The BULA News - Spring 2018 -

A publication of Burke Lake Banding Station A non-profit organization dedicated to research of avian health and migration, education of current and future ornithological professionals, and outreach for our community at a unique place to learn about, connect with, and appreciate a diverse community

Newsletter Content

Director's Note Ongoing Research at BULA

Student Intern Experience eBirding at BULA 2017 Banding Summary Education & Outreach

Top 10 KIDZ Corner

Interesting Species 2017 Donors

Join us June 13th to support BULA!

We are hosting our first fund-raising event. Wednesday, June 13th at 5:30 - 7:00 pm at Reno's East in East Lansing, MI.

Please come and mingle with many other bird enthusiasts, bid on unique silent auction items, learn about our plans for the future, and show your support for BULA!

Suggested donations are $15/person or $25/family. Pizza included.

Director's Note Thank you all for another great migration season of bird banding! Each season we are amazed at the abundance and diversity of the species we capture at BULA – it is truly a hotspot for migratory in the fall. And, each year we are humbled by the enthusiasm and support we receive from the mid-Michigan community and beyond. The number of visitors increases each year and since we opened to the public in 2013 we have hosted thousands of people at BULA. We continually see new faces each season along with our regular BULA visitors. One of the most common statements we hear from new visitors is “I wish I knew about this sooner!” Well, we wish they did too, so what we would like to ask of our BULA community is to help us spread the word about the station and the opportunities we offer to connect people with the outdoors and nature through birds. Please help us reach as many people as possible so we can share the important research, outreach, and education work we do at the Burke Lake Banding Station. Jen Owen, Director of BULA and Associate Professor at Michigan State University

My Experience as a Student Intern

By Hannah Landwelen—2017 BULA intern MSU Fisheries and Wildlife, Class of 2020

As an intern at Burke Lake Banding Station I was fortunate to have experiences unlike any that I’ve had before. This internship was my first experience working a wildlife field job, and since has led me to change my major to Fisheries and Wildlife. While working at BULA, I met a group of people who not only have a vast knowledge of birds, but were also wonderful to work alongside. I gained valuable skills that will help me build on my experiences and help me continue down the path of wildlife biology. At Burke Lake I learned and excelled at properly extracting birds from mist nets. I also learned proper mist nets set up, take down, and how to properly furl (close) them at the end of the day, which was quite a challenge for me at first! The most exciting experience for me was all the new species I saw and learned how to identify. Soon enough, I was quickly able to recognize many of the species that migrate through Michigan, stopping and refueling at our BULA field site before continuing on their journey south. I also learned a lot through recording the data; it was especially interesting to me to see how different an individual bird can be from others of the same species. One unforgettable memory I have from BULA was the day we caught a young male Sharped- shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus). I learned how to extract the hawk and handle it in a way that is both safe for the hawk and for the handler. One of the most valuable skills I learned is the ability to communicate with the public about birds and science. Before this experience I was quiet and shy; but my excitement about birds has made it easy for me to share my knowledge and passion with others.

Overall I could not have asked for a better internship this past fall; it was an absolute blast! I must thank all the wonderful people that I worked with, especially Callie, our 2017 bander who taught me so much, and Dr. Owen, who allowed me this amazing opportunity, and of course all my amazing coworkers who made this experience so special. BULA has inspired my passion for birds and will continue to shape my future for years to come.

