Ventana Wildlife Society - Big Sur Ornithology Lab Updates

December finally brought some much-needed rain to Big Sur, and showers soaked us in the second half of the month. New growth is already sprouting, as the grasses and poison oak bushes begin turning bright green again. Mixed-species foraging flocks of Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Hutton’s Vireos, Bushtits, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and Ruby-crowned Kinglets move through the study area searching for food behind every leaf and twig. Our crew worked hard this month to wrap up another great year of research and education before dispersing across the country for the holidays.

Mist-netting and Banding at Andrew Molera State Park
Despite the fact that we only banded 4 days this month, we still captured 144 birds of 16 species! The majority of those birds were banded in just one day, December 6, when we captured 98 birds! That is the highest one-day capture total at BSOL since May 2005, and it’s the highest-ever winter capture total. The majority of the birds banded that day were Yellow-rumped “Myrtle” Warblers, which explains why that species was once again this month’s number one capture with 72 individuals. Coming in at a distant second was Hermit Thrush (21), followed by Ruby-crowned Kinglet (16). We banded a few fun and interesting winter residents, including Brown Creeper (2) and Townsend’s Warbler (1).

Monarch Butterfly Monitoring
The overwintering Monarch Butterflies reached their peak winter population in Monterey County this month, with a grand total of 18,114 counted at all ten sites during the first week of December. We had another tagging session at the Monarch Grove Sanctuary in Pacific Grove mid-month, and thanks to the participation of a few dedicated volunteers, as well as VWS staff and interns, we tagged over 1,000 butterflies! We also had some very interesting tag recoveries and re-sightings from last month’s tagging session. Butterflies that were tagged in November in Pacific Grove turned up in December in Carmel (6 miles south), Capitola (30 miles north), and Big Sur (40 miles south). Butterflies that were tagged at last month’s Monarch Madness festival and released in Salinas by Helen Johnson in November were re-sighted in Pacific Grove (15 mi SW) and Big Sur (55 mi S). These re-sightings provide important information about Monarch movement, and also highlight the fact that Monarchs use multiple over-wintering sites during their migration. It is therefore critical that we preserve as much habitat as possible to ensure their continued survival. Our next tagging session will be on Saturday, January 12, 2008; please contact Jessica Griffiths if you are interested in participating.

Christmas Bird Count
On Sunday December 16, four VWS Conservation Ecology staff and interns participated in the annual Big Sur Christmas Bird Count. For one day each winter, birders fan out in Big Sur to count every bird they see and hear. The data gathered helps us learn about long-term population trends and species diversity. The weather was beautiful and sunny, if quite chilly! Frozen puddles and frost-coated grass greeted us as we started our trek. This year’s route took us down the south side of the Big Sur River along the River Trail to the Twin Cottonwoods loop, then across the river and back up the Bobcat Trail. We hiked about 4 miles all told, and spotted 39 bird species. The most abundant bird by far was Yellow-rumped Warbler, which will not come as a surprise to those of you keeping track of our banding totals. We counted almost 300 Yellow-rumps in just 3 hours! We also saw many, many Hermit Thrushes and a giant flock of over 90 American Goldfinches. The most exciting bird that we saw on our hike was a vagrant White-throated Sparrow. The best bird of the day was spotted by birder Steve Rovell in Molera at the mouth of the Big Sur River: a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher!

Welcome!
Due to the unpredictability of winter weather, we will be banding only two to three days a week (generally Wednesdays and Thursdays) at Andrew Molera State Park through March. As a result, the lab may not be open on a given day. So, please call or e-mail Wildlife Biologist Jessica Griffiths ahead of time to confirm that we are here to welcome you. Jessica can be reached by phone at (831) 624-1202, or e-mail at jessicagriffiths AT ventanaws.org. See you soon, and don't forget your binoculars!

November means chilly mornings and mild afternoons here in Big Sur. The sky remains stubbornly clear and sunny despite the need for precipitation. The Big Sur River still flows calmly through our study area; unaffected by the mere two days of rain this month. Fall migration is largely over though there are still a few late migrants straggling through. Winter residents such as Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Townsend’s Warblers flock together in the study area. But the most common birds by far are the Yellow-rumped Warblers that have invaded! These energetic birds are literally everywhere, in every treetop, forming large foraging flocks and calling to each other as they dart around the treetops searching for insects to eat. It is interesting to note that the last time we had so many Yellow-rumped Warblers was back in the winter of 2002-03, which (just like this winter) followed on the heels of a drought year. What’s the connection? We’re not sure, but we do know that we enjoy the abundance of winter bird life here in Andrew Molera State Park!

Mist-netting and Banding at Andrew Molera State Park
Since we are now on our winter banding schedule, we are banding just a few days each week. But despite that, our nets were still full of late migrants and winter residents. This month in 8 days of banding, we captured 179 birds of 17 species. Yellow-rumped “Myrtle” Warbler was our number one species with 60 birds captured. Hermit Thrush was second with 42 birds, followed by Golden-crowned Sparrow with 21. Interesting captures included a colorful Townsend’s Warbler and a very late migrant Lincoln’s Sparrow. Our most exciting capture this month was a Nashville Warbler, the first of that species to be banded here this year!

Mist-netting and Banding at the Carmel River Lagoon
Our fall & winter monitoring at the Carmel River Lagoon continued in November, but due to weather conditions and our busy schedules, we were only able to band one day this month. But in that one day of banding we captured 25 birds of 9 species. Our number one capture was Ruby-crowned Kinglet, with 8 birds. In second place was Hermit Thrush (5 birds), followed by Yellow-rumped “Audubon’s” Warbler (3 birds). Other interesting captures included a Fox Sparrow and an Orange-crowned Warbler of the subspecies celata, which overwinters here on the central coast.

Monarch Butterfly Monitoring
Our favorite tiny orange and black winged visitors returned to the Monterey Peninsula this month: the Monarch butterflies are back! They come by the thousands from all over the western U.S. to spend the winter in special groves of trees on the central California Coast. This month kicked off our seventh year of monitoring overwintering Monarch butterflies in Monterey County. We monitor ten overwintering sites, some with only a few hundred butterflies and some with many thousands. VWS biologists visit each site every week to visually estimate the number of butterflies present. We do this to keep track of the populations over the course of the year and from year to year. This year, the overwintering population is rather low. This is perhaps due to the extensive droughts this summer, which may have resulted in fewer milkweed plants. In fact, this is the second-lowest population we’ve seen since we started monitoring butterflies in 2001. However, Monarch butterflies have the ability to recover quickly from population declines, provided the drought does not continue for multiple years. This month, the highest population count for all nine sites combined was 17,250. That is a 70% decrease from last November’s high count, and it’s less than 50% of 2005’s highest total.

