Bird Banding Spring 2012 in The Arboretum at Penn State Prepared by Nick Kerlin Bander-in-Charge June 2012
General The bird banding component of the Avian Education Program of The Arboretum at Penn State operated for a total of 12 days between ch 26 and 9, 2012. This was a start/end period of approximately two weeks earlier than the previous year. A total of 251 birds were processed during this period. The banding area was the same location used in past years, adjacent to the Bellefonte Central Rail Trail in Big Hollow, approximately 0.5 mile NW of the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens. The area consists of former pasture lands populated primarily with invasive shrub species (privet, autumn olive, multiflora rose) adjacent to crop land and small woodlots of predominately mature white oak. Two new mist nets (#9 and #10) were added for a total of ten (two 9-meter, eight 12-meter). Banding headquarters was moved from an open area (located between nets #2 and #3) to the pavilion at the Air Quality Learning and Demonstration Center (see map below). The pavilion provided a more favorable location for banding operations (table work space, protection from precipitation for equipment and volunteers) as well as a more easily recognizable gathering point for visitors. Figure 1. Mist Net Locations The best day for number of species handled was il 7 with species. The best day for total number of birds handled was 9 with 35 birds. A total of 215 birds of 30 species was newly
banded. Thirty-six individual birds of species were recaptured from previous years. See Figure 2 for a complete list of species and numbers of birds handled. Effort Banding was operational on 12 days. The number of nets opened varied from 4 to 10 (usually 10). Total net hours were 450 which resulted in a capture rate of 0.56 birds/net hour. The capture rate was lower than expected due to weather conditions described in the next section. Weather Windy. That was the one word to describe most days of operation. Constant and often gusty winds caused net movement visible to birds and required more frequent net checks to ensure bird safety. Two scheduled days during the period were cancelled and operations closed early on one day due to inclement weather conditions (rain/snow, high winds). Volunteers and Visitors Twenty-eight volunteers (PSU students and others) provided 292 hours of volunteer time. A total of 76 visitors, including students from the State College Area School District Delta Program, Altoona High School, and PSU WFS 407 ornithology class visited the site. Top Five Most Abundant Birds Gray Catbird 60 White-throated Sparrow 42 American Robin 23 American Goldfinch 17 Song Sparrow 16 Top Five Best Birds Willow Flycatcher Brown Creeper Blue-winged Warbler Worm-eating Warbler Northern Waterthrush Recaptures There were no foreign recaptures; however, a Hermit Thrush originally banded at the site on il 22, 20, was recaptured il 4, 2012. This raised speculation as to whether it was a wintering individual or caught during a migration stopover in both years. Additionally, where did it breed in the interim?
The oldest bird recaptured was an American Goldfinch originally banded Aug. 27, 2010, as a SY (second year) bird and recaptured 9, 2012. Spring 2012 Species/Numbers New Banded 26 1 29 2 31 3 4 04 5 07 6 Willow Flycatcher CNX CNX 1 1 Blue-Headed Vireo CNX CNX 1 1 Red-eyed Vireo CNX CNX 1 1 T. Titmouse 1 CNX CNX 1 Carolina Wren 1 CNX CNX 1 Brown Creeper 1 CNX CNX 1 Ruby C. Kinglet 1 CNX CNX 2 3 Blue Jay 1 1 CNX CNX 1 1 4 Hermit Thrush 1 2 2 CNX CNX 1 6 Wood Thrush CNX CNX 2 2 4 Am. Robin 1 1 1 2 3 3 CNX CNX 3 3 3 2 1 23 Brown Thrasher 1 CNX CNX 1 2 Gray Catbird 1 CNX CNX 2 24 14 19 60 N.Mockingbird 1 CNX CNX 1 Blue-wgd.Warbler CNX CNX 1 1 Magnolia W. CNX CNX 2 2 Worm-eating W. CNX CNX 1 1 N.Waterthrush CNX CNX 1 1 C.Yellowthroat CNX CNX 1 2 3 Wilson's W. CNX CNX 1 1 2 E.Towhee 1 CNX CNX 1 2 4 Fox Sp. 1 CNX CNX 1 Song Sp. 1 5 2 5 2 CNX CNX 1 16 Swamp Sp. CNX CNX 2 2 White-thrtd. Sp. 3 18 2 3 2 2 CNX CNX 2 9 1 42 White-crowned Sp. 1 CNX CNX 1 Com Grackle CNX CNX 1 1 B.H.Cowbird 1 CNX CNX 1 N. Cardinal 2 6 2 CNX CNX 1 Am. Goldfinch 1 6 3 1 CNX CNX 1 2 1 1 1 17 Number of New Banded 1 31 8 20 15 9 CNX CNX 13 19 34 24 30 215 7 8 23 9 25 10 28 12 05 13 14 Species Total
Recaptures 26 1 29 2 31 3 4 04 5 07 6 Blue Jay 1 1 1 CNX CNX 3 T. Titmouse CNX CNX 1 1 B.C.Chickadee 2 CNX CNX 2 Hermit Thrush 1 CNX CNX 1 Am. Robin 1 CNX CNX 2 1 4 Gray Catbird CNX CNX 2 5 3 10 Brown Thrasher CNX CNX 1 1 N.Cardinal 1 1 2 CNX CNX 2 6 Song Sp. 1 1 CNX CNX 2 White-thrtd. Sp. 1 CNX CNX 1 Am.Goldfinch CNX CNX 2 1 1 1 5 Number of Recaptures 0 0 2 1 3 5 3 CNX CNX 5 4 2 6 5 36 7 8 23 9 25 10 28 12 05 13 14 Species Total TOTAL Birds Handled 1 33 10 23 20 12 CNX CNX 18 23 36 30 35 251 Figure 2. Spring 2012 Species/Numbers Cover Page Photo Collage: Top Row: Willow Flycatcher, Blue-headed Vireo, Carolina Wren, Brown Creeper Middle Row: Magnolia Warbler, Blue Jay, Blue-winged Warbler, Brown Thrasher Bottom Row: Song Sparrow, Wood Thrush, Wilson s Warbler, American Robin