2017 Banding Totals

Gray 495 Blue-winged Warbler 15 Common Yellowthroat 447 Traill's Flycatcher 14 Swainson's 409 Blue Jay 12 American Redstart 335 Blue-headed Vireo 11 Magnolia Warbler 260 Canada Warbler 11 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 207 Blackburnian Warbler 9 White-throated Sparrow 200 Yellow-shafted Flicker 9 168 Great-crested Flycatcher 8 135 Lincoln's Sparrow 8 Rose-breasted Grosbeak 126 7 101 Scarlet Tanager 7 84 Yellow-throated Vireo 7 Red-eyed Vireo 80 American Woodcock 6 Hermit Thrush 77 Brown 6 Black-capped Chickadee 76 Hairy Woodpecker 6 Golden-crowned Kinglet 67 Red-bellied Woodpecker 6 Blackpoll Warbler 60 Rusty Blackbird 6 Nashville Warbler 55 White-breasted Nuthatch 6 Gray-cheeked Thrush 54 Brown Creeper 5 Ovenbird 54 Cape May Warbler 5 Wood Thrush 52 Mouring Warbler 5 Veery 39 Northern Parula 5 Cedar Waxwing 37 Connecticut Warbler 3 Black-throated Blue Eastern White-crowned 36 3 Warbler Sparrow Chestnut-sided Warbler 36 Orange-crowned Warbler 3 Red-winged Blackbird 36 Western Palm Warbler 3 Black-throated Green Hooded Warbler 2 32 Warbler Marsh 2 Eastern Wood-Pewee 32 Olive-sided Flycatcher 2 Black-and-white Warbler 30 1 Northern Cardinal 28 Black-billed Cuckoo 1 Downy Woodpecker 27 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1 Tennessee Warbler 27 Brown-headed Cowbird 1 House Wren 24 Chipping Sparrow 1 Bay-breasted Warbler 23 Eastern Bluebird 1 Winter Wren 22 Eastern Kingbird 1 Philadelphia Vireo 21 Eastern Towhee 1 Indigo Bunting 20 Purple Finch 1 Myrtle's Warbler 20 Sedge Wren 1 Wilson's Warbler 20 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 Yellow Warbler 20 Yellow-breasted Chat 1 Least Flycatcher 18 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1 Tufted Titmouse 18 Eastern Phoebe 17 Total Species 88 Slate-colored Junco 17 Total Individuals

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher 17 4380 Northern Waterthrush 16 *This is a summary of all banded birds at Burke Lake Banding Station in 2017. 221 individuals were banded from spring through summer, 2017. 4,159 individuals were banded during our fall migration season, August 16th - October 16th, 2017.

Top 10 Species Captured Over the Years

2017 1. Gray Catbird

2. Common Yellowthroat

3. Swainson’s Thrush

4. American Redstart

5. Magnolia Warbler

6. Ruby-crowned Kinglet

7. White-throated Sparrow

8. American Robin

9. American Goldfinch

10. Rose-breasted Grosbeak

2016 1. American Redstart

2. Common Yellowthroat

3. Gray Catbird

4. Rose-breasted Grosbeak

5. Swainson’s Thrush

6. Ruby-throated

Hummingbird

7. American Goldfinch

8. Magnolia Warbler 9. White-throated Sparrow

10. Ruby-crowned Kinglet

2015 1. Gray Catbird

2. Ruby-crowned Kinglet

3. American Redstart

4. White-throated Sparrow

5. Common Yellowthroat

6. Magnolia Warbler

7. Rose-breasted Grosbeak

8. Swainson’s Thrush

9. Mrytle Warbler

10. Ruby-throated

Hummingbird

2014 1. American Robin

2. Magnolia Warbler

3. Gray Catbird

4. American Redstart

5. Common Yellowthroat

6. Swainson’s Thrush

7. White-throated Sparrow

8. Rose-breasted Grosbeak

9. Ruby-crowned Kinglet

10. Hermit Thrush

2013 1. Swainson’s Thrush

2. Gray Catbird

3. American Redstart

4. Common Yellowthroat

5. Magnolia Warbler 6. Red-eyed Vireo

7. American Robin

8. Wood Thrush

9. Ovenbird

10. Nashville Warbler

Interesting Species of 2017

Black-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus erythropthalmus

This Black-billed Cuckoo was the first ever caught at BULA! This individual was caught during spring banding on May 22,

2017. There are two species of Cuckoos in

North America, Black-billed and Yellow- billed, both more commonly heard than seen.

Yellow-breasted Chat Icteria virens A very special record for BULA! This

individual is a first record for the banding

station, and only the 5th record for

Clinton County! Yellow-breasted Chat is a

unique species; they are the only species

in the family, Icteriidae—not to be

confused with the family Icteridae, comprising of blackbirds, orioles and their

allies.

Eastern Kingbird Tyrannus tyrannus Another first for BULA! Kingbirds get their common English name from the concealed orange crown on the top of their head, which they flare up in displays of aggression towards predators. They are known to be very aggressive toward each other and other species, which is the origin of its latin name, tyrannus, meaning “tyrant, despot, or king”.