Once again we are resuming our Monarch butterfly tagging project. We are tagging the butterflies to track their movement between overwintering sites and their spring dispersal movements. The butterflies are tagged with a tiny sticker bearing a toll-free phone number and a unique ID number. Anyone who finds a tagged butterfly can call the number and report the butterfly’s location. We once again received permission from the Pacific Grove City Council to tag at the PG Monarch Grove Sanctuary. We had our first tagging session on November 8, and we had a whole host of local Pacific Grove volunteers to help us. Thanks to their quick work, and the help of VWS interns, staff, and board members, we tagged over 1,500 butterflies! Our next tagging session will be on Tuesday, December 18; if you are interested in participating, please contact Jessica Griffiths.

Education and Outreach
This month not only did we welcome a few dozen visitors to the banding lab, including kids & adults of all ages, but we also connected with over 500 other people through outreach activities. We kicked off the month with our annual Monarch Butterfly Monitoring Workshop, which was attended by over 20 people. They came to learn how we count the Monarch Butterflies so that they can count at other overwintering sites in California, or volunteer as a counter with us. Everyone learned a lot, and had a great time. The next week, Wildlife Biologist Jessica Griffiths gave a Monarch Butterfly talk at the PG Museum of Natural History (PGMNH), as well as a talk on bird banding to the Sierra Club at Limekiln State Park. Wildlife Biologist Nellie Thorngate spoke to the Monterey Peninsula Audubon Society about non-native bird species. This month, VWS also manned a table at several local events, including the Feathered Friends event at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Monarch Madness at PGMNH.

October came to Big Sur with cool mornings, warm afternoons, and some badly needed rain. Andrew Molera State Park is painted in the subtle colors of fall as the willows and cottonwoods turn yellow and the poison oak flushes red. Migration continued full-steam all month, but by the end of the month, the changing of the guard is almost complete, and the summer residents are gone. But now the winter residents have all arrived, and we are serenaded by the plaintive songs of the Golden-crowned Sparrows and White-crowned Sparrows that have come south to spend the next few months in the relatively mild climate of coastal California. Yellow-rumped Warblers are thick in the trees, and Hermit Thrushes skulk in the undergrowth, popping up to flick their tails and call questioningly.

Mist-netting and Banding at Andrew Molera State Park
Thanks to a busy fall migration, this month in 20 days of banding we captured 491 birds of 39 species. Our number one capture was Hermit Thrush, with 103 captures, followed by Golden-crowned Sparrow (80 captures) and Yellow-rumped Warbler (68 captures). We caught several colorful fall migrants including Townsend’s Warbler (4), Yellow Warbler (3), Common Yellowthroat (2), and MacGillivray’s Warbler (1). Interesting captures included Sharp-shinned Hawk (2), and Marsh Wren (1), which is found only locally in Big Sur and is only the 7th BSOL capture! We also banded several vagrant birds this month, including White-throated Sparrow (1), Hammond’s Flycatcher (1), and American Redstart (1).

Mist-netting and Banding at the Carmel River Lagoon
We continued our fall banding at the Carmel River Lagoon, despite the rain which allowed us to band only a few days at that site. Fall migration meant we were kept very busy, and we had one day where we banded over 40 birds! Our top captures were Yellow-rumped Warblers and Chestnut-backed Chickadees, but we also encountered plenty of Hermit Thrushes and year-round residents such as Bewick’s Wren, Hutton’s Vireo, and Song Sparrow. We will continue our monitoring at this site throughout the winter in order to better understand the habitat requirements of over-wintering birds in riparian habitat.

Education and Outreach
Aside from being swamped with migrating birds, we were also busy with visitors! This month we hosted groups from a wide variety of schools from all over central California, including students of all ages from Lynn Scott Charter School, Discovery Charter School, Salinas Community School, UCSC, and a home school group. We also led a field trip for the California Audubon Society as part of their annual conference. In addition to educating people who visit us in Andrew Molera State Park, we also travel to teach about bird conservation, and share the results of our research. This month Wildlife Biologist Jessica Griffiths hit the road to give presentations about VWS and BSOL, and she talked to the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory in San Francisco, the Lindsay Wildlife Museum in Walnut Creek, the Redbud Audubon Society in Clearlake, the Sacramento Audubon Society, and the Carmel Foundation. All in all we connected with over 450 people this month!

Welcome!
Due to the unpredictability of winter weather, we will be banding only two to three days a week (generally Wednesdays, Thursdays or Fridays) at Andrew Molera State Park through March. As a result, the lab may not be open on a given day. So, please call or e-mail Wildlife Biologist Jessica Griffiths ahead of time to confirm that we are here to welcome you. Jessica can be reached by phone at (831) 624-1202, or e-mail at JessicaGriffiths@VentanaWS.org. See you soon, and don't forget your binoculars!

September continued this year’s tradition of high winds and warm, sunny days. Migration is officially in full swing, with many unexpected visitors to our nets. The arrival of fall migrants also means the departure of some of our summer residents, and we bid a fond farewell to species such as the Wilson’s Warbler and Black-headed Grosbeak, who are winging their way to the tropics. While we are sad to see our colorful breeding birds depart for the season, we are delighted by the cheery yellow faces of the Townsend’s Warblers and the bright scarlet caps of the Ruby-crowned Kinglets that have arrived to take their places. We can’t wait to see what migrants find their way to Andrew Molera State Park this fall!

Mist-netting and Banding at Andrew Molera State Park
In typical September fashion, with 22 days of banding we caught 374 birds of 42 species! Our top capture this month goes to the Western Flycatcher (74 birds), with Chestnut-backed Chickadees (30 birds) still hanging on to second place, and Song Sparrows tying with Oregon Juncos (24 birds each) for third. Andrew Molera State Park is known as a vagrant trap, and September didn’t disappoint! Our unusual captures list included: Cassin’s Vireo, Chipping Sparrow, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Western Tanager, and Yellow-breasted Chat. We generally expect to see a few individuals of these species, but don’t often catch them. Our rare captures list included: American Redstart, Blackpoll Warbler, Mourning Warbler, and Northern Waterthrush. We don’t expect to see these species, and all but the Redstart typically occur east of the Rocky Mountains in the continental US! The Mourning Warbler is only the 6th capture record for BSOL since 1992!

