is a blurb I found on one of our old blog posts from last fall. It is her elegant reaction to the banding she had witnessed that day and a good sample of her vibrant writing:

“The white-throated sparrow of my New England childhood: a sing of yellow on either side of his head, just a lick of brightness that like his song is a heartening, steady thrum in the turning wood….

…Lisa Kiziuk deftly lifts him from the mist net; he’s hardly tangled, it’s as if he’s been here before. (And he has, “sixty-nine” reads the imprint on his ankle band; last October he was caught and banded in the Rushton woods.) He’s an easy keeper, not to be compared with that fussing welter of feathers above him, small chickadee who has roiled about so that each curled foot is a welter of black mesh. I can’t imagine there’s anything to do but cut the net. But then Lisa strokes his leg lengthwise, the way you might straighten a dog’s foreleg before removing a thorn, and with one steady stroke the claw releases its tenacious grip. Square by square the mist net untwists. Lisa closes the angle of the perfectly hinged wing, slips one loop, then another, past shoulder and wingtip. One quarter turn of the wrist, and he’s unencumbered. The chickadee rests in the cradle of her palm, head caught in the vee of forefinger and ring finger. He peers up from under the loft of his punk black head, undeterred. Given a millimeter of wiggle room, he’ll do it again: pinch a fold Lisa’s forefinger, feisty as a pirate on his way up the rigging—cutlass between his teeth—before he’s eased down into the white fog, slip-purse of a bird bag and carried away to the bird-banding table.”

Catherine Staples grew up in Dover, Massachusetts and still spends part of each summer on Cape Cod. Her poems have appeared in Prairie Schooner, The Southern Review, Third Coast, Commonweal, The Michigan Quarterly Review, and others. She was selected by Amy Clampitt for the University of Pennsylvania’s William Carlos Williams Award and is the recipient of two APR Distinguished Poets’ Residencies. She teaches in the Honors program at Villanova University.

Go to Seven Kitchens Press to read a sample of her poetry, and go to Cathy’s Seven Kitchens book page to order a copy of “Never a Note Forfeit“. There you will find Paypal information and a mailing address to order by check. I encourage you to share this news with friends you know of who like birds and poetry too!

Stay tuned for our next post… You’ll get up close and personal with the bird
babies of Rushton! We are up to our ears in babies! How many new little birds have you noticed in your yard? Look (and listen) for them this weekend while you are out celebrating the 4th and enjoying the fresh air! I worked at a wildlife rehabilitation clinic called Centre Wildlife Care by State College, and the 4th of July was always the busiest baby day (mammals and birds) because that’s when everyone was outside happening upon orphaned babies and bringing them in. Of course, sometimes the baby birds people bring in to wildlife rehab centers are not orphaned at all. It is news to many people that birds leave the nest before they can fly…Mama and Papa are usually nearby feeding them out of the nest for days until they finally fly on their own. For this reason, it is usually better to leave those flightless “orphans” alone.

Happy 4th of July !

~Blake

Birds and Words

June 17, 2011 By Communications Team

Our Junior Birding Club, which is a division of PA Young Birders, had its first ever monthly meeting this past April and is now going strong! I believe we are succeeding in transforming our small dedicated group of about a dozen children into future birders and conservationists who will lead their cohort in environmental action.

Katerina Rubin's Poem & Sketch — Katerina's poem and sketch from the PA Young Birders poetry workshop at Rushton Farm looks like a page torn out of the early works of Sibley or perhaps Thoreau .

In fact, one child at this month’s June meeting boldly announced that he wants to be a “bird watcher scientist” when he grows up.

