[TN-Bird] Tremont MAPS station
- From: Charlie <cmmbirds@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: TN-Bird <TN-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2003 08:35:53 -0700 (PDT)
This summer was Tremont's fourth of bird banding under the Monitoring
Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS for short) protocol. MAPS
was designed by the Institute for Bird Populations as a tool to
detect to what extent birds are reproducing in different areas of the
country, and how long those birds live. While most banding stations
operate during migration to take advantage of higher numbers of
birds, MAPS stations only operate during the nesting season. This is
because of the site fidelity, or propensity of birds to return to the
same place year after year.
Tremont has additional reasons for banding birds. To teach science
to young people. This year I was helped by 2 volunteers, 4 student
interns, and one teacher intern. I split their training with
Assistant Station Manager Bonnie Jo Voorhis, who is the only person
who has been here all 4 years. Bonnie Jo has graduated from high
school and will be attending college in a couple weeks.
Our interns, 3 high school students and a local teacher showed up
early for banding, in addition to settin up nets in May. Since we
took the nets down last week, they have all become expert at using
the very fine, black thread to repair various holes the nets accrue
from deer encounters, branches, sweetgum balls, and tired people.
The station was open for 6 hours per day, on 8 days this year. We
have ten nets, for a total of 480 net hours. We caught 56 birds a
capture rate of .117 birds per net hour. The total is significantly
lower than the previous season tallies of those 84, 86 and 89 in
2000, 2001 and 2002, respectively. For statistical validity we
attempt to reduce variables that would affect how many and which
birds we catch. We open nets the same number of hours, each day, use
the same size and type nets, put them in the same places, and open
only once for each 10-day period The time we open is always within
10 minutes of sunrise. So the low number of captures should not be
due to anything we did. Hopefully it does not reflect a trend of
fewer birds in Walker Valley. Mirroring the low capture rate was a
decrease in captures of three of our four most numerous species:
Louisiana Waterthrushes, Wood Thrushes and Red-eyed Vireos.
While Louisiana Waterthrushes were again the most numerous with 17
captures for 30.3% of the total, we did not catch any in the first 2
banding days. This is a continuation of a trend over the last 3
years in which Louisiana Waterthrush numbers have fallen from 34 to
21 to 17. The big storms and ensuing floods this spring may have
wiped out many waterthrush nests, which are built along stream banks.
As was the case last year, we heard far fewer Red-eyed Vireos. And
just like last year, we had only half as many of them in the nets as
we did the first 2 years (5, 7, 3,2 in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003,
respectively). But what may be the most disconcerting decline is
Wood Thrush, a species thought by many people to have the most
beautiful song of any bird in North America. We averaged nearly 6
birds a year in our nets, but this year we only caught one
individual. I had noticed early in the season that I was not hearing
as many as I would expect.
The second most numerous bird was again American Goldfinch which we
captured 6 times, or 10% of our birds. And the third was Indigo
Bunting with 4 captures representing 7.1% of our captures. We caught
3 each of Acadian Flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe, Northern Cardinal,
Worm-eating Warbler, Tufted Titmouse, and Northern Parula.
In addition to studying the birds, we study organisms that use birds
as habitat ? the various parasites that cannot be found in any way
other than handling a bird. This year we collected 4 samples of
feather lice and 2 Hippoboscid flies. Paul Super, a scientist with
the park and our master bander collected fecal matter and blood
samples from a couple birds to look for internal parasites.
charlie
=====
**************************************************
Charlie Muise, Senior Naturalist
Now living in Maryville, TN
Still working in Great Smoky Mountains
National Park
"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm"
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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