Mist-netting and Banding at the Carmel River Lagoon
The Carmel River level is on the rise, and rubber boots are now a necessity for banding at the River Lagoon. In 4 days of banding there, we caught 50 birds of 17 species. Our top captures included Wilson’s Warbler (10 birds), and Swainson’s Thrush (8 birds). Anna’s Hummingbird, Bewick’s Wren, and Song Sparrow tied for third with 4 birds each. We had one unusual fall vagrant in September; an American Redstart turned up on the last net run in the beginning of the month. This is only the second American Redstart captured at the River Lagoon since banding started in 1998!

Education and Outreach
A total of 183 visitors came by the banding lab this month, including two dozen people from Britain and a group from Ohio Metropolitan Parks. In addition, 78 of those visitors came with the Monterey Bay Birding Festival over a two-day period. The festival is a chance for birders to experience the beauty of the Monterey Bay area while attending birding lectures, walks, and all-day field trips. VWS hosted two all-day field trips where we gave banding demonstrations at BSOL, led bird walks, and took people down the Big Sur coast to view California Condors. Despite the rainy weather, everyone had a great time and saw some memorable birds.

Introduction to Bird Banding Workshop
From September 24 – 28, VWS hosted 5 participants in the first annual Introduction to Bird Banding Workshop. Our three North American Banding Council Trainer-certified Wildlife Biologists and Trainer-in-training Intern Crew Leader focused on the fundamentals of bird banding, covering all topics essential to running a banding station. We banded four mornings and held lectures in the afternoons. We took a field trip one afternoon with our Species Recovery biologists to find California Condors, and after waiting for over an hour out in the heavy fog we were rewarded with a condor cruising by only 15 feet overhead! After an intense week of setting up mist-nets, learning about bird molt, and practicing bird handling, everyone enjoyed a wonderful dinner prepared by VWS biologists, held at Brazil Ranch in Big Sur. We all learned a lot from each other, and we’re already planning for next year’s workshop!

Comings and Goings
We reluctantly allowed two of our summer interns to depart this month; Emily Haber and Sharna Tolfree spent a wonderful spring and summer with us. Emily is now romping around the outback of Australia banding a variety of finch species, and Sharna is tagging Monarch Butterflies and banding raptors on the east coast.

On a brighter note, we welcomed Ryan Pottinger to our winter crew! Ryan graduated from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse in May of 2006 with a B.S. degree in Biology. He worked at the Upper Midwest Environmental Science Center for four years. His field experience includes studying the draw-down effects of the Mississippi River on the aquatic and emergent plant life, comparing different stop over usage of neotropical songbirds in upland and floodplain habitats, studying reproductive success of spotted-sandpipers, and mist-netting. His free time is spent outside hiking, playing volleyball, learning plant species and getting life birds.

Welcome!
Come join us for some fall banding! We are open to the public for morning banding demonstrations 5 days per week from Tuesdays through Saturdays. Because our schedule is busy, we recommend that visitors call or e-mail Wildlife Biologist Jessica Griffiths ahead of time to confirm that we are here to welcome you. Jessica can be reached by phone at (831) 624-1202, or e-mail at jessicagriffiths@ventanaws.org. See you soon, and don't forget your binoculars!

The month of August typically means foggy mornings, earning it the nickname “Fogust”. But this month saw mostly sunny skies over Big Sur, although the first and last weeks of the month were fairly foggy and there was a sprinkling of rain right at the end. Here in Andrew Molera State Park the breeding season has come to an end, the last of the juvenile birds have left their nests, and very few birds are still singing on territory. Chestnut-backed Chickadees lead mixed-species flocks of Wilson’s Warblers, Hutton’s Vireos, and Warbling Vireos through the study area, busily foraging among the yellowing fall foliage. Many birds are now concentrating on beginning to build up stored body fat for the upcoming fall migration, and the very earliest migrants such as Yellow Warblers are already moving through. Even the ground squirrels are more actively gathering food, staging raids on the picnic tables and any food left unguarded inside the Research and Education Center here at the park.

This month in 23 days of banding we captured 416 birds of 26 species. This is our highest August total since 2001! Our number one capture this month was once again Wilson’s Warbler (102 birds), while Chestnut-backed Chickadees took a distant second place (41 birds) and Pacific-slope Flycatchers came in third (38 birds). We captured some fun resident birds, such as Brown Creeper (5), Lesser Goldfinch (5), and Western Scrub-Jay (1). We captured several migrating Yellow Warblers (7), as well as a migrating Willow Flycatcher that is the earliest fall capture of that species in BSOL history! And speaking of early arrivals, we banded a very young dispersing White-crowned Sparrow. One subspecies of this bird breeds in the hills of Big Sur, but typically they do not arrive in the study area until much later in the fall. This intrepid juvenile apparently decided to strike out on his own ahead of his cohorts. We don’t blame him for arriving early, for who could resist the charms of the Big Sur River in this late summer heat?

Carmel River MAPS Stations. August brought with it the close to the Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) season, finishing off the breeding season and hinting at the upcoming fall migration. We only banded at the Carmel River MAPS stations one last day each, which explains the low capture total of 47 birds. Red Rocks ended with 14 birds of 8 species, 82% of which were juveniles. Our top captures were Bushtit (6) and Pacific-slope Flycatcher (2). Our interesting capture was an Anna's Hummingbird. Schulte Bridge ended strong with 24 birds of 12 species. Of those birds, 71% were juveniles. Our top captures were Bushtit (9), Pacific-slope Flycatcher (3), and a two-way tie for Black Phoebe and Hutton's Vireo (2 each). Interesting captures included Anna's Hummingbird. Rancho San Carlos came full circle to end in last place with 9 birds of 6 species. Of those birds, 56% were juveniles. Our top captures were Wilson's Warbler (3) and Bewick's Wren (2). Our most interesting capture was a Pacific-slope Flycatcher.

Carmel River Lagoon. With the end of the MAPS season on August 8, the Carmel River Lagoon switched to a weekly fall migration banding schedule. With the onset of migration, our capture rates began to rise. We caught 45 birds of 11 species. Our top three captures were Chestnut-backed Chickadee (20), which accounted for nearly half our total captures, Wilson’s Warbler (8), and Swainson’s Thrush (5). Our interesting birds for August include the first arrivals of our fall migrants: Townsend’s Warbler and Yellow Warbler! We are looking forward to a busy fall at the river lagoon!