During April’s meeting, the young birders learned all about migration and mapped out the travel routes of some specific birds that visit Rushton, like the Scarlet Tanager. They also learned how to use binoculars that were generously

Young Birders practicing focusing with binoculars — The Young Birders practiced focusing their Nikon binoculars before heading out into the field.

provided by Adrian Binns (A Senior Tour Leader for Wildside Nature Tours) and raced through a high energy obstacle course intended to simulate the trials and tribulations of migrating birds. The children had so much fun migrating through the obstacles that we couldn’t stop them! They did the loop over and over again until they finally ran out of steam and said, “Man! Migrating is hard!” Needless to say, the children had a much better appreciation of the migrant birds they saw at the banding station during the May meeting.

Female blue-winged warbler — Female Blue-winged warbler from May 2011, spring migration banding.

This month’s meeting, entitled “Birds and Words,” was a poetry workshop with special guests, Cathy Staples, who is a Villanova poetry professor and her daughter, Natalie, who is following in her mother’s footsteps and studying English and literature. The evening was a smashing success! It began with dynamic Adrian Binns leading another spectacular bird walk through the fields and hedgerows of Rushton Farm. The children peeked inside several nest boxes which exposed them to the many faces of nature. In the first box we found tragedy (2 dead tree swallows); the second held hope (an empty nest from which bluebirds had fledged); the last held promise in the four newly laid brown eggs of a house wren.

Blake with Blue jay baby — The children each got to touch the baby blue jay while I explained baby bird behavior.

The children also had the chance to feel the soft down feathers of an adorable baby blue jay, which we borrowed from a free standing nest hidden in the woods. After returning the baby safely with his siblings, we hunkered down in the banding lodge where Cathy’s enthusiasm and poetic expertise inspired the kids to create lovely poems based on the nature they had experienced during the walk. As Cathy began the workshop proclaiming, we can all be poets if only we allow ourselves to sense the world around us and bring forth the emotions within. Cathy’s loyal assistant, Natalie, helped the children translate their thoughts into words on the page. A big thanks to Adrian, Cathy, and Natalie as it would not have been as magical without them!

Cathy and Jr. Birders — The children were enagaged and enthusiastic as Cathy helped them give poetic form to their thoughts and emotions.

The following is a compilation of verses I selected from all of the children’s poetry from Wednesday evening:

Come Close

by the PA Young Birders of Rushton Woods Preserve

Hither Bald eagle,

Come Close,

Remember what mother earth says to you:

Studying the Blue jay's feathers — "Study the Blue jay's dark feathers..."

Drink your tea, says the towhee,

Look for the blue jays sing,

Taste the berries,

Enjoy.

Come hither, come hither, come hither,

The catbird sounds like a race car starting,

Find nests with little chicks and moms feeding the chicks,

Birds like the warmth of your hand,

Study the blue jay’s dark feathers,

Feels like cotton.

Everything around you will always be with you,

You see this all when you come close…

And since we are on the topic of poetry and birds, I thought I would share a poem I wrote about a little House finch who is now in House finch heaven. I had the wonderful fortune of taking care of him during my time working at an environmental center for a year in central PA. This special finch was one of the education animals, as he was not fit to be released into the wild. Birdley was his name and he was totally blind after having survived the house finch eye disease called mycoplasmal conjunctivitis. Despite his terrible handicap, Birdley still happily serenaded everyone at the nature center every day of his 11 years of life. He was an inspiration to all and a reminder that each day is a gift to be lived joyously and with hope, no matter how dark our circumstances may be.

Birdley’s Song

by Blake H. Goll

A tiny , unpretentious bird at first sight.

Save for the vibrant vermilion of his face, chest, and rump,

His unkempt feathers are an unimpressive umber,

His feet are like that of an old gnarled tree,

And the space where his left eye once dwelled,

Is now an ugly reminder of his tragedy.

But though his world is dark,

He casts a joyous light,

As far as his voice can reach.

When he opens his heart in song,

A reverent hush falls over the firmament itself.

His song is an intricate flamboyance of golden notes strung together as elegantly as pearls,

Light airy chirps bounce up and down as jubilantly as a child on a swing,

Rich warbles cascade from the depths of his body, as pure as the mountain spring bubbling freely from the earth’s soul.

