WILLISTOWN CONSERVATION TRUST

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WCT Gives Thanks for a National Grant from Audubon and Toyota

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Common Yellowthroat being released after banding. Photo by Adrian Binns.
Common Yellowthroat being released after banding. Photo by Adrian Binns.

Go to wctbirds.wordpress.com  or click on the post’s title above to view the blog post in your browser instead of through email.

This Year The WILLISTOWN CONSERVATION TRUST Received A GENEROUS NATIONAL AUDUBON AND TOYOTA “TOGETHER GREEN INNOVATION GRANT” TO RESTORE AND PROMOTE SHRUB HABITAT FOR BIRDS

One of only 40 nationwide Together Green 2012 grant recipients, the Willistown Conservation Trust, in partnership with Audubon PA and Valley Forge Audubon, received  $20,500 from National Audubon and Toyota’s Together Green Innovation Grant program!  We are proud and thankful to have received this prestigious award and will use it to help preserve and raise awareness of Early Successional Scrub/Shrub Habitat (ESSH) for the birds.

ESSH is that low shrub habitat that we have all seen but may not have been able to name.  It includes mostly shrubs , a few small trees, and some wildflowers and grasses.  This is the type of habitat that occurs or succeeds after a grassy area has been unmowed for several years.  The beauty of these shrub areas may be difficult to see until you realize the immense value this threatened habitat holds for young birds and other wildlife.

Here are some examples of Early Successional Shrub Habitats:

Early Successional Scrub Habitat at Ashbridge Preserve along the stream.
Early Successional Shrub Habitat at Ashbridge Preserve along the stream.
Early Successional Scrub Habitat at Ashbridge Preserve.
Early Successional Scrub Habitat along pipeline easement at Ashbridge Preserve.
Early Successional Scrub Habitat at Ashbridge Preserve
Early Successional Scrub Habitat at Ashbridge Preserve
Early Successional Scrub Habitat at Ashbridge Preserve
Early Successional Scrub Habitat at Ashbridge Preserve
Early Successional Scrub Habitats often include beautiful wild grasses.
Early Successional Scrub Habitats often include beautiful wild grasses on the edges.
Wildflowers are often part of Early Successional Scrub Habitat (ESSH). Here is a banded Magnolia Warbler at Rushton Woods Preserve's ESSH.
Wildflowers, like the goldenrod shown here, are often part of Early Successional Scrub Habitat (ESSH). Here is a banded Magnolia Warbler that found refuge during migration at Rushton Woods Preserve’s ESSH.

In order to promote this under appreciated and often misunderstood habitat, we are in the process of creating one of Pennsylvania’s first multi-site models for ESSH!   Our three demonstration sites in the WCT program area will include an area in Ridley Creek State Park, our own Ashbridge Preserve and Rushton Woods Preserve; these sites will show landowners the ecological value of ESSH and the applicability to managing and preserving ESSH on their own properties.  The model sites with varying degrees of management will show landowners that promoting ESSH on their land can be as simple as just not clearing a shrubby area or can involve planting native shrubs and managing tree growth.  Work Day activities at the demonstration sites will include some removal of invasive plants, the planting of native shrubs (selected to provide the structure and food sources needed by migrant and nesting birds), and fencing plots for deer protection.

Students setting deer fence around a shrub.
Students setting deer fence around a shrub to protect it from browsing and rubbing.

During this project, we will not be placing major emphasis on the removal of vines and invasive plants because it is a controversial subject.  New findings suggest that heavily invaded areas are in fact quite stable and capable of carrying out the same ecosystem services as pristine environments; these human influenced natural areas can be allowed to provide good habitat for birds and wildlife rather than be “torn out in an expensive and fruitless attempt to return native vegetation dominance” in an “unceasing tide of change,”  as suggested in “The New Normal”, an interesting article in Conservation magazine.

This non-native honeysuckle provides great habitat for birds by the stream at Ashbridge Preserve.
This non-native honeysuckle provides great habitat for birds by the stream at Ashbridge Preserve.
This shrubby habitat may include invasive plants and may look "messy", but it is stable and provides great habitat structure for birds.
This shrubby habitat may include invasive plants and may look “messy”, but it is stable and provides great habitat structure for birds.  Clearing such an area would not only eliminate habitat but would also destabilize the streamside habitat, resulting in erosion and sediment deposition in the stream.

In addition to work days for our ESSH project, there will be a series of fun and educational workshops offered in the spring for landowners and anyone interested, which will feature interactive tours of these ESSH demonstration sites, mini hikes, bird banding and bird surveying (which will be crucial to the monitoring of these  demonstration sites).   Ultimately, what we really want  is to shift people’s suburban mentality to a mindset that allows them to see the natural and ecological beauty of Early Successional Scrub Habitat.  We want landowners to have a strong enough connection to, understanding of, and sense of responsibility to nature that they think twice (particularly about birds) before clearing shrubby areas on their property or that if they do clear they go about it in a sensitive way (in stages) and are prepared to replant with natives.

An Early Successional Scrub area that was clear cut.
An Early Successional Scrub area that was clear cut.

With lawns totaling 1.2 million acres in the U.S. and 21 million acres of natural land being lost to residential development each decade (according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology),  it’s time for all of us who value wildlife and biodiversity to begin viewing our properties as habitats.  If everyone shared just a corner of their perfectly manicured (and biologically barren) lawn to natural habitat, whether it be an unmowed field, wildflower meadow or shrub area, think of all the extra room there would be for wildlife that we and our posterity could enjoy!

This “backyard as habitat” movement has already begun to take root as evidenced by bestsellers like “Bringing Nature Home” by Doug Tallamy and “Noah’s Garden” by Sara Stein.  The Cornell Lab of Ornithology even has a cool new citizen science project, called YardMap, that encourages homeowners to map their yards in a network of people dedicated to providing habitat for birds in their yards.  Each property can make a difference, and the more properties that participate the easier it becomes for birds to move between these patches of habitat.

The "yard" at the Willistown Conservation Trust's office property has been partly converted to unmowed wildflower meadows, an example of sharing your property with wildlife.
The “yard” at the Willistown Conservation Trust’s office property has been partly converted to unmowed native wildflower meadows, a beautiful example of sharing your property with wildlife.
The "yard" at the Willistown Conservation Trust's office property has been partly converted to unmowed wildflower meadows, an example of sharing your property with wildlife.
The “yard” at the Willistown Conservation Trust’s office property has been partly converted to unmowed wildflower meadows, an example of sharing your property with wildlife.
Wildflowers, lawn and nestbox.
Wildflowers, lawn and nestbox.

Early Successional Scrub Habitat is a great place to start in this “backyard as habitat” movement because ESSH is valuable to birds even in small, patchy distributions like yards.  Unlike grassland dependent species, like Eastern Meadowlarks, which require acres upon acres of contiguous grassland habitat,  most shrub-associated birds, like Common Yellowthroats and Gray Catbirds, are typically not sensitive to patch size.  Therefore, even efforts on individual properties can affect local breeding populations.

Female Common Yellowthroat at Rushton's Early Successional Scrub Habitat. Photo by Blake Goll
Female Common Yellowthroat at Rushton’s Early Successional Scrub Habitat. Photo by Blake Goll
Gray Catbird. Photo by Blake Goll.
Gray Catbird. Photo by Blake Goll.