Avian Monitoring at Camp Roberts
We wrapped up our avian monitoring projects at Camp Roberts this month, doing one more round of oak woodlands point counts and banding one more day at each of our two MAPS stations. Our oak woodlands point counts turned up the usual suspects foraging among the green canopies: White-breasted Nuthatches, Acorn Woodpeckers, and Yellow-billed Magpies, to name a few. At the Nacimiento River banding station we captured 9 birds of 6 species, with Wilson’s Warbler (4 birds) coming in as the number one capture. At the Salinas River station we banded 9 birds of 7 species, and the most frequently captured birds were Spotted Towhee and Nuttall’s Woodpecker, with 2 each. Our most exciting capture at that site was a strikingly-patterned Lark Sparrow. And so we say goodbye to the birds of Camp Roberts for another year; here’s looking forward to next year’s monitoring!

Education and Outreach
This month we had over 200 visitors the banding lab. In addition to our usual summer visitors, we hosted an all-day field trip for the Ecological Society of America showcasing our bird banding and California Condor reintroduction efforts. We were visited by over 50 kids participating in our Natural Science Discovery Camp, and we also worked with 10 teenagers that were part of our newly-developed Teen Condor Camp. These lucky youths spent a morning at the Big Sur Ornithology Lab learning the ins and outs of being an ornithologist before heading up to our condor base camp for two days and nights. They put out food for the condors, learned orienteering, made behavioral observations, and completed a service project for our Species Recovery program. The camp was a unique opportunity to shadow our Species Recovery biologists and find out what it would be like to work with endangered wildlife. We hope that this experience will inspire these teens to take an active role in protecting the environment.

VWS Staff Conference
At the end of the month we had our sixth semi-annual VWS Staff Conference, which is a chance for our staff and interns to present research projects to the rest of the organization. VWS staff and board members were joined by representatives from agencies such as the California Department of Parks and Recreation for a morning of informative talks. Conservation Ecology interns presented independent research on recapture rates and population dynamics of Chestnut-backed Chickadees, the fall migration stopover ecology of Ruby-crowned Kinglets, an analysis of mist-netting injuries, and an examination of the differences between Pacific-slope Flycatchers and Cordilleran Flycatchers. Conservation Ecology staff presented findings on the dynamics of Chestnut-backed Chickadee mixed species foraging flocks and an overview of conservation applications of GIS. Species Recovery interns presented data on observations of nesting California Condors, and administrative staff gave an overview of VWS’s new Long Range Plan. The conference was a success, and we’re already planning for the next one!

Welcome!
Come join us for some summer banding! We are open to the public for morning banding demonstrations 5 days per week from Tuesdays through Saturdays. Because our schedule is busy, we recommend that visitors call or e-mail Wildlife Biologist Jessica Griffiths ahead of time to confirm that we are here to welcome you. Jessica can be reached by phone at (831) 624-1202, or e-mail at jessicagriffiths@ventanaws.org. See you soon, and don't forget your binoculars!

July brought warm temperatures to Big Sur, and the hot sunny days alternated with cool foggy ones. The Big Sur River continues to flow steadily, if somewhat shallowly, towards the ocean even as the lower reaches of the Carmel River dry out. Most birds have fledged their young by now, and some industrious parents are already started on a second brood. The warm weather has brought out the reptiles of Andrew Molera State Park, and Western Fence Lizards scurry everywhere while Gopher Snakes, King Snakes and even Western Rattlesnakes bask in the sun.

Mist-netting and Banding at Andrew Molera State Park
This July was a busy one for the birds and the biologists banding them! In 21 days of banding we captured 591 birds of 31 species. We actually banded more birds in July than in May this year, which has not happened in six years. This could be due to a combination of a windy spring leading to fewer net-hours of capture effort followed by a dry summer which may be concentrating birds in riparian areas with water. A majority of those (83%) were juvenile birds. Our number one capture this month was again Wilson’s Warbler, with 176 birds, the highest monthly total for that species yet this year. At a distant second was Song Sparrow (65 birds), followed by Wrentit and Purple Finch (40 birds each). Interesting captures included a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, a Violet-green Swallow, and two stunningly jewel-toned male Lazuli Buntings. We also banded a beautiful male Rose-breasted Grosbeak, bringing our total captures of that species this year to four. But our most exciting capture this month was a Northern Parula! This bird is normally found east of the Rocky Mountains, and is a vagrant in Monterey Country. We often capture them in the spring or fall, though they have been known to occur in the summer, and a few have even attempted to nest here (most recently in 2004). The bird we banded was an adult male in breeding condition, which seems to indicate that there might have been a local breeding attempt this year.

Carmel River MAPS Stations. July brought a divergence of the different netting sites in terms of numbers of birds captured, although our total capture of 189 birds is still similar to May (213 birds) and June (210 birds). Red Rocks, continuing its downward trend, totaled only 15 birds of 12 species. Of those 15 birds, 73% were juvenile. Our top captures were Black Phoebe (3) and Bewick's Wren (2). All 10 other species tied for third, with 1 capture each. The most exciting of these captures was a Western Scrub-Jay. Schulte Bridge fell just shy of the highest captures with 86 birds of 21 species. Of 86 birds, 75% of those were juveniles. Our top captures were Wrentit (9) and Pacific-slope Flycatcher (8), followed by a three-way tie for Black-headed Grosbeak, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, and Song Sparrow (7 each). Interesting captures included Downy Woodpecker and Lesser Goldfinch. Rancho San Carlos topped the capture list with 88 birds of 18 species. Of 88 birds, 68% were juveniles. Our top captures were Bushtit (21), Chestnut-backed Chickadee (15), and Wilson's Warbler (12). Interesting captures included Nuttall's Woodpecker and Western Scrub-Jay.

Carmel River Lagoon. The River Lagoon, though totaling a smaller number of birds captured, was the center of attention for July. We captured 51 birds of 11 species, with juveniles making up 67% of the total. Chestnut-backed Chickadee (18), Wilson's Warbler (10), and Swainson's Thrush (6) ranked as the top three most common captures. The most exciting capture of July, and in fact the whole season, was a Red-shouldered Hawk!! This is the first Red-shouldered Hawk caught at the River Lagoon, and only the 7th caught in all of BSOL history. In other raptor-related news, all three Sharp-shinned Hawk fledglings have left the nest and were seen and heard flying around the study area throughout the entire month. Congratulations to the proud parents of the first successful Sharp-shinned Hawk nest in 106 years!

