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Willistown Conservation Trust and Natural Lands Receive $25,000 from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to Reverse the Decline of Grassland Birds in Chester County

June 28, 2023 By CommIntern

The land trusts will promote land management practices that benefit the Bobolink, Eastern Meadowlark, and Grasshopper Sparrow


Eastern Meadowlark captured and released by WCT staff on a local farm. Photo by Aaron Coolman

The Cornell Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative has awarded Willistown Conservation Trust (WCT) and Natural Lands a $25,000 grant to promote grassland conservation in the greater Doe Run area of Chester County. The Cornell Land Trust grant will support the Grassland Bird Collaboration (GBC) — launched by WCT in 2022 — and their goal to create a grassland bird conservation area made up of working landscapes and existing preserves in southern Chester County. This “working conservation landscape” will benefit grassland bird species that have been in decline due to changes in farming practices and increased land development. The GBC will create a focal area where partners can work together to address these issues affecting grassland birds, while maximizing conservation and minimizing disruption to agricultural production.

The GBC works with landowners and farmers to conserve and augment grassland bird populations through conservation land management practices, research, education, and community engagement. With this grant, WCT will lead the initiative by working on private lands educating landowners on best land management practices to conserve three focal grassland bird species — Bobolink, Eastern Meadowlark, and Grasshopper Sparrow — while Natural Lands uses its network of publicly accessible nature preserves to manage land for these grassland birds.


WCT staff prepare to track grassland birds. Photo by Willistown Conservation Trust

One of the most vital land management practices is delaying mowing during the breeding period. Mowing before birds complete their nesting cycle removes available habitat. Implementing a “no-mow” period when there are babies and fledglings in a field allows young birds to develop in a safe environment before the nesting grounds are disturbed.

So far, the GBC has partnered with landowners and farmers to enroll more than 750 acres of privately held land in “bird-sensitive” field management practices to accommodate the focal species’ annual breeding cycle. This enthusiasm is largely thanks to WCT having built relationships with these landowners and farmers since 2014. Additionally, Natural Lands will employ best management practices, monitor their nature preserves — including Stroud Preserve, Cheslen Preserve, and Bryn Coed Preserve — during breeding season, and promote these practices through demonstration areas and outreach efforts.

 

A Bobolink captured and released by WCT staff at a Chester County property. Photo by Amanda Dunbar

The project will also include a research component using the Motus Wildlife Tracking System to gain insights into how Bobolinks use the working landscape of Chester County. Since 2021, WCT has been using nanotags to track Bobolink movement among fields during breeding and through migration. This collection of data provides a greater understanding of habitat use and connectivity.

“When we share Motus data that show the birds’ use of local fields and the benefit of delayed mowing, landowners understand the importance of their fields for grassland bird conservation,” says Lisa Kiziuk, Willistown Conservation Trust’s director of bird conservation program. “The Motus data have become a tool for understanding the birds’ needs and a tool for public engagement.” 

Chester County is well positioned to support this conservation effort largely thanks to local mushroom farms’ demand for mulch hay. Mushroom houses prefer later-season hay that has been left to mature and dry in the fields. Providing for the mushroom market means there is less disruption to farming practices and to the grassland birds during their crucial breeding period. “The unique local agricultural market provides a great opportunity to work with farmers to meet our conservation goals,” says Zoë Warner, project manager for the Grassland Bird Collaboration. “This enables us to increase the value of conserved land within a large contiguous preservation belt. The land will not simply be ‘open space.’ It will provide valuable and essential breeding grounds to help reverse the precipitous decline of grassland birds.”

Baby Bobolinks in a nest that has been protected thanks to no-mow practices. Photo by Amanda Dunbar

“Our shared vision is to create a grassland bird conservation area made up of working landscapes and existing nature preserves in southern Chester County,” says Gary Gimbert, Natural Lands’ vice president of stewardship. “Natural Lands’ nature preserves in Chester County alone total more than 4,000 acres. We are excited to use our properties to help establish a focal conservation area that protects grassland bird species during the breeding cycle.”

