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  • Rushton Conservation Center

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

October 17, 2012 By Communications Team

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.

Filed Under: Bird Banding, Bird Events, Owls Tagged With: northern saw-whet owl banding, PA Young Birders, Palm warbler, Saw-whet Owls, Sharp-shinned hawk, songbird banding, White-throated sparrow

Final Fall Fallout of Migratory Songbirds & Our First Saw-whet Owl of the Season!

October 22, 2011 By Communications Team

Nashville Warbler by Adrian Binns
Nashville Warbler at Rushton Woods Preserve by Adrian Binns (Fall 2011)

Last Friday (10-14), we banded 56 birds to the delight of my adult class (age 50+) from Widener’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.  After studying birds, bird banding and bird conservation in the classroom, the enthusiastic students came out to Rushton Woods Preserve to experience the banding production in person.  They were thrilled to touch and be so close to these wild feathered beauties and were pleasantly surprised at the diversity of species:  Eastern Phoebe, 5 Palm Warblers, 3 Myrtle Warblers, 1 Common Yellowthroat, 4 Black-throated Blue Warblers, lots of sparrows, 1 Gray-cheeked Thrush, towhee, goldfinch, cardinals, Carolina Wren, and 1 late CATBIRD!

Palm Warbler
Palm Warbler at Rushton by Blake Goll

The net over the compost pile was very busy that day with over 15 birds in the net at once during the mid-morning net check.  Doris was packing 2-3 birds of the same species in each bag (we need more hand-made bird bags if you can sew and want to lend a hand!).  Poor Doris also suffered deep puncture wounds during that same net check from an ungrateful mole or vole that she rescued from the net.  “Don’t get no respect, even from rodents!”, she cried.

This past Tuesday (10-18) was our second big fallout day, probably the last one for this fall.   We banded 93 birds of 20 species, which is 7 birds over Rushton’s previous record of 86!  A Northern Parula Warbler was the best of 6 warbler species, and several Golden-crowned Kinglets were new for this year.  Our loyal volunteers Alice, Lou, and Godefroy extracted non-stop and  kept the birds safe.  Win and Justin helped at the open and went to work saying, “Here are 6 birds.  There are 2 more in #7 and 12 in #6.”   That was 7:45 and we never stopped until after 10.   Doris says, “No bird was held more than 90 minutes, which is long for Rushton, but nothing for the big banding stations which routinely hold birds for longer.”

Golden Crowned Kinglet
Golden Crowned Kinglet (Blake Goll)

Thursday and Friday of this week were slower, with probably more High School kids than birds.  About 100 honors students from Conestoga High School’s Environmental Science class came out to Rushton over the past two days.  They had the chance to visualize and experience concepts they have learned or will learn in the classroom this year by rotating through 3  stations: a woodland ecology walk, tour of the sustainable CSA farm, and bird banding and conservation.  The students were impressed with the common birds we all sometimes take for granted like the handsome American Robin and Northern Cardinal and the charismatic Tufted Titmouse.  The very last catch of the day was a stunning Sharp-shinned Hawk, which the kids got really excited about.  The cell phones immediately came out of pockets and were snapping pictures left and right!  This is probably the same hawk that we have occasionally seen darting in and out of the hedgerows and even dive-bombing Lisa one day as she was closing the nets.  I think the Sharpie was angry that she wasn’t leaving the net up to facilitate his lunch endeavors.

Sharp-shinned hawk- Young female
Young female Sharp-shinned Hawk (by Blake Goll)

As for the Northern Saw-whet Owls (NSWO), we were off to a very slow start.   For the first couple of weeks, we ended up empty-handed every night  except for a red-phase Eastern Screech Owl two Fridays ago  at 8pm and then again at 11pm.  He just couldn’t get enough of our nets, apparently.  Let’s just hope he has learned his lesson and stays away once we really start catching saw-whets (screech owls are a predator of NSWO, believe it or not).

Eastern Screech Owl
Eastern Screech Owl recapture (by Blake Goll)

We don’t know what’s taking the Saw-whets so long, but it may be related to this crazy wet weather we have been having (which seems to have delayed this year’s  songbird migration as well).  There is also some speculation that this year was not a very successful breeding year for the NSWO, and therefore the number of young “Hatching Year” (HY) birds is much lower than last year.  Since most of the owls we band are HY birds, we don’t expect to band as many this year as last. (The older more dominant males tend to prefer to stick out the winter on their northern territories rather than migrating south with the young owls and the females. )

The NSWO is also an irruptive species closely tied to the pine tree seed crop up north.  Last year was an irruption year during which we had more saw-whets coming south than usual because the pine trees did not produce as many seeds as the previous year, which caused the rodent population (owl food) to plummet.  When food up north is scarce, more owls travel south for the winter.  Bird migration is related to food scarcity, not cold weather.  Most birds, even some hummingbirds like the Rufous, are well adapted to dealing with cold weather.