Avian Monitoring at Camp Roberts
July at Camp Roberts went off without a bang (despite the 4th of July). The base was even hotter and drier than previous months with virtually nothing green outside of the riparian zone (save the few remaining oaks) and both rivers remained significantly lower than in past years. We wrapped up our riparian point counts and brought down the entire BSOL crew for a day to kick off our oak woodland point counts. Oak woodlands are a critical habitat for a wide variety of avian species and yet are rapidly disappearing in California. We conducted point counts in both contiguous and non-contiguous oak woodlands to get a better idea of species density and diversity in this fragile habitat. This meant we saw a few other species that aren't as common in the riparian habitat, such as Yellow-billed Magpies, Western Kingbirds, Acorn Woodpeckers and Western Bluebirds.

MAPS Stations. Our July mist-netting efforts started off with more promise than we ended June with, but apparently the birds were just in town for the 4th of July holiday. The first day of banding at the Nacimiento River site yielded 12 birds of 8 species and at the Salinas River, while we only caught 13 birds, there was a nice mix of species (8), including a juvenile Western Bluebird, a California Thrasher, a White-breasted Nuthatch, and two Black Phoebes. The following two sessions, with two days at each site, set unprecedented low capture records. In two days of banding on the Nacimiento River we only captured 8 individuals of 5 species. On the Salinas River, the two days of banding only yielded 7 individuals of 5 species, with only one bird on the last day! These remarkably low numbers will provide an interesting comparison with past years. Even though the capture rates were low throughout the month we were kept entertained with some interesting sightings around the banding stations including an adult male Phainopepla and a flock of Lark Sparrows on the Salinas River and an Osprey on the Nacimiento River.

Education and Outreach
Not only were there a lot of birds visiting our nets, but a whole host of humans as well. This month over 230 people visited the banding lab, including over 80 kids who were part of our Natural Science Discovery Camp. We also gave a banding demonstration to a group of ornithology students from UCSC who came down to see biologists applying what they learned in the classroom. Based on the delight the kids and students expressed at seeing birds up-close and the many questions they asked about our research and the birds we study, we feel confident that there were some budding environmentalists and scientists among our visitors!

Welcome!
Come join us for some summer banding! We are open to the public for morning banding demonstrations 5 days per week from Tuesdays through Saturdays. Because our schedule is busy, we recommend that visitors call or e-mail Wildlife Biologist Jessica Griffiths ahead of time to confirm that we are here to welcome you. Jessica can be reached by phone at (831) 624-1202, or e-mail at JessicaGriffiths@VentanaWS.org. See you soon, and don't forget your binoculars!

June comes to Big Sur with sunny skies, big fluffy clouds, and the ever-present spring winds. The vibrant green of the fully leafed-out Western Sycamores contrasts with the golden brown of the surrounding hills. The breeding season is in full effect at Andrew Molera State Park this month, and almost every species of bird is busy building a nest, incubating eggs, or feeding demanding fledglings. Dutiful California Quail parents keep close watch on their tiny chicks foraging along the edges of the park trails, while young Steller’s Jays squawk and chase each other around the picnic tables by the banding lab.

Mist-netting and Banding at Andrew Molera State Park
Our relatively low spring migration numbers gave way to a rush of breeding birds and fledglings in June. This month in 22 days of banding we captured 631 birds of 35 species. That is the highest June capture total in six years. Of the birds that we banded this month, 72% were juveniles, born this summer. Our number one capture by far was Wilson’s Warbler (147 birds). Song Sparrow and Chestnut-backed Chickadee were tied for a distant second with 71 birds each. We banded several interesting birds this month, including a Brewer’s Blackbird and three more Lazuli Buntings (two females and a juvenile), bringing our total yearly capture of Lazuli Buntings to five birds. We also banded two migrating Willow Flycatchers, a very late migrating Fox Sparrow, and some beautiful vagrant birds, including two male Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. But our star capture of the month was a Yellow-billed Cuckoo! This bird is typically restricted to inland riparian habitat such as the Central Valley of California, and is a very rare visitor to Monterey County. This was only the third individual ever banded at BSOL!

With migration out of the way most birds have settled down in their nests, and June is prime season for catching juvenile birds! Our MAPS stations remain quite productive, catching a total of 210 birds (compared to 213 captured during May). Red Rocks, with the highest captures in May, dropped to the lowest captures with 42 birds of 16 species. Twenty-three birds (55%) were juveniles. Our top captures were Song Sparrow (11) followed by Chestnut-backed Chickadee (7), and Swainson’s Thrush (5). Interesting captures include Mourning Dove, and a Myotis species of bat (possibly a Little Brown Myotis)! Schulte Bridge had the highest captures, with 95 birds of 20 species captured! Fifty birds (55%) were juveniles. Our top captures there include Chestnut-backed Chickadee (14) and Swainson’s Thrush (9) followed by a four-way tie for Bewick’s Wren, Purple Finch, Song Sparrow, and Spotted Towhee (7 each). Interesting captures include Black Phoebe and Western Scrub-Jay. Rancho San Carlos totaled 72 birds of 18 species. Thirty-four birds (47%) were juveniles. The top captures are Song Sparrow (22), Chestnut-backed Chickadee (10) and Anna’s Hummingbird (6). Interesting captures include Black Phoebe and Nuttall’s Woodpecker.
Mist-netting and Banding at the Carmel River Lagoon. As with the rest of the Carmel River MAPS stations, the river lagoon was teeming with juvenile birds. We captured a total of 73 birds of 15 species. Thirty-five birds (49%) were juveniles. Chestnut-backed Chickadee (21), Song Sparrow (14), and Bewick’s Wren (7) ranked as the top three most common captures. Exciting captures include Brewer’s Blackbird, Red-winged Blackbird, and a male Sharp-shinned Hawk! This is the male from the pair that has successfully hatched 3 juveniles. The young hawks appear to have hatched within a few days of June 22nd, and should be out of the nest and flying around within the first or second week of July!

Avian Monitoring at Camp Roberts

Our monitoring at Camp Roberts was on temporary hiatus this month, resuming only in the last week of June. In our absence, it seemed that the vegetation had become even drier, and the water levels in the rivers had dropped further. During one day of banding at the Salinas River site we banded 10 birds of 8 species, and in one day of banding at the Nacimiento River site we banded just 3 birds of 3 species! Despite a two-day total of just 13 birds, we still captured some interesting species. At the Salinas River site we caught two White-breasted Nuthatches, and at the Nacimiento River site we banded a Red-shafted Flicker that was at least 4 years old.

We also continued our point count censuses, which allow us to monitor bird populations in the riparian habitat (and hopefully detect a Least Bell’s Vireo or two!). In order to make up for missed days, we did two sets of point counts, and were kept busy trying to estimate the numbers of nesting Cliff Swallows under bridges. While on base we also spotted some exciting birds, such as Prairie Falcon, Loggerhead Shrike, and Greater Roadrunner.