Sedge Wren platensis The addition of Sedge Wren to our species

list us at 102 total species, with this

being the 5th and final wren species

banded at BULA! The Sedge Wren looks

similar to the , with the most

obvious differences being the heavily

streaked flight feathers, less distinct eye

line, and overall paler appearance.

Research

A Look at the Distribution and Abundance of Native and Invasive Woody, Fruit-bearing Shrubs at the Burke Lake Banding Station By Brittney Beavers

Brittney Beavers is an undergraduate student earning her B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife at Michigan State University. She conducted her undergraduate research under the direction of Dr. Jen Owen from April to November 2017. Brittney studied the abundance and distribution of both native and invasive woody, fruit-bearing shrubs in the area that are used by migrant landbirds at Burke Lake Banding Station, and mapped the distribution of the species especially nutritiously important to migrant landbirds.

During fall migration many landbirds, which are primarily insectivorous, rely on fruit. The benefits of depending on fruit for fuel are twofold. First, foraging for fruit expends significantly less energy than chasing insects. This is important because it allows landbirds to be more sedentary during migratory stopovers, enabling them to put on the necessary fat that will fuel their migration. Second, fruits consist of carbohydrates, fats, and antioxidants; however, not all fruits are created equal. Nutrient contents differ between species, making some fruits more beneficial than others. Additionally, several studies suggest that native fruits are potentially more beneficial and of better quality than exotic or invasive fruits.

Overall, a total of 15 plants were keyed to species, and over 800 individuals were identified and labeled. The abundance of these species was recorded along seven transects, each 25 meters long. This was done by recording all stems that were at least one meter tall and located within two meters of the transect line. Figure 1. Total Number of Stems per Species. The total number of stems from all seven transects. The green hues represent native species and the brown hues represent invasive species. *Note that the Highbush Cranberry bar is actually European Cranberrybush and non-native.

Despite being surrounded by upland and lowland habitats that are inundated with invasive species, Burke Lake Banding Station is dominated by native species (see Figure 1.). It is even more fortunate that the top three species dominating the area (Common Spicebush (Lindera benzoin), Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa), and Silky Dogwood (Cornus amomum)) are very nutritiously important and preferred by most landbirds during migration. Though one or more invasive species were found throughout the transects, native species made up the top 80% of every single transect. Additionally, Gray Dogwood was present in every single transect and consistently made up the top 80%. Buckthorns (both Frangula spp. and Rhamnus spp.) were the only invasive species that were found in every transect, but only made up the top 80% in three of the transects. Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)

Figure 2. The Distribution (purple) of Gray (Cornus racemosa), Silky (C. amomum), and Red Osier (C. sericea) Dogwood plants at BULA. The yellow triangles are the net locations. The orientation is with north to the right of photo.

Native wetlands are important habitats for numerous pollinators, , and herpetofauna. Not only is The Burke Lake Banding Station an exemplary model of one, but it’s an important stopover site for hundreds of species of landbirds. To manage a habitat is to manage wildlife. It is important to identify the presence, abundance, and distribution of important or harmful plant species that make up the habitats of the wildlife we value. Knowing and understanding these crucial aspects can enable professionals to make sound management plans, take better action, and possibly ensure more success when managing habitats. Regarding the Burke Lake Banding Station, our data can be used to further investigate landbird health, physiology, and shifts in migration patterns

Do you eBird?

The official hotspot location associated with birds seen, heard, or caught at BULA is: Rose Lake SWA--Burke Lake Banding Station

Please use this hotspot location if you are submitting eBird checklists during your time out at BULA. Don’t forget, banding data is treated very differently than other observational data. If you choose to include netted birds in your checklist, please choose "other" then, "banding" as your observation type. If you are submitting a checklist that only contains netted birds (does not include other species seen or heard during your visit), please answer "no" to "are you reporting all species". Otherwise, you can choose “yes”.

We encourage our visitors to submit checklist of the birds they have seen or heard while visiting the station. Happy birding & eBirding!

Education & Outreach

We pride ourselves on being a unique scientific resource available for public enjoyment and education. Sharing in the joy of birds with our visitors through education and outreach is a highlight of the work we do at Burke Lake Banding Station. A girl scout troop sporting their newly acquired badges earned at Burke Lake.