“The Grassland Bird Collaboration complements the work Stroud Water Research Center has undertaken to improve stream quality throughout the greater Doe Run area,” says David Arscott, Ph.D., executive director and research scientist at Stroud Water Research Center. “Improving meadow and hay/pasture management to enhance grassland bird habitat is synergistic with our activities, and we are supportive of working together with landowners, WCT, and Natural Lands to implement these practices.”

WCT Media Contact: Monica McQuail, mjm@wctrust.org

Natural Lands Media Contact: Kirsten Werner, kwerner@natlands.org

Filed Under: Bird Banding, Bird Conservation, Conservation, Motus, Nature Preserves

Rushton Woods Banding Station Annual Songbird Banding Report 2022

March 27, 2023 By Bird Conservation Team

By Alison Fetterman, Bird Conservation Associate and Northeast Motus Project Manager
and Blake Goll, Education Programs Manager

Hooded Warbler. Photo by Blake Goll

“Oh Canada, Canada, Canada!” The wistful song of the White-throated Sparrow languidly drifts over the early spring landscape of our region, heralding the end of winter and the coming vernal equinox. Even those not attuned to individual avian sonatas can recognize these indelible notes punctuating the change of seasons. Humans are hard-wired for connection to nature, and birds provide that copacetic anchor. Watching them go about their day can make us feel grounded as fellow creatures of the earth; hearing them sing brings contentment and a sense of wellbeing; and admiring their colors and diversity ignites our curiosity and fascination.

We need birds. Not only for the joy they bring to our lives but for the life they bring to our world. They pollinate plants, disperse seeds, eliminate insect pests, and play a critical role in many different ecosystems. To an ornithologist or a bird bander, monitoring the population of birds allows us to take the pulse of the environment while measuring the success of science-based conservation initiatives and quantifying the value of land conservation.

Spring Bounty | Warblers and Woodpeckers | April and May are mirthful months when Rushton Woods Preserve (RWP) becomes a veritable jungle lit up with the tropical sounds and sights of the most delicate and breathtaking of the bird world: the wood warblers. These exquisite birds feed largely on insects gleaned from leaves, so their northward progression coincides with the leaf-out in our temperate throughway. Some will stay to breed in Rushton like the Ovenbirds, Common Yellowthroats, and Worm-eating Warblers, but most continue on to more preferable habitat or northward, as far as the boreal forest of Canada. Such passerby species included: Black-and-white Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Nashville Warbler, and Blue-winged Warbler.

Overall, spring 2022 produced our highest number of individual birds captured in any spring for a total of 510 (Fig. 2), as well as the highest diversity totaling 55 species. This spring saw a record number of 16 warbler species, though not as many individuals — 117 compared to 161 in 2021 (Fig. 3). One of the highlights was a male Hooded Warbler (second ever for the station), resplendent in lemon yellow contrasting with his ebony hood. This is a bird that seeks mature coniferous woodlands for breeding, or wooded swamps with labyrinthian undergrowth. Under the cool hemlock trees it emphatically proclaims in a tone as clear and pure as the forest air, “tawee-tawee-tawee-tee-o!”

Another unique occurrence this spring was the significant number of woodpeckers. Not only did we catch all five breeding species (Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and Yellow-shafted Flicker) for the first time ever in one season, but we caught double the number of individuals for a total of 18 (Fig. 4)! The increased presence of these birds indicates the habitat may be shifting to more dead standing trees — called snags — in the forest and hedgerows. Woodpeckers begin nesting early in the spring, so these individuals were likely already raising chicks in the snags.

Their unique ability to excavate cavities with their strong bills makes woodpeckers keystone species, paving the way for other cavity-nesting birds and mammals who do not possess the tools and talent to make their own. More than 40 bird species in North America depend on woodpecker carpentry for their nest and roost cavities. The woodpeckers’ need for dead or dying trees shows the importance of not over-tidying our landscapes; wherever they do not pose a threat to humans, dead trees should be left as vital components of the food web.