June marked the start of VWS’s Natural Science Discovery Camp (NSDC), a day camp for children aged 8-12. During their week-long camp session, kids learn about important ecological principles while gaining an appreciation for nature and the outdoors. Once a week the campers come down to Andrew Molera State Park to pay a visit to BSOL. While here, they see biologists in action and gain an appreciation for the role of science in conservation. We were also visited by field trips from Tularcitos Elementary and Aliso Niguel High School, and a group of docents from the Oakland Museum of Science.

This month we said goodbye to UCSC student intern Jade Matrone, who wrapped up her internship with BSOL mid-month and then graduated a few days later. Jade worked for BSOL as part of the Environmental Studies internship program at UCSC, receiving academic credit for her internship. Jade was an energetic and dynamic part of the BSOL crew, and we wish her luck with summer school. We hope that she will be migrating back down to Big Sur soon!

Welcome!
Come join us for some summer banding! We are open to the public for morning banding demonstrations 5 days per week from Tuesdays through Saturdays. Because our schedule is busy, we recommend that visitors call or e-mail Wildlife Biologist Jessica Griffiths ahead of time to confirm that we are here to welcome you. Jessica can be reached by phone at (831) 624-1202, or e-mail at JessicaGriffiths@VentanaWS.org. See you soon, and don't forget your binoculars!

Here in Big Sur the month of May has brought flowers, foggy mornings and sunny afternoons…and wind! Despite the blustery weather, spring migration is right on schedule, with several colorful feathered visitors taking an unintentional break in our mist nets. As the migrants stream through Andrew Molera State Park, early breeding species such as Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Orange-crowned Warblers, Bushtits, Wrentits, Song Sparrows and even Brown Creepers are already fledging their young. Everywhere we look, juvenile birds that have just left the nest are clamoring for food from their hard-working parents.

This month we captured 535 birds of 42 species. May is usually our busiest month of the year, but the unusually high spring winds meant that we had to close our mist-nets early almost every day. That meant that our banding totals were relatively low for May, and our capture rates were below average. Our capture rates were highest during the first week of May when a large number of birds were migrating through Big Sur, but below average for the rest of the month. However our species diversity was right on par with past spring migrations. Of the 535 birds we banded, Swainson’s Thrush was the number one capture with 110 individuals, followed by Wilson’s Warbler (73) and Chestnut-backed Chickadee (37). Our species diversity was boosted by lingering winter migrants such as Fox Sparrow (1), White-crowned Sparrow (1), and Townsend’s Warbler (1) and incoming spring migrants such as MacGillivray’s Warbler (5), Yellow-breasted Chat (14), and Yellow Warbler (22). We banded six species of flycatcher this month: Black Phoebe (4), Pacific-slope Flycatcher (6), Western Wood-Pewee (4), Ash-throated Flycatcher (1), Olive-sided Flycatcher (2) (our first capture of that species in four years!) and a vagrant Dusky Flycatcher (1) (our 18th-ever capture of that species). We also caught two female Lazuli Buntings and a Cliff Swallow, only the 11th one ever banded at Molera, along with two Brewer’s Blackbirds (the 12th and 13th ever banded at Molera). Other exciting spring captures include a Cassin’s Vireo and a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

Carmel River Lagoon. May brought about better weather and better luck banding at the Carmel River Lagoon. We are in our 9th year of banding here in cooperation with the California Department of Parks and Recreation, and have just added 5 more net lanes to the study area. We are now sampling birds from actively restored riparian habitat, passively restored riparian habitat, and mature riparian forest habitat. We captured a total of 59 birds of 17 species, with Song Sparrow (17), Swainson’s Thrush (6) and Wilson’s Warbler (6) as the top three most common captures. Unusual captures include Mourning Dove, Brewer’s Blackbird, and Red-winged Blackbird. The most exciting news, however, is the discovery of a Sharp-shinned Hawk nest! This is the first confirmed nest around the Carmel River Lagoon in 106 years! The female currently is tending to eggs, so we expect to see hatching Sharp-shinned Hawks in the near future! Stay tuned!

Carmel River MAPS Stations. May has returned, and with it comes the start of the MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) banding season. These three sites were surveyed 4 of the past 5 years, and we are able to continue banding this year thanks to the continued cooperation with the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District. Red Rocks is the busiest site so far, with a total of 88 birds of 22 species captured. Our top captures are Bushtit (12) followed by Anna’s Hummingbird (10), Allen’s Hummingbird (9) and Song Sparrow (9). Exciting captures include Hooded Oriole, Lazuli Bunting and American Robin. Schulte Bridge follows a close second with 71 birds of 20 species captured. Our top captures include Swainson’s Thrush (11) followed by a three way tie for Allen’s Hummingbird, Bewick’s Wren, and Wilson’s Warbler (6 each). Interesting captures include Nuttall’s Woodpecker, Steller’s Jay, and a juvenile California Quail. Rancho San Carlos totaled 54 birds of 13 species. The top captures are Song Sparrow (18), Swainson’s Thrush (7) and Bewick’s Wren (6). Although Rancho San Carlos caught the fewest birds, it did catch the best species for the Carmel River: an Acorn Woodpecker!

This month we began our fourth consecutive summer of avian monitoring at the Camp Roberts California Army National Guard training facility in southern Monterey County. We arrived at our study sites to find the ground vegetation sparse to absent, and what grasses remained were dry and dusty brown. Both the Salinas and Nacimiento Rivers are running lower than we have seen them since the inception of the project, and the riparian strips bordering them provide a narrow and fragile line of green to break the unrelieved drab of the uncultivated upper Salinas Valley in a drought year.

MAPS Stations. Our May mist-netting sessions at Camp Roberts yielded a surprising number and diversity of neotropical migrants mixed in with our resident species, making their way up the flyway to their breeding grounds. During two days of banding, we captured 40 individuals of 20 species at the Nacimiento River site (NANG) and 58 individuals of 16 species at the Salinas River site (SANG). Among the species we didn’t expect were a lovely second-year male Western Tanager, and an after-second-year male MacGillivray’s Warbler, both captured at NANG. Other neotropical migrants included our most commonly captured bird at both the Nacimiento and Salinas River sites, Swainson’s Thrush (6 individuals at NANG, 13 individuals at SANG); and Wilson’s Warbler, which we caught in unexpectedly high numbers at both sites (4 individuals at NANG, 6 individuals at SANG). We were surprised by the relatively low numbers of Song Sparrows (6 individuals at NANG, 10 individuals at SANG) and Bewick’s Wrens (one individual at NANG, 0 birds at SANG) at both sites, as those species have historically been our most frequent captures.