In addition to nesting habitat, ESSH offers crucial cover and food sources for birds throughout the year, including baby birds trying to survive their first and most vulnerable year of life.  It’s a fact that over 50% of baby birds do not make it through their first year of life.  In a recent telemetry study by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, scientists found that even birds like Wood Thrush and Ovenbird that have long been considered emblematic of undisturbed mature forests will head straight for brushy tangles that ESSH offers after leaving their nests.  These thickets offer more protection than open woods from predators like hawks, snakes and chipmunks.

Child with baby bird.
Child with baby bird.
Juvenile Ovenbird in Rushton Woods. Photo by Blake Goll.
Juvenile Ovenbird in Rushton Woods in summer. Photo by Blake Goll.
Young Ovenbird in the fall in Rushton's Early Successional Scrub habitat.
Young Ovenbird in the fall in Rushton’s Early Successional Scrub habitat.

We see this phenomenon at Rushton where we band in the shrubby hedgerow during spring and fall migration.  Most of the birds we capture in the shrubs in early fall are hatching year birds (baby birds born that summer) of all different species including the woodland nesting birds.  Many of these young woodland birds are even recaptured in the hedgerows in fall after we banded them as “fresh-out-of-the-nest” babies this summer in the woods, which proves this species-wide affinity in hatching year birds for ESSH.  These recaptured birds of two habitats have included Wood Thrush, Ovenbird, Downy Woodpecker, Common Yellowthroat, Veery, and even a Kentucky Warbler.  Hence, banding also reveals the nuanced story that telemetry has begun to reveal-that just because a bird breeds in one specific habitat does not mean that it doesn’t need other habitats for the other parts of its life.

Wood Thrush on nest in Rushton Woods in summer. Photo by Adrian Binns.
Wood Thrush on nest in Rushton Woods in summer. Photo by Adrian Binns.
Young Wood Thrush in Rushtons Early Successional Habitat in fall.
Young Wood Thrush in Rushton’s Early Successional Habitat in fall.
Young Downy Woodpecker in Rushton's Early Successional Scrub habitat in fall.
Young Downy Woodpecker in Rushton’s Early Successional Scrub habitat in fall.
Male Kentucky Warbler using Rushton's Early Successional Scrub Habitat in the fall after first being banded in the woods during the summer.
Second Year male Kentucky Warbler using Rushton’s Early Successional Scrub Habitat in the fall after first being banded in the woods during the summer. Photo by Blake Goll.

In the spring and fall, many exhausted migrants of all ages also seek and value that “other habitat”, ESSH, for food and shelter.  Through banding we have discovered that many young and some adult birds of all species, no matter what their breeding habitat preference, see Rushton’s shrubby habitat from above and decide to touch down for refueling .  Birds of all species seem to have a search image, whether learned or genetic, for these types of shrubby areas during migration.  They know the shrubs are teeming with berries and insects and that they will find rest for their weary wings in the thick protective undergrowth.

Berries galore in Early Successional Scrub Habitat.
Berries galore in Early Successional Scrub Habitat.  You can see the umbrella-like canopy here also offers great cover for birds in addition to berries.
Privet berries in Early Successional Scrub Habitat.
Privet berries for birds in Early Successional Scrub Habitat.
Look closer! There is more than meets the eye(s) in Early Successional Scrub Habitat. Even birds that don't eat berries find spiders and insects to eat amongst the brambles.
Look closer! There is more than meets the eye(s!) in Early Successional Scrub Habitat. Even birds that don’t eat berries find plenty of spiders and insects to eat amongst the brambles.
More berries for birds in Early Successional Scrub Habitat at Ashbridge Preserve.
More berries for birds in Early Successional Scrub Habitat at Ashbridge Preserve.
Honeysuckle berries at Ashbridge Preserve's Early Successional Scrub Habitat.
Honeysuckle berries at Ashbridge Preserve’s Early Successional Scrub Habitat.
Northern Saw-whet Owl roosting in shrub. Photo by Adrian Binns.
Northern Saw-whet Owl roosting in shrub. Photo by Adrian Binns.

Migrant Saw whet Owls also love these shrubby areas for the healthy population of mice and voles they often support and for the dense thickets the shrubs offer for secretive roosting during the day.

Here are some migrant birds that enjoyed their stay at Rushon’s Early Successional Habitat this fall, whether they dined on insects or berries or rodents!

Black and White Warbler. Photo by Blake Goll.
Adult Black and White Warbler. Photo by Blake Goll.
Young sibling Cedar Waxwings. Photo by Heather Kostick
Young sibling Cedar Waxwings. Photo by Heather Kostick
Hatching year Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. Photo by Blake Goll.
Hatching year Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. Photo by Blake Goll.
White-throated Sparrow
Adult White-throated Sparrow
Young female Canada Warbler. Photo by Blake Goll
Young female Canada Warbler. Photo by Blake Goll
Young Northern Saw-whet Owl. Photo by Blake Goll.
Young Northern Saw-whet Owl. Photo by Blake Goll.

Bird populations as a whole are declining, and migration is so fraught with peril that bird mortality rates are 15 times higher during migration.   During migration and throughout their lives, birds are faced with habitat loss and other human threats like pesticides, toxins, harmful fishing practices, free-roaming cats, and  communication towers and wind farms with which they often collide.  Comparisons of spring radar records from 1960s to those from the 1980s show a sobering 50% decline of migratory activity on favorable weather days.

Therefore, we are excited to do what we can for the birds by  promoting Early Successional Scrub Habitat, which in itself is threatened in Pennsylvania.  Historically, ESSH was much more prevalent in forest gaps in PA that were routinely created by fire, storms, Native Americans, and beavers.  Now fire is suppressed and beavers have been wiped out of most areas from trapping.  In addition, many people are clearing these shrubby areas with the misconception that they are junky “unnatural areas.”  Other landowners would rather let the shrub habitat succeed into forest, which is sometimes perceived as more valuable, ecologically and economically.

Brown Thrasher, a species that depends on Early Successional Scrub Habitat for nesting.
Brown Thrasher, a species that depends on Early Successional Scrub Habitat for nesting.

With the Together Green Innovation Grant, the Trust hopes to encourage landowners to preserve and even help create ESSH for the benefit of our natural heritage and the birds that so desperately need our help.   It’s time to embrace those wild, unkempt areas on our properties and see the beauty in the great biodiversity such places can hold.  These are places full of life on our properties that, instead of getting frustrated with, we should be getting excited about and treasuring for the hope and wonder it holds for us and for our children.

The beauty of an unmowed field.
The subtle beauty of an unmowed field.
Child holding a Saw-whet Owl from Rushton's shrub habitat. Photo by Adrian Binns.
Child holding a Saw-whet Owl from Rushton’s shrub habitat. Photo by Adrian Binns.

Another major purpose of this grant project is to connect people to nature who have not previously been a part of the conservation movement.  On Election Day this fall, we held our first Together Green work day at Rushton Woods Preserve and Farm during  which about 20 students, ranging in age from 3rd to 5th grade, worked alongside a handful of adults to plant 100 native shrubs in our ESSH demonstration area.  These urban students were from the Melton Arts and Education Community Center of West Chester where I first taught them about birds and the importance of habitat a couple of weeks ago during an after school session.  The workday was an excellent opportunity for the children to show us that they not only listened but cared deeply about the topic.