Summer Nursery | Cradle of Caterpillars | The end of May marks the close of spring migration and the start of the hurried nesting season. In the northern hemisphere, songbirds must take advantage of the relatively brief period of increased solar energy that allows for the creation of offspring — powered largely by the dazzling diversity of plant-eating insects. In particular, caterpillars are the herbivores that transfer more energy from plants to animals than any other plant-eaters. Birds, being experts at efficiency, capitalize on caterpillars because their large size and soft bodies make for easy energy packets for nestlings.

Caterpillars are also full of protein needed for nestling growth and antioxidants for plumage development and immune function. The only caveat is that caterpillars tend to be host plant specialists, having evolved over many years to be able to eat only one or two plant lineages to which they were exposed. Therefore, native plants hold the key to supporting population growth in birds. According to Doug Tallamy, author of “Bringing Nature Home,” one pair of Carolina Chickadees — a common breeder at Rushton — must find up to 500 caterpillars a day to rear one clutch. Chickadee parents attempting to raise chicks in a suburban neighborhood that is largely dominated by non-native ornamental plants have a greater risk of failure.

Rushton is one of more than 1,000 banding stations in North America participating in MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) through the Institute for Bird Populations to understand breeding success of songbirds. Our 12 years of MAPS data show that we have 38 breeding bird species nesting in or around Rushton Woods, including State Responsibility Species such as the Wood Thrush and Scarlet Tanager. Our capture was relatively low last summer with only 107 individual birds (Fig. 2). With a record number of falling trees in the woodland habitat and plant communities shifting to non-native plants, the low numbers could suggest the habitat quality is deteriorating.

However, there are myriad other factors in a bird’s annual cycle that could also be affecting our breeding numbers, including natural fluctuations over time. For example, conditions on wintering grounds and migration routes can affect the survival rates and reproductive success of birds the following summer, a phenomenon known as “carry-over effect.” Analyzing such trends requires datasets that are broad in time and geographic scale, which MAPS as a whole offers with over 30 years of effort.

At Rushton, we strive to act locally to support this diversity of breeding bird species (and encourage landowners to do the same) by practicing land management initiatives that restore nature’s balance, often through plants. For example, our Land Stewardship Team removed a section of the Preserve’s hedgerow that had become heavily invaded with alien plant species and replanted this area with over 150 native shrubs and trees. These new native plants will act as caterpillar vending machines for our hungry breeding birds and their nestlings, just as neglected snags act as food web drivers. Vital habitat components such as these promote resiliency in our landscapes and productivity in birds.

A Quiet Fall | Honing Habitat | Besides productivity and survivorship, bird banding can estimate recruitment. This refers to the number of birds that survived life in the nest and are now out on their own as part of the adult population. Newly recruited “baby birds” bolster our fall catch significantly, making it typically our highest catch of all three seasons. Last fall, however, marked the lowest capture in our station’s history with only 740 new birds (Fig. 2).

One contributing factor for the low total could have been the unpredictable weather; we were forced to close the station for six days due to rain and/or high winds. Another question arises though; was there a regional lower recruitment of birds due to factors such as climate change, development, or habitat changes? Further research may help tease out some of these answers. One of the nuances of a bird’s annual cycle is that they require different habitats at different life stages. This is one of the reasons we try to manage the Preserve for a variety of habitats, especially early successional shrubland. This is the amorphous, often underappreciated plant community of shrub thickets, vines, and small trees that would naturally exist after a meadow matures and before it becomes a forest.

Carolina Chickadee.
Photo by Aaron Coolman
Pileated Woodpecker.
Photo by Blake Goll
Visitors observe bird banding.
Photo by Aaron Coolman

Studies show that the structure of this type of declining habitat is exactly what many young birds seek during the perilous post-fledging period — the time after they have left the nest and before their first migration. For a young bird learning how to survive, early successional habitat provides an abundance of food, as well as denser cover from predators than open woodlands. Consequently, even a forest-dwelling species like an Ovenbird (a wood warbler that builds its nest on the forest floor) can be observed in shrub habitats after fledging. Many migratory birds also seek shrub habitats during fall migration for the bounty of berries — particularly those of native plants — that provide a rich source of fats and antioxidants needed for migration.

