What fun we had with Adrian Binns last Friday night. Over 120 people gathered at Radnor Hunt for a cocktail reception followed by Adrian’s “Tales with Tails – The Lighter Side of Birding.
Many thanks to Adrian for a wonderful evening with more than a few laughs. And thanks to all who came out for the event.
Happy spring and happy birding!
Please forgive my erroneous post earlier today – Lisa Kiziuk received her sub-permit under Master Bander Doris McGovern.
The sub-permit is administered by the USGS Bird Banding Lab and is a great accomplishment.
Apologies for my misunderstanding and miscommunication.
-Jodi
Apologies for my misunderstanding – my last post was in error.
Lisa received her federally licensed sub-permit under Doris McGovern, who is the Master Bander. The sub-permit is administered by the USGS Bird Banding Lab.
Congratulations Lisa, and please forgive the mistake!
-Jodi
We thought you might enjoy this lovely poem inspired by the Trust’s bird banding activities at Rushton Woods Preserve this fall. It was penned by Blake Goll, our recently hired stewardship intern.
As the ardent air of autumn eclipses the weary haze of summer’s last breath,
The wind whispers to the wild wings that it is time.
Oh how the northern trees must weep as they somberly settle into winter solitude
And yearn for the intimate avian romance that enchants their days of green.
By most of mankind, the birds’ desperate southern voyage goes unseen
But to the fortunate few, like you and I, this is the splendor we have feverishly awaited!
As if a million precious gems of a giant royal chest were catapulted south,
We scramble frantically to touch as many as we can before they continue spilling past,
Each jewel in hand more exquisite and exciting than the last.
Like secretive spiders faithfully tending their dewy webs by dawn’s dim light,
We raise our mist nets in hopes of gently snaring a few denizens of the sky;
A small silver ring upon the ankle, a reverent study of intricate feathers, then the rapturous release that leaves us breathless in awe,
Each lovely feathered captive feeds our hunger to understand
The storied lives of the heavenly birds with whom we share the land.
Blake Goll
Willistown Conservation Trust
Stewardship Intern
Feels like I haven’t brought you up-to-date for a while and that’s a fact, not just a feeling.
Predictions of rain caused us to cancel morning banding, except for Thursday, 11/18 when we banded 20 birds. We netted two juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawks, bringing our Sharpie (the bird, not the pen!) total to 4. This small raptor in the order Falconiformes and the Accipiter family characteristically prefers birds to mammals as its main food. Our Sharpies were chasing songbirds when they flew into the net. Good for us and good for the song bird. It lives another day and we got to band a gorgeous raptor and put some serious bling on his ankle.
Lisa, Lou and I put maximum effort into Saw-whet Owl banding when we saw our catch, now at 91, far exceed our expectations. When you’re in striking distance of 100, you have to go for it and we are giving it our all. The owl catch has dropped off from several birds per night to one or no birds per night. The wind from the south and the early rise of the full moon have worked against us. However, we’re hoping for a couple of good nights to bring us to 100.
See you in the woods,
Doris McGovern
Media, PA