All of the tensions and hot air surrounding the imminent election dissipated as the adults were blown away by the students’ single-mindedness and earnest compassion for the environment. The students first visited the songbird banding station  where they were delighted to see familiar birds up close like the Blue Jay and Cardinal.  Some students, not normally known for having a gentle touch, softly held the birds before releasing them and breathed, “I could feel its heart beating!”  Others who reported being scared of birds upon arrival got over their fears as their peers sensitively encouraged them to touch a bird.

Melton Center students observing bird banding. Photo by Bill Hartman.
Melton Center students observing bird banding. Photo by Bill Hartman.
Child holding Junco before release. Photo by Bill Hartman.
Melton student holding Junco before release. Photo by Bill Hartman.
Melton student with Junco before release. Photo by Blake Goll.
Melton student with Junco before release. Photo by Blake Goll.
Melton Center students releasing Blue Jay together. Photo by Marilyn Smith.
Melton Center students releasing Blue Jay together. Photo by Marilyn Smith.

After they got their fill of birds, the Melton students raced over to the demonstration area, learned how to plant and cage shrubs and did not hesitate to get their hands dirty.  After all, “it’s for the birds to eat!” , they exclaimed.  Pretty soon, the students were excitedly working in teams of three and each trying to help each other plant as many shrubs as they possibly could.  It was so inspiring to watch these urban kids take to nature and the soil so fast and make the real connection between the native shrubs and the birds.

Teaching the Melton Center students how to plant shrubs. Photo by Blake Goll.
Teaching the Melton Center students how to plant shrubs. Photo by Blake Goll.
Melton students learning to cage shrubs. Photo by Blake Goll.
Melton students learning to cage shrubs. Photo by Blake Goll.
The Melton students get to work planting and caging shrubs! Photo by Blake Goll.
The Melton students get to work planting and caging shrubs! Photo by Blake Goll.
Melton students packing in the shrubs. Photo by Bill Hartman.
Melton students packing in the shrubs. Photo by Bill Hartman.
Melton student packing in the shrub. Photo by Bill Hartman.
Melton student packing in the shrub. Photo by Bill Hartman.
One Melton student found a Woolly Bear caterpillar while planting shrubs! Photo by Bill Hartman.
One Melton student found a Woolly Bear caterpillar while planting shrubs! Photo by Bill Hartman.
Melton student zip-ties the shrub cage.
Melton student zip-ties the shrub cage.
The Melton students filled out surveys to report how much they learned about birds and shrub habitat. Photo by Bill Hartman.
The Melton students filled out surveys to report how much they learned about birds and shrub habitat and how willing they would be to participate in a conservation project like this in the future. Photo by Bill Hartman.
The whole shrub planting crew! Photo by Bill Hartman.
The whole shrub planting crew! Photo by Bill Hartman.
The finished product! Photo by Bill Hartman.
The finished product! Photo by Bill Hartman.

To learn more about preserving ESSH and get involved with the Trust’s efforts, stay tuned for future workshop days to be offered in the spring.   If you’d like to be notified of volunteer opportunities and workshops related to this program,  if you have any questions, or if you’d like to get the list of native shrubs we are planting for birds and other wildlife for use in your own landscaping, just send me an email (“Blake Goll” <bhg@wctrust.org>).  Another great link for discovering which plants are important for which specific birds is the Plant-Bird Database pabirdplants.org.  

Click here for more information about this Together Green Grant.

Click here to read an article by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology about the importance of shrub habitat to baby birds.

Guess ‘Hooo’ is loving our shrub habitat right now?  Owls!  Rushton is an owl magnet this year; we are up to a record 255 new Saw-whet Owls banded this season!  Although we are closed to the public for the season (we’ve had close to 1,000 visitors), we are still netting about 10 Saw-whet Owls per night, mostly young birds with a sprinkling of older adults and foreign recoveries.  We even netted a magnificent Long-eared Owl for our Bird Conservation Committee on the 13th, which was perhaps the most beautiful bird I’ve ever laid eyes on.  He was like a work of art, so regal and dignified- looking , even with his slightly cross-eyed stare.

Long-eared Owl
Long-eared Owl
Long-eared Owl. Photo by Blake Goll.
Long-eared Owl profile. Photo by Blake Goll.
Long-eared Owl. Photo by Art McMorris
Long-eared Owl. Photo by Art McMorris
Long-eared Owl wingspan. Photo by Art McMorris.
Long-eared Owl wingspan. Photo by Art McMorris.
Bracken Brown with Long-eared Owl. Photo by Art McMorris.
Bracken Brown with Long-eared Owl. Photo by Art McMorris.

This owl season has been stupendous, but we banders are getting very tired….

Yawning Winter Wren. Photo by Jon Mularczyk.
Yawning Winter Wren. Photo by Jon Mularczyk.

…We are ready for the owls to stop coming, so we can catch up on sleep for the winter in our cozy warm beds.

"Cozy" Saw-whet Owl. Photo by Blake Goll.
“Cozy” Saw-whet Owl. Photo by Blake Goll.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzz....... Blinking Saw-whet Owl.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzz……. Blinking Saw-whet Owl.

We are thankful for our birds and thankful to Toyota and Audubon for the Together Green grant that will enable us to take action to truly show the birds our appreciation of the vibrance and character they bring to our lives, our properties and our countryside.

What will you do to give thanks for the birds this holiday season ?

~Blake

Cedar Waxwing. Photo by Mimi Davis
Cedar Waxwing. Photo by Mimi Davis

American Woodcocks at Songbird Banding, A Visit from American Birding Association and A New High for Saw-whet Owls Banded at Rushton!

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American Woodcock. Photo by Justin Thompson.
American Woodcock. Photo by Justin Thompson.

Sandy set us back drastically last week with net lanes filled with water and debris, but public songbird migration banding will resume tomorrow, Tuesday (11/6), the last day for the 2012 songbird banding season.  We will open at 5:45am.

The remainder of the fall catch was great with a couple of 80-bird days!  White-throated Sparrows began dominating the bounty in late October along with thrushes including Hermit, Swainson’s and Gray-cheeked.  Dark-eyed Juncos have joyfully entered the limelight, and flocks of Pine Siskins are around but not in the nets.   In the last few weeks of migration, we also banded many Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Myrtle Warblers (or butter-butts), Palm Warblers and leftover Black-throated Blue Warblers along with exciting birds like Lincoln’s Sparrow,  Field Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, our first Blackpoll Warbler of the season, a  Savannah Sparrow, a Saw-whet Owl (during the day!) and an exceptionally magnificent WOODCOCK!!  We often flush American Woodcocks from the hedgerows in the pre-dawn moments, but we’ve never captured one until now.  There’s never a dull moment at the Rushton banding station.

Savannah Sparrow. Photo by Blake Goll.
Savannah Sparrow. Photo by Blake Goll.
Saw-whet Owl in daylight. Photo by Justin Thompson.
Saw-whet Owl in daylight. Photo by Justin Thompson.
Golden-crowned Kinglet, Photo by Justin Thompson.
Golden-crowned Kinglet, Photo by Justin Thompson.
Dark-eyed Junco
Dark-eyed Junco
White-crowned Sparrow. Photo by Heather Kostick.
White-crowned Sparrow. Photo by Heather Kostick.
Northern Cardinal. Photo by Justin Thompson.
Northern Cardinal. Photo by Justin Thompson.