Therefore, in order to promote maximum recruitment of young birds as well as encourage migrants to stop over, we must maintain a healthy shrubland. Some indicators from our data — the increase in woodpeckers, the decline in some shrub-loving species like White-throated Sparrow, and our overall low fall catch — could suggest the maturation and deterioration of our shrub habitat and the need for targeted management. Replacing large trees and invasive species with native shrubs — a project that has begun thanks to our grant from Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology — will help improve the habitat integrity.

Bird banding can also reveal habitat integrity through recaptures. In addition to the 740 new birds banded last fall, 97 birds were recorded as “repeats.” These are birds already banded by us within the same season but caught multiple times, which allows us to calculate their weight gain or loss during stopover. For example, we recaptured one Ovenbird on September 14th that weighed 24.1 grams — an almost 25% increase in body mass from its original capture date on September 1st when it weighed only 19.4 grams. This may indicate that the habitat is satisfactory for Ovenbirds.

White-throated Sparrow. Photo by John Drake
September Banding workshop with PA Game Commission partner. Photo by Aaron Coolman

Some unique fall highlights included a beautiful Mourning Warbler in September, as well as a record number of five Yellow-bellied Flycatchers and three Cape-May Warblers. Cape May Warblers breed in the spruce balsam northern forests where they raise their chicks largely on spruce budworm. An eastern outbreak of this boreal pest may have contributed to a regional population boost for this warbler. During winter they can be found in shrubby gardens or even coffee plantations in the Bahamas and Greater Antilles.

THe People | Our banding station operates so successfully thanks to a dedicated team of staff and volunteers. The diversity of people who visit, study, and train at RWBS make our labor as enjoyable as the array of birds. In the spring, we hosted French banders from Tadoussac Bird Observatory in Quebec, as well as a drop-in bander from Israel’s Jerusalem Bird Observatory. In the fall, BirdsCaribbean sponsored Omar Monzon Carmona and Dayamiris Candelario to train for one month at RWBS to support the Caribbean Bird Banding Network. Another partnership with the Pennsylvania Game Commission allowed us to host a two-day intensive bird banding training workshop led by guest bander Holly Garrod from Montana.

Like the birds who return to Rushton, we hope we’ll see our old human friends again, as well. Birds connect us across continents, returning to the places that supported them and allowed them to thrive throughout their annual cycle. Capable of taking to the skies, they are still forever tethered to the earth — a reminder to us to remain loyal to our roots, bringing hope and healing to the land just as the birds do.

Resources:

  • Institute for Bird Populations | birdpop.org
  • Northeast Motus Collaboration | northeastmotus.com
  • Rushton Woods Banding Station Annual Songbird Banding Report | wctrust.org/research
  • Species Seen List | wctrust.org/birds/species-seen

Filed Under: Bird Banding, Bird Conservation, Bird ecology, Motus

Restoring Rushton’s Shrub-Scrub for the Benefit of the Birds

March 27, 2023 By CommIntern

By Mike Cranney, Preserve and Facilities Manager

For over 13 years, Willistown Conservation Trust’s (WCT) Bird Conservation program has been researching migratory and breeding bird populations at Rushton Woods Preserve. A trained team of staff and volunteers utilize mist nets placed strategically throughout the Preserve’s hedgerows to monitor species, collect data, and band individual birds so they can be tracked throughout North and South America. This research has helped contribute to the understanding of what birds need to survive, while highlighting the importance of places like Rushton Woods Preserve for migrating species to use as respite where they can rest and refuel during their long journeys every spring and fall.

Simply preserving open space, however, is not sufficient for their survival; birds require certain types of plants for adequate food and shelter. They are especially attracted to what is known as “scrub-shrub” habitat, which consists of robust thickets of shrubs and small trees that provide essential cover from both predators and the elements. This habitat is also an important source of food, but sadly our ecosystems have become overrun with non-native, invasive plants whose fruit do not have the nutritional value that birds need.

