Isle au Haut Songbird -- Keying out a bird!

Not all people can recognize all birds all of the time! At least not right away! This is one of the reasons why bird banders are equipped with a variety of field guides and identification keys for helping to identify birds to species and determine their age. A good example of a 'mystery' bird turned up in our net one morning and offered our banding intern, Becky, a great opportunity for hands on learning. After retrieving the bird from the net and recognizing it as "some type of sparrow" (a group that is notoriously difficult to identify), Becky zeroed in on what might be critical ID marks. Some useful clues were the subtle yellow hue above the eyes of this bird and its streaky breast and flanks.



Fortunately, Becky has seen many birds in the hand and was able to reduce the possibilities to a short list and then made her final call...



...yes, it was a Savannah Sparrow. Becky completed the banding and measurement process and released the bird, gently and unharmed, back to the wild.



Notably, the bird was captured in a habitat that is quite atypical of where it would normally be found. A testament that strange things happen on migration!

All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute
All photos are copyright of BioDiversity Research Institute

Isle au Haut Songbird Report -- September 24, 2009

This morning dawned overcast and mild with a light northwest wind. Driving down Isle au Haut did not produce any birds, so it seemed things haven’t changed much from yesterday. Our second net round yielded two Blackpoll Warblers which seem to be pre-disposed to finding out nets. What is interesting is that we have yet to get a recapture (a bird that we have previously banded), implying these birds are likely passing through. Their fat loading is quite high relative to other species and they are showing fat in the abdominal region. The wind picked up at about 09:30 and by 10:00 it was gusting to 15 mph. Herring Gulls were taking advantage of the lively air and soaring right over the banding station. What we were missing for birds was replaced by insects – esp. wasps and dragonflies that were getting entangled in the nets. By the time we closed the nets at 12:30, it was feeling like a warm summer day. Hoping for a big front out of the northwest for tomorrow!

By Ken Wright
Photo by Ken Wright

Isle au Haut Songbird Report -- September 23, 2009

Clear skies and gusty southwest winds were the flavor of weather when we opened nets at 06:00 this morning. Bird activity seemed relatively low with only a few Golden-crowned’s and sparrows announcing their presence. Our nets showed a similar pattern with black birdless mesh being the norm on our 30 minute inspections. But fortunately, this was not the case at net 10 where a gorgeous intricately patterned White-throated Sparrow was caught. The next bird to pop in our nets was a new one – a striking Red-breasted Nuthatch. And then a Brown Creeper (another tree-clinging specialist) was recaptured. The skies remained more or less clear with a bit of haze over the water and the wind gained strength as the morning unfolded. Fortunately, most of the wind remained at tree top level and caused minimal net billowing. While the wind often indicates a change in weather which often results in a migrant “fall out”, the southwest direction was not pushing birds towards the coast. This was soon followed by a Blackpoll Warbler which landed in the net beside our banding station. Somewhat surprisingly, this became our most common bird with 4 individuals banded today. Taunted by a flock of Cedar Waxwings and a Palm Warbler…

By Ken Wright
Photo by Ken Wright
Photo caption: Fall plumage Blackpoll Warbler

Isle au Haut Songbird Report -- September 22, 2009

Dense fog and mist were hanging around the banding station house as we (Patrick, Becky, Evan & Ken) rolled in at first light this morning. It felt like it was going to be a “quiet” morning. This was realized when our diligent 30 minute patrols produced no birds. Fortunately, our luck took a turn with a Brown Creeper captured at 09:00 am – three hours into our day! We had a group of students join us this morning when the creeper made its appearance (see photo). Birds continued finding our nets at a slow, albeit steady pace. By noon we had captured a mere three birds with the addition of a Nashville Warbler and Hermit Thrush. What seemed like our worst day in the making and certainly our slowest start of the season had come around and contrary to the lingering fog, our spirits had lifted. The afternoon continued to improve with lots of diversity, including a spectacular Blue Jay. By mid-afternoon a flurry of diminutive Golden-crowned Kinglets were in our nets. These amazing little birds weigh a mere 7 grams! The fog briefly receded but then closed in, obscuring the nearby shore across to Head Harbor. In the spruce canopy beside the banding station was a noisy flock of Golden-crowned Kinglets. Among them was a single Blue-gray Gnatcatchers which landed in net 13. Without question, this was the bird of the day. When things get busy, time has a way of accelerating and we were soon faced with having to close the nets to make it home using bicycles before nightfall. Just as we were poised to go for last rounds, a warbler hit net 1 adjacent to the banding station. This bird sent Evan bounding for the net to confirm what he had hoped it was—a Blackpoll Warbler. Evan is very excited about this species which is one of the species he is examining for his PhD and has the claim to fame of having the second longest migration for it’s body size. Blackpoll Warblers fly directly out over the open ocean destined for Venezuela. To accomplish this 80-hour open water flight, they must load on a tremendous reserve of fat, which can double and sometimes triple their body weight. Remarkable feat for a 12-grammer! Becky, Evan and Ken climbed onto bikes and made the 6-mile journey back to the Keeper’s House just in time for a fabulous New England sunset. Patrick decided to run home. An exhilarating conclusion to a very interesting day of banding on Isle au Haut.

By Ken Wright
Photo by Ken Wright
Photo caption: Isle au Haut students learn about bird migration as Patrick presents a Brown Creeper

Hello and Welcome!

Thank you for visiting the BRI Field Report Blog. We hope to be able to share a variety of information and stories for the field work that we do. Please tune in and enjoy!

Our first project that we are reporting about on this blog is BRI's work monitoring songbirds on Isle au Haut. This work involves systematically catching songbirds using mist-nets that remain in the same location throughout and between monitoring periods. Capturing birds in the hand also allows us to assess the condition of the birds (i.e. how fat they are, how worn their feathers are, etc.) which is important for understanding their behavior. Please enjoy following these posts as the migratory season passes us by!

All the Best,
Patrick Keenan
BioDiversity Research Institute