On Friday after Sandy, we braved the frigid air to band over 50 birds of 16 species including a handsome Fox Sparrow (always the last of the winter sparrows to show up) and ANOTHER AMERICAN WOODCOCK.  This bird was aged as an adult male as evidenced by the shorter bill length and stubbier wing in addition to a narrower p10 in relation to the female.   P10 is the tenth and outermost primary flight feather, which is stiff and narrow in male woodcocks to give their flight the nice twittering sound that gets the lady woodcocks excited during their elaborate aerial courtship displays!  Just as fabulous to see up close was the prehensile bill tip that these birds use to feel and grasp their food (earthworms) while probing in the mud.  With big beady eyes to see in the dark and precisely camouflaged leaf-like coloring this bird is a spectacular, crepuscular and cryptic beauty!

American Woodcock. Photo by Justin Thompson.
American Woodcock. Photo by Justin Thompson.
American Woodcock. Photo by Justin Thompson.
American Woodcock. Photo by Justin Thompson.
American Woodcock. Photo by Heather Kostick
American Woodcock camoflage coloring. Photo by Heather Kostick
American Woodcock. Photo by Heather Kostick
American Woodcock wing. Photo by Heather Kostick.
American Woodcock. Photo by Heather Kostick
American Woodcock primary feathers. Photo by Heather Kostick
Aging the American Woodcock. Photo by Justin Thompson.
Aging the American Woodcock. Photo by Justin Thompson.
Measuring exposed culmen to sex the American Woodcock. Photo by Justin Thompson.
Measuring exposed culmen to sex the American Woodcock. Photo by Justin Thompson.
Justin Thompson with American Woodcock
Justin Thompson with American Woodcock

We have had a great songbird season with beautiful birds, wonderful volunteers (thank you all!), delighted visitors of all ages and bright young school groups.  Here are some pictures and a link to a wonderful little article in the Abington Friends School blog about the 2nd graders’ “magical” field trip to Rushton Woods Preserve on October 18th to learn about our birds, woods and farm.  To our great happiness, the teachers and kids reported, “it was the best field trip ever!”

Child with Chickadee. Photo by Blake Goll.
Child with Chickadee. Photo by Blake Goll.
Abington Friends student with bird before release.
Abington Friends student with Field Sparrow before release.
Abington Friends watching Todd Alleger and Doris McGovern banding a White-throated Sparrow
Abington Friends students watching Todd Alleger and Doris McGovern banding a White-throated Sparrow
Abington Friends student releasing White-throated Sparrow
Abington Friends student releasing White-throated Sparrow
Students with Cardinal.
Students with Cardinal.
Abington Friends students planting garlic and picking carrots for lunch!
Abington Friends students planting garlic and picking carrots for lunch!
Abington Friends student drawing of their field trip to Rushton.
Abington Friends student drawing of their field trip to Rushton.
Abington Friends student drawing of herself releasing a bird at the banding station.
Abington Friends student drawing of herself releasing a bird at the banding station.

American Birding Association Visits Rushton Owls on a Record Breaking Night!

On the last Saturday of October, we were thrilled to welcome to Rushton Adrian Binn’s and Deb Beer’s distinguished guests, Jeffrey and Liz Gordon,  the passionate President and “First Lady” of the American Birding Association (ABA).  The ABA is a nationally recognized non-profit whose mission is to inspire all people to enjoy and protect wild birds through birding and consequently habitat conservation.  Check out the ABA website to learn more about this great organization’s mission.

Liz and Jeffrey Gordon, President of ABA, with Saw-whet Owls at Rushton. Photo by Adrian Binns.
Liz and Jeffrey Gordon, President of ABA, with Saw-whet Owls at Rushton. Photo by Adrian Binns.

On that special Saturday, October 27th, around 11:30 pm your fabulous Rushton banding crew,  accompanied by the American Birding Association, elatedly banded our 92nd new Northern Saw-whet Owl (NSWO) of 2012, surpassing the 2010 season record of 89 new NSWOs!  At that time in 2010 we had only just begun banding on October 28th after we got this brand new owl banding station up and running.  Even if we had been banding the entire month of October in 2010, we still would not have seen the numbers we are seeing this year because 2010 was a more typical fall born from food scarcity in the north with migration of adults and young peaking around October 31st.   This year the peak has occurred much earlier than usual with an influx of fat babies spilling south ahead of their elders after a northern summer of luxury and abundance.  While the young owls have been flooding through Rushton for all of October, the adults have only just arrived in very small numbers.

Rushton Banding Crew and volunteers with American Birding Association. Photo by Adrian Binns.
Rushton Banding Crew and volunteers with American Birding Association and the 92nd owl of 2012. Photo by Adrian Binns.

In addition to these 92 “New” Saw-whet Owls never before banded (now 120 as of last night, November 4) , we also catch owls from other banding stations, Foreign Recaptures, like the young owl banded in Ellenville, NY that ended up at Rushton this fall after flying 130 miles south in a week or so.  In addition, we catch some of our  own banded owls, Retraps.  Retraps can linger for days or weeks at Rushton, eating the tasty voles and mice that thrive in the farm’s pesticide-free environment (Thank you, Farmer Fred!).  We also catch local Eastern Screech Owls.  Counting Screeches, Retraps and Foreign Recoveries, we caught more than 20 additional owls so far this year.

One of our owls banded at Rushton on  November 1, 2011, was caught on the north shore of Lake Ontario in Canada on October 16th this year.  That bird is over three years old and obviously taking its time traveling back south to Rushton this fall!

Eastern Screech Owl. Photo by Mimi Davis.
Eastern Screech Owl. Photo by Mimi Davis.
Northern Saw-whet Owl. Photo by Mimi Davis.
Northern Saw-whet Owl. Photo by Mimi Davis.

As for the Northern Saw-whet Owl public banding schedule, we are banding most nights with Thursday, Friday and Saturday being public.   Please reference the last blog entry , which has all the information you need to know about visiting Saw-whet Owl banding, and  email Lisa Kiziuk ( lkr@wctrust.org) to make a reservation.  

Doris McGovern, Rushton’s Master Bird Bander, spelled  out our mission beautifully:

“Our goal is to contribute data to the continent wide Saw-whet Owl banding network.  We report owl data to the USGS where it becomes part of a national data base for researchers.  We currently mentor college grads who need research skills, such as bird banding.  We share our knowledge of owl biology with school groups, home schoolers, scouts, CSA members, local bird clubs and interested adults.”
“We want you to be proud of all that your WCT owl banding team does while you are comfy in your soft, warm bed and we are shivering in a cold, drafty barn with our fingers bleeding from the sharp talons of those cute little Saw-whets you love so much.   Are you drinking hot cocoa?  We love hot anything,” tweets Doris McGovern.

Doris McGovern showing Saw-whet Owl to the PA Young Birders. Photo by Adrian Binns.
Doris McGovern showing Saw-whet Owl to the PA Young Birders. Photo by Adrian Binns.