Prepping the area for new plantings.
Finished hedgerow. Now we watch it grow!

For example, one of the most common shrubs in the modern landscape is the Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii), whose abundant berries are regularly eaten by fruit-loving bird species. However, these berries contain more sugar than fat, and therefore do not provide the fuel necessary to sustain migration. Birds depend on the insects and fruit found upon the native plants that have evolved in the landscape alongside them. In order to fully support bird populations, both the habitat structure and species composition need to be considered.

Unfortunately, the hedgerows at Rushton Woods Preserve have become heavily invaded by non-native species over the years. Both breeding and migrating birds still flock there, but they are not getting the nourishment that they need. A recent study conducted by a University of Pennsylvania graduate student found that birds stopping at the Preserve during migration were not gaining any fat, likely due to that fact that they were primarily eating fruit from Amur honeysuckle shrubs. The structure of the habitat is beneficial, but the plant species encompassing it are not.

Now, thanks to a generous grant from the Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology (PSO), WCT has begun the process of restoring the expansive hedgerow to native scrub-shrub habitat. In the fall of 2022, a roughly 5,000 square ft. area of invasive thicket was removed and replanted with over 150 native shrubs and trees representing 25 different species. Bird friendly varieties such as viburnums and chokeberries were emphasized and placed closely together to ensure that they grow into dense habitat. Moving forward, the goal is to repeat this process in a different section of the hedgerow each year until it is entirely restored with beneficial native plants. By working through piece by piece, the overall structure of the habitat can be maintained for the birds while the new plants mature.

Mike and volunteers planting native shrub hedgerow.
Sparrow in the shrub. Photo by Jennifer Mathes

The existing groups within the organization uniquely position WCT to make the best of this restoration project. The Land Stewardship team will handle the management of the planting site, while the Bird Conservation program’s ongoing research will be an excellent way to monitor the effect the improvements have on breeding and migratory birds. Additionally, the organization’s outreach and education departments will be able to capitalize on this endeavor as an opportunity for landowners to learn about the ecological value of habitat that is too often considered merely an eyesore. Above all, projects such as these are made possible through partnerships with groups like Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology that care about the environment and dedicate themselves to conservation.

To learn more about how you can plant native, stay tuned for this year’s Habitat at Home programming with our Stewardship Team!

Filed Under: Bird Conservation, Native Plants, Nature, Stewardship

Introducing WCT’s Strategic Plan

February 14, 2023 By Communications Team

STRATEGIC PLAN | 2023-2025
Saving, Studying, and Sharing Land, Water, and Habitat


WHERE HAVE WE BEEN?

Land conservation efforts have been underway in the Willistown area for over 40 years. A satellite program of Brandywine Conservancy, formed in 1979, was known as the Willistown Area Conservation Program. With the encouragement of the community and key local conservation leaders, Willistown Conservation Trust (WCT) became an independent, community based land trust in 1996 with a committed and active Board of Trustees.

Using the Crum, Ridley, and Darby Creek watersheds as a boundary guide, WCT’s traditional program area encompasses 28,000 acres in Chester County and portions of Delaware County, and is located approximately 20 miles west of Philadelphia. Despite tremendous growth pressures that have converted many neighboring communities into vast tracts of sprawl development, the WCT program area still remains largely an oasis of green space.

Successful land conservation and stewardship paved the way for major growth within the organization. Since its founding, WCT has grown to include a suite of activities focused on science, stewardship, education, and community engagement. In addition to Land Conservation and Land Stewardship, these core activities include Bird Conservation, Community Farm, Watershed Protection, and Outreach and Education. This holistic approach to conservation explores the connections among land, birds, habitat, agriculture, and water, and educates the public on these connections.

Our land protection and stewardship efforts have been focused on the Willistown area; however, our work has a regional and national impact on conservation.

WHERE ARE WE GOING?