Riparian Point Counts. In an effort to detect any recolonization of the area by the endangered Least Bell’s Vireo, and to monitor riparian bird populations in the upper Salinas Valley, we continued this year with our breeding season point count censuses, at 12 points along the Salinas and Nacimiento Rivers within the Camp Roberts training facility. The counts in May were unremarkable, with few neotropical migrants and no surprising visitors detected. Breeding residents like House Finches, Lesser Goldfinches, Red-winged Blackbirds, Western Kingbirds, Ash-throated Flycatchers, Cliff Swallows, Tree Swallows, and Song Sparrows featured prominently on the May counts.

As the number of bird migrants reached their peak in the park, the number of human visitors increased as well. This month we welcomed over 200 people to the lab, including an energetic group of second-graders from All Saints Day School and a large group from Discovery Charter School. The enthusiasm that the kids had for learning about birds and the excellent questions that the students asked us indicate that there were at least a few budding biologists in the crowd! We also gave bird banding demos to employees from State Parks and the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District. In addition to reaching people down at BSOL, we also travel to other venues to talk about our research. At the end of the month, Wildlife Biologist Jessica Griffiths gave an informative and entertaining talk to the Santa Cruz Bird Club about VWS’s Conservation Ecology bird banding projects.

On May 14-18, we hosted our annual Advanced Aging and Sexing of Landbirds Workshop, led by renowned Institute for Bird Populations (IBP) biologist Peter Pyle and co-organized by VWS and the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory (SFBBO). This year we had a total of 11 full-time participants from across the country, our highest enrollment ever! The workshop was a great success thanks to the efforts of VWS & SFBBO biologists, our hard-working interns and volunteers, and Peter Pyle himself. Local vendors such as Trader Joe’s donated food to the workshop, and the Big Sur Land Trust donated the use of Glen Deven Ranch for our big workshop dinner. We had two mornings of banding at SFBBO’s Coyote Creek field station followed by two mornings at BSOL, with afternoons filled with informative lectures by Peter Pyle. One afternoon we went driving south on Highway 1 and were treated to some low-flying California Condors. Everyone learned a lot about how to determine age and sex of birds in the hand using plumage and molt characteristics, and we are all excited to put this knowledge to use in the field. Thank you to everyone who helped or participated in this year’s workshop!

Participants in the Advanced Aging and Sexing of Landbirds Workshop held from May 14-18, 2007 gather around Peter Pyle (center, in the blue hat) as he points out the molt characteristics of a bird in the hand.

Welcome!
Come join us for some spring banding! We are open to the public for morning banding demonstrations 5 days per week from Tuesdays through Saturdays. Because our schedule is busy, we recommend that visitors call or e-mail Wildlife Biologist Jessica Griffiths ahead of time to confirm that we are here to welcome you. Jessica can be reached by phone at (831) 624-1202, or e-mail at JessicaGriffiths@VentanaWS.org. See you soon, and don't forget your binoculars!

The month of April in Big Sur was marked by lots of sun, a little bit of rain, and very high winds! Almost every day during the last two weeks of April we were forced to close our mist nets early due to strong winds from the south and west. It is not safe to capture birds in mist nets when it is very windy, and so we were at the mercy of the weather for most of the month. But while those winds were not good for us bird banders, they were great for the birds. Spring migration swung into full gear this month and Molera was alive with the songs of breeding birds and those just passing through.

Thanks to our more frequent banding and the influx of spring migrants, in 21 days of banding we captured 488 birds of 31 species. Our clear winner this month was Orange-crowned Warbler, with 108 birds! Our second most commonly captured bird was Lincoln’s Sparrow with 89 birds, which is the highest number of Lincoln’s Sparrows ever captured in one month at BSOL. Other common captures included Golden-crowned Sparrow (46 birds) and Wilson’s Warbler (44 birds). The next wave of returning summer breeders arrived this month, including Swainson’s Thrush (9) and Black-headed Grosbeak (2). Interesting migrants such as Yellow-breasted Chat (2) and Black-throated Gray (1) brightened our nets, and the several Sharp-shinned Hawks (5) that we banded kept us on our toes. Our most exciting captures of the month were a Hammond’s Flycatcher and an adult male Black-chinned Hummingbird, only the 6th ever captured at BSOL and the first male captured since 1994.

We did have one very special capture this month, and it was not a bird! Late one mid-April morning our crew leader Josh Scullen went out to check nets as usual and discovered to his astonishment that we had caught a bat! The bat was very tangled, but after donning leather gloves, Josh managed to extricate our furry visitor from the net. It was a Hoary Bat, which may be active during the day during their spring migration up from Southern California and Mexico. After examining and photographing the bat, we released it, and watched it return to hunting insects in the clearing around the banding lab. Hopefully the rest of its migration was less eventful!

This month at our station at the mouth of the Carmel River, we encountered quite a few obstacles to banding! Due to the lack of rain, the river was not flowing strongly and couldn’t break through the sand barrier at the river mouth. So the river backed up and flooded one half of our study area, which meant that we could not run those mist-nets. In addition to that, a pair of Sharp-shinned Hawks decided to build a nest directly over two other mist-nets. These small raptors are rare summer breeders in Monterey County, so the presence of a nest here at the lagoon is noteworthy. Unfortunately one of their chief prey items is other birds, so we can’t use those nets! Between the flooding, the predators, and the intermittent rain, we only captured 11 birds of 7 species in three days of banding. Our most common capture was Chestnut-backed Chickadee (3 birds), followed by Anna’s Hummingbird (2 birds) and Bewick’s Wren (2 birds).

This month we hosted a wide variety of groups at the banding lab. Aside from the normal flow of park visitors and families, we were visited by groups from the Portland Audubon Society, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and the Santa Ynez hiking club. We also participated in a wonderful job shadowing program with RISE (Recruitment in Science Education), which is designed to show kids that science can be fun and interesting. A small group of RISE students visited the banding lab one morning and followed us around, becoming temporarily immersed in the life of an ornithologist.