PA Young Birders and Owls

The PA Young Birder (PAYB) Owl Night on October 19th was a hit!  Over 60 people (including 35 children) enjoyed the night through an owl’s point-of-view and learned about the science behind bird banding.  Eight Northern Saw-whet Owls bravely presented themselves to the crowd for banding and photographing and “oohing and awing”.  Other highlights of the night included creating masterful owl art with Adrian Binns, telescopic moon gazing with Deb Beer, and enchanting (albeit muddy) night hikes with me, Blake Goll.

PA Young Birders with Saw-whet Owl and Doris McGovern. Photo by Adrian Binns
PA Young Birders with Saw-whet Owl and Doris McGovern. Photo by Adrian Binns
Measuring the owl's wing. Photo by Adrian Binns.
Measuring the owl’s wing. Photo by Adrian Binns.
PA Young Birders creating owl art. Photo by Adrian Binns.
PA Young Birders creating owl art. Photo by Adrian Binns.
Barn Owl drawing by a PA Young Birder. Photo by Adrian Binns
Barn Owl drawing by a PA Young Birder. Photo by Adrian Binns
PA Young Birder releasing a Saw-whet Owl.
PA Young Birder releasing a Saw-whet Owl.

The next PAYB event is “Owl Night for Teens,” this Friday November 9th, 7-9pm.  All kids, 13 and over, are invited to learn about Saw-whet Owl banding and hopefully see some of these little woodland elves.  Other activities may include exploring the farm garden, star gazing and night hikes.  Please RSVP to me, Blake Goll (bhg@wctrust.org).

Saw-whet Owl banding. Photo by Adrian Binns.
Saw-whet Owl banding. Photo by Adrian Binns.

Stephen Kress of “Project Puffin” To Speak at Delaware Valley ornithological club (dVOC) Banquet November 15

Dr. Stephen Kress is the director of the National Audubon Society’s “Project Puffin”, which re-established nesting Atlantic Puffin colonies on islands off the Maine coast.  He will speak in Philadelphia on Nov 15 about “Restoring endangered seabirds: lessons learned from puffins and terns.” I have heard this inspiring man speak about his work at Hog Island in Maine, and I can tell you that he is an exceptional presenter who will make you want to move mountains.  Please click here for more information about Stephen Kress, to learn why seabirds are threatened worldwide  and to register for the DVOC annual banquet.

Steve Kress with Puffin.
Steve Kress with Puffin.

Knowledge gained from this successful program is being used worldwide in seabird conservation.  Here is sneak preview that will give you an idea of how good this lecture will be:  http://www.youtube.com/watch

Enjoy the waning days of fall!

Songbird Banding Continues Full Speed Ahead and Owl Banding Off to a Roaring, Record-Shattering Start

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White-throated Sparrow. Photo by Mimi Davis.
White-throated Sparrow. Photo by Mimi Davis.

Well, I have lots to report from the field, so I’ll start with last week, which was an exciting one for Rushton banding station! On Monday (Columbus Day) we netted 73 songbirds of 17 species  including lots of Ruby-crowned Kinglets, our first Hermit Thrush of the season, Swamp Sparrow, Magnolia Warblers, Black-throated Blue Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, our first Hairy Woodpecker of the season, and bushels of robins and White-throated Sparrows.  All this was accomplished with 3 less nets than the usual 12, as we were slightly understaffed and strive to avoid getting more birds than we can safely process.   Woodcock, Eastern Phoebe and Cedar Waxwings were also in the area, but not netted.

Hermit Thrush. Photo by Blake Goll.
Hermit Thrush. Photo by Blake Goll.

We got rained out last Tuesday (10/9), but on Wednesday (10/10) we managed to band safely through the fog, mist and spitting rain, opening and closing nets as needed because we were so well staffed.  We netted 68 birds of 21 species, an exceptional day for Rushton.  Our first migrant Sharp-shinned Hawk of the fall stopped by along with two House Finch, a species we rarely see.

Adult female Sharp-shinned Hawk. Photo by Blake Goll.
Adult female Sharp-shinned Hawk. Photo by Blake Goll.

The rest of that Wednesday’s catch was similar to Monday with the addition of a couple of beautiful Yellow Palm Warblers, a Gray-cheeked Thrush, and a rather late Black-and-white Warbler that we first banded over two weeks ago.  She was a young female hatched this year who seemed confused about the whole migration thing; she had no fat stored aka no fuel for her imminent journey.   In fact, she actually lost a gram in those two weeks!  A recap like this gives us a glimpse into stopover ecology of these migrant songbirds.  Perhaps it’s normal for a hatching year Black-and-white to stay put for two or more  weeks before migrating or continuing migration? Or maybe she’s struggling.  After all, more than half of baby birds do not make it through their first year of life…

Black-and-white Warbler. Photo by Justin Thompson.
Black-and-white Warbler. Photo by Justin Thompson.
Child with Swamp Sparrow. Photo by Blake Goll.
Child with Swamp Sparrow. Photo by Blake Goll.
Palm Warbler. Photo by Blake Goll
Palm Warbler. Photo by Blake Goll

Another 17 species last Thursday (10/11)  included two Sharp-shinned Hawks (adult and juvenile females), our first Winter Wren, another Palm Warbler, our 26th Swainson’s Thrush and more Gray-cheeked Thrush.  Magnolia Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, and Black-throated Blue Warbler, along with Yellow Palm and Myrtle warblers continued landing in the nets.  Ruby-crowned Kinglets filled the trees and we caught our share.

Juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk. Photo by Blake Goll.
Juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk. Photo by Blake Goll.
Doris showing chickadee to delighted school group. Photo by Blake Goll.
Doris McGovern showing chickadee to delighted school group. Photo by Blake GollCarolina Chickadee. Photo by Blake Goll.Carolina Chickadee before release. Photo by Blake Goll.

This brings our day banding total for last week to 178 birds. It’s sparrow time at Rushton but still no sign of Lincoln’s Sparrow or Fox Sparrow.  Fall banding is nearing the end, but  it’s not over until the “Fox Sparrow sings!”

Yesterday, we banded our first regal White-crowned Sparrow and the first stunning Golden-crowned Kinglet of the season.  We also recaptured our little lady Black-and-white Warbler, so she’s been at Rushton for 3 weeks now!  She seems slightly healthier this week and put on a gram as if maybe she is now thinking about getting ready to migrate.

Male Golden-crowned Kinglet. Photo by Justin Thompson.
Male Golden-crowned Kinglet. Photo by Justin Thompson.

PUBlic Songbird banding continues every Tuesday and Thursday mornings at Rushton….

…when it’s not raining for the next couple of weeks until all we’re getting is sparrows and juncos.  This Thursday, we have a group of thirty 2nd graders from Abington Friends coming from 9:30-12:30pm, so you may not want to come then.  Otherwise, no reservation is needed for songbird banding, unless you’re bringing a large group.  Hours are 6:30am-11am.