Over the next three years, as our land protection efforts thrive and new opportunities in our traditional program area diminish, we anticipate a growing emphasis on habitat conservation and restoration, education and community outreach. Within these conserved lands, we will use our growing body of research in bird, water, and agro-ecology to inform best practices and engage with the community to educate and inspire an ethos of conservation and care of our land, waters, and habitat where wildlife thrives. In addition, we will identify and consider land protection and conservation opportunities outside of our traditional program area that fulfill service gaps in surrounding communities and meet vital conservation needs, as we interact and collaborate with new communities and organizations.

We will continue to be a robust organization that is well established, broadly supported, and attracts leaders at the forefront of the conservation field. Our science-based programs will contribute research to inform conservation priorities and best practices on a regional, national and international scale. We will attract a diverse group of staff, Trustees, and volunteers who are deeply committed to the mission of WCT and bring a variety of perspectives, skills, and experiences to our work. We will offer robust community and educational programs that attract a wide swath of participants. We will use our established expertise and connections for the conservation benefit of communities outside our traditional area of focus.

To read our Strategic Plan in full, click the cover below:

Filed Under: Bird Conservation, Education, Farm, General, Land Protection, Staff, Stewardship, Watershed

My Conservation Journey: A Tale of Two Countries

December 1, 2022 By Bird Conservation Team

By WCT Bird Conservation Associate Phillys N. Gichuru
Cover Photo by Jennifer Mathes

My first memorable conservation experience was when, as an undergrad, my population genetics professor walked into the classroom and very nonchalantly said he was going to miss one of our classes, because he was going to participate in the translocation of elephants from the larger Narok area into Maasai Mara National Park in Kenya. Of course, all five of us in the classroom asked if we could go along too. That experience is how I was sold on conservation as a viable career option for me. It was the thrill, the tender care for each animal, and the passion for the job that drew me in. This was true for every job experience I took on after that. 

I went on to work with Ol Pejeta Conservancy as a field technician affiliated with my university at the time, collecting black rhino (Diceros bicornis) dung samples for non-invasive genetic analysis to study population genetics. Technically, the fresher the dung, the better the chances of getting DNA from it. What was most endearing about this experience is because black rhinos are critically endangered, at the time, every rhino in this population was monitored very closely to reduce poaching incidences. Over time, each warden knew every little detail about the rhinos, and they called you when the dung was fresh with a bonus story of how they had just gotten chased by a rhino and had the torn trousers to prove it. 

While conservation in Kenya and the US is very similar in a lot of aspects — including my observations they both rely heavily on donors/fundraising, habitat loss is a never-ending concern, and passion drives most people in this field — it is also very different. Most of Kenya’s wildlife can be found in protected areas, Kenya does not employ hunting as a model of conservation, and most obviously, we have a lot more charismatic megafauna that tend to get a lot of attention. In parallel, Kenya heavily relies on tourism to fund conservation. Protected areas in Kenya are either federally owned (National Parks) or privately owned (mostly conservancies). While there are private conservancies, the federal government has a huge stake in management of endangered/critically endangered species such as the elephants, black rhinos, Hirolas, Sable, and Roan antelopes, wild dogs, Grevy (zebras). 

Oh! If it wasn’t obvious, we took part in that elephant translocation. The adults get darted and tranquilized from a helicopter and you swoop in very fast with a 4-wheel car right before they go down. To tranquilize the calves, if present, we load them on a huge truck and move them to the park. It takes phenomenal precision.

Now at WCT, I am far from the savanna and I work to conserve animals that are significantly smaller than the elephants and rhinos. I’ve found that the precision required in the elephant translocation process lends itself to the precise skills used to gently remove birds from our mist nets before wrapping tiny bands around their slim legs in the bird banding process. Conservation comes in all shapes and sizes.

To learn more about the science of endangered feces, click here.

— By WCT Bird Conservation Associate Phillys N. Gichuru

Filed Under: Bird Banding, Bird Conservation, Conservation, Nature, Staff

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Our nature preserves are open to the public 365 days per year from sunrise to sunset, providing natural places that offer peace and respite for all. Willistown Conservation Trust owns and manages three nature preserves in the Willistown area: Ashbridge, Kirkwood and Rushton Woods Preserve. We maintain these lands for the … Learn more about our nature preserves.

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