Long Point Bird Observatory 2006 Field Operations Report 0 2006 FIELD OPERATIONS REPORT MARCH 2007 STUART A. MACKENZIE Long Point Bird Observatory c/o Bird Studies Canada P.O. Box 160, 115 Front Rd. Port Rowan ON, Canada. N0E 1M0. Website: http://www.bsc-eoc.org/Lpbo.html; E-mail: [email protected] Long Point Bird Observatory 2006 Field Operations Report 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ........................................................................................................2 Migration Monitoring Program..........................................................................3 Spring Migration Monitoring Summary............................................................ 4 Fall Migration Monitoring Summary ................................................................ 7 Monarch Butterfly Migration Monitoring ........................................................ 11 The Friends of Long Point Bird Observatory .................................................. 12 Tree Swallow Research..................................................................................... 13 Vegetation Monitoring and Breeding Bird Censuses ..................................... 14 Doug Tarry Natural History Fund ................................................................... 15 Latin American Training Program................................................................... 17 North American Banding Council ................................................................... 19 Research Initiatives ..........................................................................................20 Publications and Reports..................................................................................23 APPENDICES: 1. Recoveries Received in 2006 .................................................24 2. 2006 Re-capture Summary ....................................................26 3. 2006 Banding Summary ........................................................27 STAFF: Landbird Programs Coordinator: Stuart Mackenzie Assistant Landbird Programs Coordinator: Mike Boyd Program Management: George Finney, Audrey Heagy, Jon McCracken Data Management, Trends, and Statistics: Tara Crewe, Ellen Kempman, Denis Lepage Facilities and Technical Support: Ron Ridout Administration, Events, and Merchandise: Anne Marie Ridout LPBO COMMITTEE: Ken Abraham– Chair (Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources [OMNR] ); Dave Ankney; Dawn Burke (OMNR); Eric Machell (Ontario Bird Banding Association); Art Martell (ex officio); Hugh McArthur (BSC Board); Erica Nol (Trent University); Tom Nudds (University of Guelph); Jeff Robinson (Canadian Wildlife Service). Long Point Bird Observatory 2006 Field Operations Report 2 INTRODUCTION: Long Point Bird Observatory (LPBO) is the oldest bird observatory in North America, founded in 1960 by the Ontario Bird Banding Association. It began with a focus on studying and monitoring migratory birds at Long Point, Ontario, Canada. LPBO is an independent research institute that fosters and promotes investigative studies, appreciation and conservation of birds, and other aspects of natural history at Long Point and elsewhere. The organization has since evolved and expanded its programs to become what is now Bird Studies Canada (BSC). BSC is a not-for-profit conservation organization dedicated to advancing the understanding, appreciation and conservation of wild birds and their habitats, in Canada and elsewhere, through studies that engage the skills, enthusiasm and support of its members, volunteers, staff, and the interested public. LPBO now operates as a program of Bird Studies Canada and continues to conduct five long-standing projects at Long Point, Ontario. A large part of the fieldwork is carried out by enthusiastic volunteers recruited from throughout Canada and around the world. These projects are: 1) Migration Monitoring Program 2) Tree Swallow Research 3) Vegetation Monitoring and Breeding Bird Censuses on Long Point 4) Latin American Training Program 5) Doug Tarry Natural History Fund – Young Ornithologist Workshop & Internship. This report summarizes the program activities in 2006, LPBO’s 47th year of operation. View South from the Breakwater Cabin Photo: Brendan Donaghey Long Point Bird Observatory 2006 Field Operations Report 3 MIGRATION MONITORING PROGRAM LPBO began collecting standardized data on bird migration at Long Point, Ontario in 1960. In 1986, LPBO coined the term ‘migration monitoring’ to describe the use of standardized daily counts of migrating birds as a method of monitoring populations of many migratory species. Migration monitoring is a particularly valuable method in Canada, since it enables us to monitor those species that breed in northern Canada, or other inaccessible areas, which can be difficult