Northern Saw-whet Owl
Our first Northern Saw-whet Owl of the 2011 season (by Blake Goll). She is a Hatch Year female.

You can imagine our delight last night (10-21) when we finally caught our first Northern Saw-whet Owl!!!  It was a cute-as-a-button feisty young female weighing in at about 92 grams.  It was about 9:00 at night when she found her way to our nets while investigating our audio lure that incessantly plays the male’s territorial call.  Everyone was ecstatic, and even men’s voices were raised an octave or two as they ‘ooed’ and ‘aahed’ over the little owl.  As for myself, I was a little intimidated by her mesmerizing yellow eyes that seemed to be boring into my soul from some wild place and “reading my mind”, as one woman said.

Young female Northern Saw-whet Owl
Our young female Northern Saw-whet Owl (by Blake Goll). My, what beautiful eyes she has!
Photogenic Northern Saw-whet Owl
Our very photogenic Northern Saw-whet Owl

Alas, there is hope for this year’s owl banding season! Remember to contact Lisa Kiziuk (lkr@wctrust.org) if you are interested in observing owl banding.  Songbird banding will also continue on Tuesday and Thursday mornings for the next couple of weeks.  No reservation required for songbirds.

And speaking of Lisa, congratulations to her on winning the DVOC (Delaware Valley Ornithological Society) Rosalie Edge Conservation Award for her tireless bird conservation work!  Without her vision, the Willistown Conservation Trust’s banding station at Rushton Woods Preserve would never have become a reality.  Today, the Rushton bird banding station is not only a reality but a wonderful destination where adults and children of all backgrounds experience some of nature’s finest works of living art while learning about the importance of such scientific research in the understanding and ultimate conservation of our nation’s feathered bounty.  Thank you, Lisa, for  making your dream come true and for all you do for the birds.  I know Rosalie Edge would be proud of you.

~Blake

Lisa Kiziuk with Magnolia Warbler
Lisa Kiziuk with Magnolia Warbler
Rosalie Edge
Rosalie Edge (from Google images)

Filed Under: Bird Banding, Bird Events, Owls Tagged With: Bird banding, kinglet, Nashville warbler, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Owl banding, Palm warbler, Sharp-shinned hawk

Final Fall Fallout of Migratory Songbirds & Our First Saw-whet Owl of the Season!

October 22, 2011 By wctbirds

Nashville Warbler by Adrian Binns
Nashville Warbler at Rushton Woods Preserve by Adrian Binns (Fall 2011)

Last Friday (10-14), we banded 56 birds to the delight of my adult class (age 50+) from Widener’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.  After studying birds, bird banding and bird conservation in the classroom, the enthusiastic students came out to Rushton Woods Preserve to experience the banding production in person.  They were thrilled to touch and be so close to these wild feathered beauties and were pleasantly surprised at the diversity of species:  Eastern Phoebe, 5 Palm Warblers, 3 Myrtle Warblers, 1 Common Yellowthroat, 4 Black-throated Blue Warblers, lots of sparrows, 1 Gray-cheeked Thrush, towhee, goldfinch, cardinals, Carolina Wren, and 1 late CATBIRD!

Palm Warbler
Palm Warbler at Rushton by Blake Goll

The net over the compost pile was very busy that day with over 15 birds in the net at once during the mid-morning net check.  Doris was packing 2-3 birds of the same species in each bag (we need more hand-made bird bags if you can sew and want to lend a hand!).  Poor Doris also suffered deep puncture wounds during that same net check from an ungrateful mole or vole that she rescued from the net.  “Don’t get no respect, even from rodents!”, she cried.

This past Tuesday (10-18) was our second big fallout day, probably the last one for this fall.   We banded 93 birds of 20 species, which is 7 birds over Rushton’s previous record of 86!  A Northern Parula Warbler was the best of 6 warbler species, and several Golden-crowned Kinglets were new for this year.  Our loyal volunteers Alice, Lou, and Godefroy extracted non-stop and  kept the birds safe.  Win and Justin helped at the open and went to work saying, “Here are 6 birds.  There are 2 more in #7 and 12 in #6.”   That was 7:45 and we never stopped until after 10.   Doris says, “No bird was held more than 90 minutes, which is long for Rushton, but nothing for the big banding stations which routinely hold birds for longer.”