If you visited the banding station this past fall, you may have noticed a few changes…We widened the boardwalk; a significant improvement for visitors while accompanying us on net runs. Additionally, we created an outdoor classroom. This classroom has greatly improved our outreach program, allowing us to accommodate larger groups and classes without closing the station to our regular bird enthusiasts.

As we enter into 2018, we are excited to expand our reach by providing more outreach and education programs outside of our banding operation at our Burke Lake field site. We look forward to becoming more involved in the community, particularly the local schools, and share our passion for and knowledge of birds, and the importance of conserving the natural resources upon which they depend.

KIDZ CORNER

We pride ourselves on our engagement with the public—especially kids!

DID YOU KNOW...?

When a Turkey Vulture is being attacked its method of self defense is to vomit on the attacker, sending its food sailing up to 10 feet!

Everyone knows hummingbirds drink nectar, but did you know that over 70 different bird species in North America have been documented drinking from hummingbird feeders?!

Try It At Home

Simple 2 Ingredient Bird Feeder

Here is a fun simple activity that the birds will thank you for! All you need is 2 ingredients and a few items from your kitchen. Materials:

1 cup birdseed 2 tbsp of coconut oil Bowl Spoon Cookie cutters Twine/ribbon/yarn Straw, pin, or pencil Pan

Directions 1. Melt Coconut Oil in the microwave 2. Mix melted coconut oil with 1 cup of bird seed in a bowl 3. Place cookie cutters on a pan and fill with seed mixture 4. Insert a straw, pen, or pencil to make a hole for the twine/ribbon 5. Place pan in the refrigerator for about 30 min or until mixture is set 6. Carefully push the mixture out of the cookie cutter and use twine to hang in your favorite spot outside. 7. Sit back and enjoy a little backyard birding as your birds enjoy a nice treat!

Merchandise! Sponsor-a-Net!

We have t-shirts (unisex & form-fitted Sponsoring a net is a great way to show short-sleeved, unisex long-sleeved, & your support for Burke Lake Banding kid’s sizes) and hats—khaki & newly Station! If you are interested in acquired Spartan Green! sponsoring a net, or dedicating a net to a loved one, please email us. You can purchase them in-person during the spring or fall seasons, but if you would like to buy BULA apparel in the off-season, please email [email protected]

Net sponsorship for one season requires a $150 donation. With this generous donation we will place a plaque with your name near one of our many nets!

Thank You Donors!

We would like to dedicate this section to all those who have donated in 2017. Without the generous support of our donors, we would not be able to share our love of birds with our community and help train the next generation of scientists. Your dollars go toward a better future for the students that work at BULA and all the people with whom they interact. We are truly grateful for all the time and money spent to keep us running another season.

$1000 and above $50 and above Julia Spalding and Michael Moquin Pamela Wilkins Capital Area Audubon Society Rebecca Lehmann David and Mary Ann Marvin Patience Drake-Rosenbaum Tom and Jean Wheeker $500 and above Mary Sharp Jay Strader Mary and Lawerence Hennessey Huron Valley Audubon Society $250 and above Frank Lupi, Jr. Kathleen Peters Bruce Cohen Jen Owen MSU Fish/Wildlife Club Daniel Hayes Tamara Baumann Sue Davis Ed and Madeline Merz Jane and Bill Gehring David Aborn Mark Ladenson $150 and above Kelly Millenbah and Gary Roloff Contributor Sam Renaud and the Renaud Christian Goulding Family Geoffrey Gamble Nancy Wrisley Patricia Clark Randolph and Kathryn Black Lynn C. Tang Susan Schuur Diane Newman Jacob Plotkin Shan A. Kothari Hiawatha Hawks Rosemary Anderson Other financial support is provided by: Capital Area Audubon Society MSU AgBioResearch MSU Extension Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Michigan Department of Natural Resources

You can make your 2018 donation today! Just click here.

2017 Burke Lake Banding Station Crew

Top, left - right: Logan Clark, Hannah Landwerlen, Audrey Boike, Dr. Jen Owen (and Neko). Bottom, left - right: Bonnie Britt, Aya Pickett, Callie Gesmundo, and Dave Sandhal.

Copyright © 2018 Burke Lake Banding Station, All rights reserved.