The PA Young Birder event, “Owls and Their Night World” is FULL for this Friday October 19th at Rushton Woods Preserve and Farm.   Stay tuned for cancellation due to rain; the rain date will be Friday October 26, same time and place. If the event is cancelled for this Friday, we will start from scratch accepting RSVPs for the rain date.
Children with Saw-whet Owl.
Children with Saw-whet Owl.
 Children will get a chance to observe and learn about the science of owl banding, explore the natural world at night, view the stars and planets through a telescope borrowed from Heinz National Wildlife Refuge and exercise their creativity making owl art under the guidance of an owl artist.
Owl drawings by Adrian Binns.
Owl drawings by Adrian Binns.
  Please understand that this event was capped at 30 children on a first-come first-serve basis, in order for us to ensure that our small staff can safely manage the crowd in the dark while operating saw-whet owl nets and keeping the wild birds safe with minimal stress.   This limit also ensures that the children get the most our of their experience.
Of course, if you did not make it into this event you are still welcome to observe owl banding on any of the other nights we are open!  Please see below for more info.  Additionally, there will be another Young Birder Owl Night for Teens on November 9.  We are not accepting reservations for Nov 9 at this time, but will let you know when we do.
Please remember that these events are free, but donations are greatly appreciated as we are a nonprofit, and it takes a substantial amount of money and effort to keep our banding station running between equipment costs, staff time, education materials, programs etc….  If you’d like to donate, please bring cash or check and look for the donation box with the handsome, hand-carved Saw-whet owl on it!  If you’d like to be recognized for your donations, mail checks for the Bird Conservation Program to the Willistown Conservation Trust (www.wctrust.org).
Saw-whet Owl next to donation box (with mouse!). Photo by Justin Thompson.
Saw-whet Owl next to donation box (with mouse!). Photo by Justin Thompson.
Northern Saw-whet Owl Banding Program at Rushton
 Starting officially this fall on October 25, the public is invited to the Rushton Woods Banding Station for a rendez vous under the stars to observe first-hand the techniques and uses of bird banding and to learn about the biology of Northern Saw-whet Owls, arguably the cutest owls in the world. We will open from October 25 until November 21 with Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings available, but we can accept visitors on a RESERVATION BASIS ONLY. Many people wish to visit our station with the hope of seeing these enchanting owls up-close, but our space is extremely limited.
Young Saw-whet with juvenal coloring.
Young Saw-whet with juvenal coloring.

 The monitoring of Northern Saw-whet Owls (NSWO) is a nocturnal activity whereby this small owl species is caught using a system of loudspeakers (playing their calls) surrounded by mist nets in which the owls become entangled. The data collected from this process gives scientists information about the cyclical nature of the migratory cycles of these species and their reproductive success.

This year is a shaping up to be banner year so far with banders north and south of us reporting the earliest-on-record peak of Saw-whet migration.  Normally, the peak occurs around Halloween, but many stations reported record numbers last week.  This season, the tireless Rushton banding crew has already banded 41 new Saw-whets and recaptured 1 foreign Saw-whet in just 6 nights from 10/10-10/16  (plus 3 new Eastern Screech Owls).   The floodgates (and our hands) really burst open last night with 17 feisty young  owls in our nets and many more devils left in the woods (and 34 bloody holes in our hands from 17 pairs of needle-sharp talons!).  This blows the Chester County one-night record we set last year out of the water, which was 12.  Our current total of 42 NSWO in 6 nights is more than the total number caught in 2011 after 23 nights of effort (a mere 34 owls)!  If we stay on fire like this we will far exceed our best year, which was 2010 (91 owls).

Northern Saw-whet Owl
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Eastern Screech Owl. Photo by Justin Thompson
Eastern Screech Owl. Photo by Justin Thompson

This morning we discovered that the  foreign recapture we got last night, a hatching year female (born this year), was originally banded in Ellenville, NY on 10/08/2012.  Our calculations show that this young owl flew about 125 miles in about a week’s time to arrive at the Rushton “late-night Wendy’s takeout” yesterday evening.

In addition to these voracious “woodland elves” last night, we caught (alongside an outraged owl) a very dead field mouse in the net that weighed 19.1g.  After banding the owl, we offered his mouse in a “to-go  bag”, but the owl refused to take his meal with him even though he seemed quite hungry.  Perhaps he’s  germa-phobic and didn’t like us getting our grubby paws on his “burger”.  I don’t blame him.

Saw-whet Owl holding tight to his dinner! Photo by Blake Goll.
Saw-whet Owl holding tight to his dinner! Photo by Blake Goll.
Saw-whet Owl with dead mouse. Photo by Justin Thompson.
Saw-whet Owl with dead mouse. Photo by Justin Thompson.

The experts are saying this is not a cyclical “irruption year” due to the lack of mice and voles in the north but rather a bumper crop of Saw-whet babies spilling south due to a bumper crop of voles this summer in the north.  Hence, we’ve only banded hatching year owls visiting the Rushton all-you-can-eat mouse buffet so far.

“Between migration banding in the morning for songbirds and at night for owls, we are burning the bander at both ends,” says Doris McGovern, Rushton’s federally licensed bird bander.  “Oh well, it’s owl in a night’s work!” she says, still witty even though sleep deprived.

Please reserve an evening by e-mailing Lisa Kiziuk at lkr@wctrust.org as soon as possible and note that banding is weather dependent as rain or high winds will cause the station to close.  See available dates below.

The station is located in the farm shed at Rushton Woods Preserve and Farm and the GPS address to use is 1050 Delchester Road, Malvern, PA 19355. Here’s a link to a map :  http://wctrust.org/?page_id=58  (Rushton is on the corner of Goshen and Delchester Roads, with the entrance on Delchester).  Please note that parking is at a premium and you may be asked to park in the field lot.

You will want to come when there is little or no moonlight and we can’t band if it will rain. Based on my moon chart the best times will be between October 17 and 20 and between November 8 and 19.  There are a few spaces left for this Thursday October 18th.  Otherwise, choose any Thurs, Fri, or Sat starting October 25 until Thanksgiving with the exception of the following dates:

CLOSED Days Not Open to Public Include:

November 9, 10,11, 15, and 17

Hope to see you at owl banding, but please remember to RSVP to Lisa first!

Thanks,

~Blake

Saw-whet Owl on branch. Photo by John Fedak.
Saw-whet Owl on branch. Photo by John Fedak.

Fall Banding Season Off to a Bright Start!

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Black-throated Green Warbler. Photo By Mark Moore.
Black-throated Green Warbler. Photo By Mark Moore.

Last week was the first official week of Rushton’s fall 2012 public banding season.  The rain prevented us from banding on Tuesday, but the rest of the week was fantastic!  Between last week and the week before (the last week of August), we have been averaging 45 birds per day of about 13 different species each day.  Our most common southbound species include Common Yellowthroat, Gray Catbird, Ovenbird, and House Wren.  Resident species (those that do not migrate) have included Northern Cardinal, Carolina Wren, Downy Woodpecker, Song Sparrow, and Northern Flicker (some do migrate).  The American Goldfinches are all over the place feeding on the thistle, but they have not hopped into our nets yet! Instead, a few obliging female Indigo buntings picked up the slack and got in line to get their “bracelets” before their sojourn.

Goldfinch on sunflower. Photo by James Weisgerber.
Goldfinch on sunflower. Photo by James Weisgerber.

As for the warblers, those “butterflies of the bird world”, we have banded a stunning array so far.  Species included Black-and-white Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Northern Waterthrush (not a thrush at all), Magnolia Warbler, American Redstart, Canada Warbler, and Black-throated Blue Warbler.