Golden Crowned Kinglet
Golden Crowned Kinglet (Blake Goll)

Thursday and Friday of this week were slower, with probably more High School kids than birds.  About 100 honors students from Conestoga High School’s Environmental Science class came out to Rushton over the past two days.  They had the chance to visualize and experience concepts they have learned or will learn in the classroom this year by rotating through 3  stations: a woodland ecology walk, tour of the sustainable CSA farm, and bird banding and conservation.  The students were impressed with the common birds we all sometimes take for granted like the handsome American Robin and Northern Cardinal and the charismatic Tufted Titmouse.  The very last catch of the day was a stunning Sharp-shinned Hawk, which the kids got really excited about.  The cell phones immediately came out of pockets and were snapping pictures left and right!  This is probably the same hawk that we have occasionally seen darting in and out of the hedgerows and even dive-bombing Lisa one day as she was closing the nets.  I think the Sharpie was angry that she wasn’t leaving the net up to facilitate his lunch endeavors.

Sharp-shinned hawk- Young female
Young female Sharp-shinned Hawk (by Blake Goll)

As for the Northern Saw-whet Owls (NSWO), we were off to a very slow start.   For the first couple of weeks, we ended up empty-handed every night  except for a red-phase Eastern Screech Owl two Fridays ago  at 8pm and then again at 11pm.  He just couldn’t get enough of our nets, apparently.  Let’s just hope he has learned his lesson and stays away once we really start catching saw-whets (screech owls are a predator of NSWO, believe it or not).

Eastern Screech Owl
Eastern Screech Owl recapture (by Blake Goll)

We don’t know what’s taking the Saw-whets so long, but it may be related to this crazy wet weather we have been having (which seems to have delayed this year’s  songbird migration as well).  There is also some speculation that this year was not a very successful breeding year for the NSWO, and therefore the number of young “Hatching Year” (HY) birds is much lower than last year.  Since most of the owls we band are HY birds, we don’t expect to band as many this year as last. (The older more dominant males tend to prefer to stick out the winter on their northern territories rather than migrating south with the young owls and the females. )

The NSWO is also an irruptive species closely tied to the pine tree seed crop up north.  Last year was an irruption year during which we had more saw-whets coming south than usual because the pine trees did not produce as many seeds as the previous year, which caused the rodent population (owl food) to plummet.  When food up north is scarce, more owls travel south for the winter.  Bird migration is related to food scarcity, not cold weather.  Most birds, even some hummingbirds like the Rufous, are well adapted to dealing with cold weather.

Northern Saw-whet Owl
Our first Northern Saw-whet Owl of the 2011 season (by Blake Goll). She is a Hatch Year female.

You can imagine our delight last night (10-21) when we finally caught our first Northern Saw-whet Owl!!!  It was a cute-as-a-button feisty young female weighing in at about 92 grams.  It was about 9:00 at night when she found her way to our nets while investigating our audio lure that incessantly plays the male’s territorial call.  Everyone was ecstatic, and even men’s voices were raised an octave or two as they ‘ooed’ and ‘aahed’ over the little owl.  As for myself, I was a little intimidated by her mesmerizing yellow eyes that seemed to be boring into my soul from some wild place and “reading my mind”, as one woman said.

Young female Northern Saw-whet Owl
Our young female Northern Saw-whet Owl (by Blake Goll). My, what beautiful eyes she has!
Photogenic Northern Saw-whet Owl
Our very photogenic Northern Saw-whet Owl

Alas, there is hope for this year’s owl banding season! Remember to contact Lisa Kiziuk (lkr@wctrust.org) if you are interested in observing owl banding.  Songbird banding will also continue on Tuesday and Thursday mornings for the next couple of weeks.  No reservation required for songbirds.

And speaking of Lisa, congratulations to her on winning the DVOC (Delaware Valley Ornithological Society) Rosalie Edge Conservation Award for her tireless bird conservation work!  Without her vision, the Willistown Conservation Trust’s banding station at Rushton Woods Preserve would never have become a reality.  Today, the Rushton bird banding station is not only a reality but a wonderful destination where adults and children of all backgrounds experience some of nature’s finest works of living art while learning about the importance of such scientific research in the understanding and ultimate conservation of our nation’s feathered bounty.  Thank you, Lisa, for  making your dream come true and for all you do for the birds.  I know Rosalie Edge would be proud of you.

~Blake

Lisa Kiziuk with Magnolia Warbler
Lisa Kiziuk with Magnolia Warbler
Rosalie Edge
Rosalie Edge (from Google images)

Filed Under: Bird Banding, Bird Events, Owls Tagged With: Bird banding, kinglet, Nashville warbler, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Owl banding, Palm warbler, Sharp-shinned hawk

OUR NATURE PRESERVES

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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