I doubt my ears will ever hear,

A melody of bird or man,

That eclipses the rapturous divinity,

Of Birdley’s unforgettable song.

Remember we all have poetry hidden within! I encourage you to bring a notepad with you the next time you spend a meditative moment outside in nature. You never know what might show up on paper when you give your thoughts a pencil.

~Blake

Rushton Banding Station Final Spring Update

June 2, 2011 By Communications Team

Thanks for a wonderful season and look for fall banding information arriving in late August!

If you’d like to receive Rushton bird updates and photographs throughout the summer, please subscribe to our blog: http://wctbirds.wordpress.com/

Friends of Rushton Banding,

Spring migration banding came to a screeching halt a week earlier than anticipated. The lack of migrants in the trees and in our nets was a sign that birds bound for the north had moved through. Instead of brightly colored warblers, we were catching our own breeding birds sometimes again and again.

Ovenbird by Adrian Binns — Ovenbirds are small, inconspicuous birds that build their nests on the forest floor throughout Rushton Woods.

Banding in the vicinity of nests and nestlings puts pressure on the parents and their ability to incubate and feed their young. By closing the nets for the season we eliminated that stressor and insured that Rushton’s breeders will have a good chance to raise big healthy broods. It was the right thing to do.

Before we made that decision, however, a Pileated Woodpecker gave us some last minute excitement. We finally caught the “Woody Woodpecker” bird and on a day of celebration!

Young Pileated Woodpecker — This Pileated woodpecker was the grand finale of our spring migration banding season!

We were celebrating the completion of the banding shelter with Marge and Art Miller whose Chester County Community Foundation provided the funds for the project. The shelter gives us a level floor, protection from the elements, storage, a gorgeous spruce table and lots of light. Cody Pitz, the Eagle Scout who completed the huge building assignment, wore his circa 1910 scout uniform-straight out of Norman Rockwell. Cody’s mom and dad, architect Dick Bensing and lots of banding friends were also on hand as WCT officials offered their appreciation for the generous grant and Cody’s leadership and hard work.

Contributors to the Banding Shelter — (From Left) Architect Dick Bensing, Marge Miller, Eagle scout Cody Pitz, and Art Miller.

Reporters from The Malvern Patch filmed the story. If you want to see the article and two short interviews, take a look at Malvern.patch.com. You’ll also see more footage of the Pileated Woodpecker.

That was the good news. Saw-whet Owls and Pileated Woodpeckers wear the same size band – #4. All my owl banding equipment is stored together and separately from passerine equipment because they are never used together and there’s no point dragging it all around all year. Therefore, the size 4 band I needed was in it’s special safe storage space in my basement and we had to release Woody unbanded. That was a disappointment that could have been avoided. It may take some time, but we’ll catch another Woody one of these days. The pair flies over and around our nets all the time. I carry size 4 bands everywhere now!

We banded a total of 450 birds of more than 40 species. As our first spring attempt, we are very pleased with the results. I think we can anticipate starting a week earlier next year. I think we’ll move some nets that weren’t as productive in spring as in fall. I know we’ll welcome back our talented and loyal banding assistants, Lou Hahn, Denis Brennan, Win Shafer, Godefroy Devevey, Jamie Miller and Erika Arnold.

white-eyed vireo by Adrian Binns — This exquisite White-eyed vireo was one of the more surprising visitors to Rushton this spring.

The fall season should start in the last week of August, give or take a little. We’ll have to see when north winds begin bringing the birds back to us. And, I believe our banding days will again be Tuesday and Wednesday. We plan to start Saw-whet Owl banding in early-mid October.

Northern saw-whet owl — Northern Saw-whet owl migration typically peaks in late October, right around Halloween!

Enjoy your summer, relax, watch birds and I hope to

See you in the woods.

Doris

The Ugly Ducklings

Bird Banding Proven to Be Safe for the Birds

Light and Refreshing Summer Reading

Birds and Words

Rushton Banding Station Final Spring Update

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