Magnolia Warbler. Photo by Justin Thompson.
Magnolia Warbler. Photo by Justin Thompson.

Uncommon birds included a Connecticut Warbler and Mourning Warbler, both of which were young hatch year birds and looked very similar!  The Connecticut Warbler is the more elusive of the two, evading more birders’ life lists than the Mourning, partly because of its habit of foraging in low, dense undergrowth during  migration.  It breeds in open larch-spruce bogs in the north and winters in the tropics.

First Fall Connecticut Warbler (with lots of ticks on its eyes!). Photo by Blake Goll.
First Fall Connecticut Warbler (with lots of ticks on its eyes!). Photo by Blake Goll.
Mourning Warbler (Hatch Year male). Photo by Blake Goll.
Mourning Warbler (Hatch Year male). Photo by Blake Goll.

The Mourning Warbler is more common within its range than the Connecticut Warbler, but also tends to remain hidden in thick vegetation. The Mourning Warbler has a darker gray hood than the Connecticut and a broken rather than complete eyering.

Kentucky Warbler (A Second Year Male-first banded during summer 2012). Photo by Blake Goll.
Kentucky Warbler (A Second Year Male-first banded during summer 2012). Photo by Blake Goll.

Another uncommon, low lying, hard-to-find warbler that we caught last week was the Kentucky Warbler, and not just ANY Kentucky Warbler.  It was the SAME one we banded this summer in Rushton Woods! A young male! We have no way of knowing whether he bred successfully or at all, but we know he’s alive and preparing for his trip to Central or South America!  This is grand news.  The Kentucky Warbler is declining throughout much of its range because it needs healthy native understory as opposed to understory invaded by multiflora rose and other invasive plants, so the fact that our bird seems healthy after a summer at Rushton is good.  Hopefully a female will join him next year….

Male Kentucky Warbler close-up. Photo by Blake Goll.
Male Kentucky Warbler close-up. Photo by Blake Goll.

Last but not least, we banded Rushton’s very first Yellow-bellied Flycatcher on August 29th!  This is BIG NEWS!  This is a very cryptic, secretive bird that is uncommon during migration in our area.  It is a rare breeder in isolated mountain-top bogs in northcentral PA, but otherwise breeds in boreal forests and bogs of Canada.   This flycatcher winters in semi-open habitats of Central America and has been found in higher densities on shade-grown coffee plantations than sun-grown.

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (Hatch Year- by yellowish wing bars). Photo by Blake Goll.
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (Hatch Year- by yellowish wing bars). Photo by Blake Goll.

Switch over to shade-grown coffee , if you haven’t already, to promote habitat for birds.  Check out Birds-and-Beans or Golden Valley Farms Coffee Roasters  right in West Chester!  It even tastes better than sun-grown coffee because the coffee cherries ripen slower in the shade, thus allowing more subtle flavors to develop.

Blake Goll with Ovenbird and PA Young Birders
Blake Goll with Ovenbird (before release) and PA Young Birders.

The Open House at the banding station this weekend was fun and educational for all!  There were about as many people as birds, 50 and 50.  The highlight bird species banded were of course the crowd-pleasing Carolina Chickadee and three young, molting Field Sparrows born this year!  The Field Sparrows were all in the same net together so they were obviously sticking together on their dispersal adventure.  We made sure to release them all at the same time, and they flew off together into the fields of goldenrod.  Field Sparrows are declining throughout their range due to their grassland  and field habitats disappearing.  The fact that we have them breeding here is another toast to the Willistown Conservation Trust’s land preservation efforts!

Young Field Sparrow siblings. Photo by Rebecca Goll
Young Field Sparrow siblings. Photo by Rebecca Goll
Young Birder "caught gray handed"! (Gray Catbird). Photo by Gretchen Larson
Young Birder “caught gray handed”! (Gray Catbird). Photo by Gretchen Larson

Remember that all are invited to Rushton Woods banding station every Tuesday and Thursday throughout September and October to observe songbird banding.  Nets go up at 6am and we band until 11am.  No banding if it’s raining!  We expect to start getting more Wood Thrush, Veery and other thrushes.  Then come the White-throated sparrows and juncos!

Female Monarch on thistle. Photo by Blake Goll.
Female Monarch on thistle. Photo by Blake Goll.

Many species of butterflies are also everywhere at Rushton nectaring from the thistle and goldenrod.  Hawk Mountain reported a 1-day record for Monarch migration on September 4th;  the hawk counters counted 883 monarchs floating past them on the ridge between 2 and 4 pm!

PA Young Birders with Tiger Swallowtail butterfly. Photo by Blake Goll.
PA Young Birders with Tiger Swallowtail butterfly. Photo by Blake Goll.

PA Young Birders, don’t forget to register for the ABA Mid-Atlantic Young Birder Conference, September 22.  It’s at the Ashland Nature Center in Hockessin, DE and should be a great day of birding instruction, distinguished speakers, bird study skins and more!!  Click here for more information and to register.

There’s a lot going on in the woods and in the field,

~Blake

Praying Mantis eating Hummingbird Moth. Photo by Blake Goll.
Praying Mantis eating Hummingbird Moth. Photo by Blake Goll.

Autumn Colors Are Flying Our Way, and Fall Banding Will Soon Begin

By

Swamp Sparrow. Photo by Justin Thompson
Swamp Sparrow. Photo by Justin Thompson.

Are you looking for a great spot to observe fall migration?  Since habitat is everything, the Willistown Conservation Trust invites you to visit the Rushton Woods Banding Station, which is an extraordinary place to watch birds congregate while they find plenty of food and protection from predators along their journey southward.

Rushton Farm in summer. Photo by Blake Goll
Rushton Farm in summer. Photo by Blake Goll

Our public bird banding program will run every week during fall migration beginning Tuesday, September 4!

We will band songbirds every Tuesday and Thursday through the last week of October as weather permits-we will not band if it rains.  With our nets going up at sunrise, visitors wishing to see the most birds should arrive as early as possible.  Action is often constant until 11:00am, after which the nets are closed.  Feel free to stop by for an hour before work or stay the whole morning from 6am till 11am!

Rushton Banding Shelter. Photo by Jodi Spragins.
Rushton Banding Shelter. Photo by Jodi Spragins.

Rushton Woods Banding Station is located at the Rushton Woods Preserve and Farm in Newtown Square, PA. (NOTE: GPS address is across the street from 950 Delchester Road, Newtown Square, PA).  Rushton is located at the corner of Goshen and Delchester Roads, with the entrance on Delchester Rd.  Park in the entrance parking lot and walk to the hedgerow opposite from Delchester Rd.  Hang a right when you get down to the hedgerow and quietly walk along the hedgerow past the net lanes until you see a mowed trail veering up through the hedgerow to your left.  Follow that and you’ll soon see the banding shelter.  Please approach quietly so as not to scare the birds.

Children observe a mist net in which the birds are gently caught.
Children observe a mist net in which the birds are gently caught.

Observers of all ages will get a chance to learn about birds from skilled bird banders and see all aspects of this exciting scientific process.  Birds we will be gently catching and banding are migrating south for the winter and are using Rushton as a stopover site to refuel and rest.  By inspecting the feathers of their wings, we can glean much important information about the amazing lives and the health of these beautiful birds.  The data we collect contribute to global bird conservation and helps us document the effects of our land preservation efforts on bird populations.