to assess with more conventional monitoring methods such as the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS). For several species that are monitored by the BBS, a correlation between the migration monitoring trends and BBS trends has been demonstrated. Each spring and fall, staff and volunteers perform daily censuses, banding, and observations at each of 3 field stations on Long Point — Tip, Breakwater, and Old Cut (Figure 1). Only the Old Cut field station is accessible by road and is open to the public. These migration count data are used to derive daily ‘estimated totals’ (ET’s) for up to 378 species of birds that have been recorded at Long Point. The program has generated a unique and vast data set spanning 47 years — the longest running program of its kind in North America. In 2006, LPBO banded 27,608 birds of 160 species bringing the grand total to 716,918 birds banded of 274 species, more than any other non-government organization in the Western Hemisphere. Population trends are derived for 64 of these species which are available online at http://www.bsc-eoc.org/national/migmain.jsp. The LPBO sightings board is updated weekly at http://www.bsc-eoc.org/lpbo/sightings.html during the spring and fall seasons. Project Partners and Supporters: - Environmental Youth Corp Program, Environmental Careers Organization of Canada - Environment Canada / Canadian Wildlife Service–National Wildlife Research Centre - The Long Point Company - Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR) - OMNR – Community Fisheries and Wildlife Involvement Program - OMNR – Terrestrial Assessment Program - Ontario Trillium Foundation - Transport Canada Figure 1. Long Point, Ontario, Canada. Long Point Bird Observatory 2006 Field Operations Report 4 SPRING MIGRATION MONITORING SUMMARY LPBO opened its nets at the Old Cut field station on April 1st 2006, kicking off its 47th spring of migration monitoring at Long Point, Ontario. The Tip and Breakwater stations were opened on April 15th and 24th respectively. Spring came early to Long Point allowing many early temperate migrants to glide through during the mild days of March. Pine Warblers had already returned by the time we got started, and Brewer’s Blackbirds frequented Old Cut from April 6th to 11th. Also on the 6th a female American Kestrel was banded, a first for Old Cut! Some early birds also surprised us this spring. An early Lincoln’s Sparrow was found on the first expedition to the Tip on April 11th, and a record early Yellow Warbler was observed at Old Cut on April 13th. Glaucous, Iceland, and Lesser Black-backed gulls were present at the Tip between the 17th and 21st. An impressive movement of over 2000 Bonaparte Gulls made their way past the Tip on the 18th accompanied by nine Little Gulls, and an adult Laughing Gull on the 19th. April was made up of a few small waves and one big push from the 19th to the 24th when 1,803 birds were banded. The highest daily banding total for the season was on the 21st when 604 birds were banded of 30 species; 409 of them at the Tip station alone. This push was dominated by Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Slate-colored Juncos, and White-throated and Chipping sparrows. Population indices calculated for Chipping Sparrows using estimated total data have shown a significant annual increase of 4.8% (spring) and 3.6% (fall). Banding totals are reflecting this trend as 459 were banded this spring, earning their way onto our spring top 10 list for the first time ever. Strong westerly gales in the last half of April blew in a few great birds. A Lark Sparrow was banded at the Tip on the 26th and a Le Conte’s Sparrow was found lurking in the dune meadows. The bird of the month, a Say’s Phoebe, was discovered at the Tip on the 28th, and remained until the 29th. This was the first spring, and third record for Long Point. There was a fairly substantial movement of thrushes toward the end of April and beginning of May. On April 29th, 81 Hermit Thrushes and over a dozen Wood Thrushes were present in just the small Old Cut woodlot. The first Yellow-breasted Chat of the season was there on April 30th. May started off with LPBO’s 21st banded Sora at Old Cut on May 1st, and the only Worm-eating Warbler of the season was banded at the Tip. Over the next 10 days 3,725 birds of 91 species were banded! White-throated and Eastern White- crowned sparrows pushed through en masse along with a good movement of Myrtle Warblers, and the first shower of neo-tropical migrants. The season’s only Evening Grosbeak flew over the Tip on May 4th. The first Summer Tanager of the year, a second-year male, was observed at Old Cut on the 5th along with the season’s second Worm-eating Warbler. The season’s first Prothonotary Warbler, a nice male, was seen flying off the Tip on th Lawrence’s Warbler