Second year female Northern Flicker. (Ageing by feather molt and wear). Photo by Blake Goll.
Second year female Northern Flicker. (Ageing by feather molt and wear). Photo by Blake Goll.

We are extremely grateful to the volunteers and staff members who contribute to the operation of our station by banding, serving as guides for visitors and presenting educational programs for groups.  Please remember that financial support comes entirely from the donations of individuals and organizations so please contact Lisa Kiziuk (lkr@wctrust.org) if you can help support the Willistown Conservation Trust’s Rushton Woods Banding Station.

Saw-whet Owl at donation box. Photo copyright Adrian Binns. Note: No owls were compromised during this photo shoot. They must be held for 10 minutes after banding to be sure their eyes have time to adjust to the darkness again, after which they may be placed on a perch (or donation box) and observed until take off.
Saw-whet Owl at donation box. Photo copyright Adrian Binns. Note: No owls were compromised during this photo shoot. They must be held for 10 minutes after banding to be sure their eyes have time to adjust to the darkness again, after which they may be placed on a perch (or donation box) and observed until take off.

Bird Banding Station Open House for Families – Saturday September 8th at Rushton Woods Preserve and Farm

In addition to the normal Tuesday and Thursday public hours, the banding station will be open to everyone, Young Birders, teens and adults, on Saturday September 8  anytime from sunrise (around 6am) until we close the nets at 11am.  We are not normally open on weekends, so don’t miss this opportunity to stop by and observe our fabulous fall migrants!

Episcopal Academy teacher and advisee with Baltimore Oriole female before release. Photo by Blake Goll
Episcopal Academy teacher and advisee with Baltimore Oriole female before release. Photo by Blake Goll

PA Young Birders invited to visit Banding Station from 9-11am on Sept. 8 

During this time, other visitors and families are certainly welcome to observe bird banding, but we will kindly ask them to allow the children to take the “first row seats”.  PA Young Birders are welcome to come earlier than 9am too if they wish to see more spectacular birds.  Otherwise, from 9-11am Young Birders will be observing bird banding and learning about these amazing birds up close.  We’ll do some birding and explore the hedgerows to try to figure out what it is that’s drawing these traveling birds to this place.  We might get a chance to see other migrants too, like Monarch butterflies! Please RSVP to Blake Goll (bhg@wctrust.org or 610-353-2562 ext.20).

Banding a Magnolia Warbler and recording data.
Banding a Magnolia Warbler and recording data.

Lost and Found Caterpillar

Our PA Young Birder meeting last week about Monarchs and other butterflies was lots of fun!  John Black, a Master Naturalist for Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey, taught us all about the fascinating life cycles of Monarchs and what we can do for them, like plant milkweed host plants and nectar sources in our backyards.  Did you know that right before a  Monarch caterpillar becomes a chrysalis, it vomits out its insides? After all, it won’t need tough leaf-digesting organs as a nectar-drinking adult butterfly!

Young Birders looking at Monarch chrysalis. Photo by Blake Goll.
Young Birders looking at Monarch chrysalis. Photo by Blake Goll.
John Black showing Young Birders a Monarch butterfly. Photo by Blake Goll.
John Black showing Young Birders a Monarch butterfly. Photo by Blake Goll.
Passing Monarch to child for release. Photo by Blake Goll.
Passing Monarch to child for release. Photo by Blake Goll.
Young Birders releasing a Monarch Butterfly. Photo by Blake Goll.
Young Birders releasing a Monarch Butterfly. Photo by Blake Goll.

John even brought a butterfly-rearing tent containing live Monarch butterflies, which the children got to release, various instars of Monarch caterpillars, Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillars munching on spicebush, and Eastern Black Swallowtail caterpillars munching on parsley.  The Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillar was a favorite with its adorable “face” looking up at us!  Those eyespots are not eyes at all nor is that even its true head (it is underneath that “mask”), but this is an effective way to confuse predators.

Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillar. Photo by Derek Ramsey on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Spicebush_Swallowtail_Papilio_troilus_Caterpillar_2400px.jpg)
Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillar. Photo by Derek Ramsey on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Spicebush_Swallowtail_Papilio_troilus_Caterpillar_2400px.jpg)

However, we (the predators) confused the spicebush caterpillar when we accidentally shook the branch he was on!  To our dismay, the helpless caterpillar fell to the ground and landed somewhere amongst the grass where thirty minutes of rescue searching were to no avail.  John, having seen this happen many times before during his programs, knew just what to do.  He stuck a little spicebush twig with leaves into the ground near where the tiny caterpillar fell and simply went on with his program, not worried at all.

At the end of the night during cleanup, John collected his spicebush twig and the found caterpillar!  In just under half an hour, the little caterpillar smelled his life- giving host plant, found his way up to a leaf, and spun himself into his silk blanket with the tip of the leaf folded over him for the night.  Snug as a bug in a rug!  It just goes to show how sensitive these caterpillars are to their host plants.

Monarch caterpillar. Photo by Margot Patterson.
Monarch caterpillar on milkweed. Photo by Margot Patterson.

That’s just one of the many reasons why it is so important to use native plants in your yard rather than fancy ornamentals.  It’s the native plants with which our native insects have evolved, so it’s the native plants we must plant to promote a healthy native habitat that supports native beauties like Monarchs.  If you have Butterfly Milkweed, Swamp Milkweed or Common Milkweed in your yard you may be hosting wonderful Monarch caterpillars who must feed solely on milkweed (this is what makes them toxic to birds as adults).  Other lovely native plants, like goldenrod and ironweed, will provide great nectar sources for adult Monarch butterflies.

Monarch on Joe Pyeweed outside the Willistown Conservation Trust office.
Monarch on Joe Pyeweed outside the Willistown Conservation Trust office.

Go to MonarchWatch.org to find out more about how to attract Monarchs to your garden and how to create a certified Monarch Waystation for migrating Monarchs!  They need our help.

A great field guide to the invertebrate community in a milkweed patch is “Milkweed, Monarchs and More” by Ba Rea, Karen Oberhauser, and Michael Quinn.

Milkweed Field Guide

End of Summer Observations

I can’t wait for those warblers but am having fun in the meantime just watching my bird feeders.  There are so many young birds born this summer visiting my feeders now, and even though they are starting to look exactly like the adults I can tell they are babies, mostly by their silly behavior.  I saw a young hummer at the sugar feeder the other day who had the most trouble trying to figure out where to stick his bill!  Goldfinch babies are begging from their parents incessantly at the sunflower feeder, young Tufted titmice are curiously hopping around on the floor of the deck instead of on the actual feeders, and Red-bellied Woodpeckers with gray heads are waiting patiently on the nearby tree for their mother to bring them a suet morsal or two.

Many of the adults are looking rather shaggy as they molt out of their tired “nesting season” feathers in preparation for the harsh cold weather ahead.  The goldfinches will soon lend their brilliant yellow color to the leaves of autumn as  little yellow warblers take center stage for a fleeting fall moment…

Ageing a Goldfinch. (Second Year)
Ageing an American Goldfinch. (Second Year)

We hope to see you at the banding station throughout the season!

Gratefully,

~Blake