On Saturday April 28, VWS celebrated our annual Birdathon. Co-organized by the Monterey Peninisula Audubon Society and the Wild Bird Center of Monterey, this is the annual fundraiser for BSOL, where we try and spot as many bird species as possible in Monterey County in a 24 hour period. Intrepid birders fan out across the county, climbing mountains, descending into canyons, and trekking everywhere in between to ferret out every bird. This year the weather on land was beautiful, but a heavy fog bank sat offshore. Despite the low visibility of pelagic birds, birders still managed to spot some wonderful species. Highlights of the day included Glaucous Gull, Calliope Hummingbird, Hammond’s Flycatcher, a rare Crested Caracara, and the bird voted “Best Bird” of the count, the California Condor nestling! At the end of the day over 100 birders, VWS members, and nature enthusiasts gathered at the Wild Bird Center of Monterey for a delicious countdown dinner catered by Whole Foods Monterey. After dinner there was a raffle and silent auction with an assortment of wonderful prizes donated by several local businesses. The culmination of the evening was the countdown, emceed by Monterey’s own Don Roberson. When all was said and done, in the 24-hour period we managed to spot 250 species! This is the second-highest Birdathon total ever! More importantly, we raised over $14,000 to support bird conservation. Many thanks to all the local businesses and individuals who donated to this event and helped make it a success, and a special thank you to all the birders who participated! For a more detailed recap and photos of the Birdathon, check out Don’s website at http://montereybay.com/creagrus/BAT2007.html.

This month we welcomed four new interns to our Conservation Ecology crew for the summer: Emily Haber, Sharna Tolfree, Sarah Wulff, and Jade Matrone.

Big Sur Ornothology Conservation Ecology Team

The Conservation Ecology team is ready to tackle another season of bird banding!
Top row (l-r): Sarah Wulff, Sharna Tolfree, Jade Matrone.
Bottom row (l-r): Josh Scullen, Emily Haber, Nellie Thorngate, and Jessica Griffiths.

Emily Haber joined VWS after graduating from Scripps College in Southern California earlier this year. She spent the last two summers studying Butterflies in Costa Rica and is excited for the opportunity to work with birds! She is thrilled to be with us for spring migration and to work with all of the fresh fledglings.

Sharna Tolfree is an east coast vagrant, native to North Carolina. A graduate of Guilford College with a B.S. in Biology, she has traveled to Africa, Australia and Central America in search of birds. Prior to joining the VWS crew she spent two months in Belize banding neotropical migrants and searching for Harpy Eagles. Living the nomadic life, she enjoys spending time outdoors, hiking, biking and occasionally running through the streets.

Sarah Wulff is a Wildlife Ecology graduate from Washington State University. She was born and raised with her two older sisters in Seattle. Since graduating Sarah has completed an internship at Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana studying birds, a field job in the Yukon Territory in Canada live-trapping red squirrels, and an internship at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge in South Texas that involved working with the public, studying birds, and helping with trapping and telemetry of endangered ocelots. She enjoys gardening, reading, photography, and anything outdoors.

Jade Matrone is a vagrant from the University of California Santa Cruz. She is majoring in environmental studies and came to Big Sur to explore the wonders of Andrew Molera State Park. She loves Black-headed Grosbeaks who sing serenading songs with their powerful bills and hopes to soon see a Blue Grosbeak. After her internship ends in June she will be heading back up to Santa Cruz but will still find time to hang around the Big Sur area.

Spring has sprung here at Andrew Molera State Park! Patches of sky lupines paint the fields purple, punctuated by bright orange California poppies. Yellow bush lupines, blue fiesta-flowers, and vibrant Douglas’s irises are blooming everywhere. While wildflowers lend color to the fields, beautiful spring migrants add a splash of color to the trees and shrubs. Wilson’s Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, and Orange-crowned Warblers have returned to our study area, while Violet-green Swallows crowd the skies. The weather remains sunny, with hardly a drop of rain in sight. To celebrate the season, we here at BSOL undertook a massive spring cleaning. The banding lab, office, and the Research and Education Center were all cleaned top to bottom, in preparation for a new spring crew and a host of new spring birds.

This month during 10 days of banding we captured 143 birds of 28 species. Winter residents still dominated our banding captures. Our most common capture was Golden-crowned Sparrow (37 individuals), followed by Fox Sparrow and Ruby-crowned Kinglet (11 individuals each). We banded one more Varied Thrush, bringing this winter’s capture total to four, which is the second-highest winter total ever. To our delight, we captured several returning spring migrants this month, including Wilson’s Warbler (2), Orange-crowned Warbler (of the breeding lutescens subspecies) (4), Pacific-slope Flycatcher (1), and Common Yellowthroat (1). We also banded some less common visitors to our study area, including Lesser Goldfinch (1), Winter Wren (1), and Sharp-shinned Hawk (2).

Because of the lack of rain, the Carmel River did not flood again, and we were able to run all of our nets at the lagoon. We banded for 2 days at the Carmel River Lagoon this month, capturing 31 birds of 8 species. Our most common capture was Chestnut-backed Chickadee (8 individuals), followed by Bushtit (5 individuals). Interesting captures included jewel-toned Anna’s Hummingbird (3) and sunny Common Yellowthroat (3).

This month we banded one day at the Carmel Middle School (CMS), while talking to the kids about how birds are used as indicator species. Differences in bird abundance and species diversity can “indicate” habitat quality; the higher the species diversity, in general, the higher quality the habitat. In one day of banding we captured 46 birds of 11 species. Our most common capture by far was Golden-crowned Sparrow (24 individuals), followed by White-crowned Sparrow (12 individuals). These two sparrow species love to hang out at the bird feeders at CMS, gorging themselves on seed in order to put on fat for their upcoming spring migration. Other interesting captures included a Red-shafted Flicker and a Mourning Dove (only the 5th ever capture at CMS).

We had quite a few more visitors this month thanks to the pleasant weather. We also hosted a group of kids from the Salinas Community School, who experienced the excitement and wonder of bird banding for the first time. Wildlife Biologist Jessica Griffiths led a birdwalk for VWS’s After School program at the Carmel River Lagoon, where the kids spotted Peregrine Falcons wheeling overhead. Wildlife Biologist Nellie Thorngate traveled to San Francisco to give a presentation to the Golden Gate Audubon Society about BSOL’s research projects.

We bid a sad farewell to two of our interns this month. Jen Olson finished up her 6-month internship in early March. Jen was friendly and outgoing, and had a soft spot for Wrentits. She was a savvy bird bander, and an integral part of our winter crew. She will be spending the summer banding birds in the mountains of Arizona, south of Flagstaff. Leanne Ellis was part of our banding crew for a full year, wrapping up her internship in mid-March. Leanne was cheerful, energetic, and had a great sense of humor, and she loved working with birds (especially her favorite, the Swainson’s Thrush). She was a valuable part of our banding crew, especially our Camp Roberts project. Leanne will be working in southwestern Arizona this summer, monitoring the endangered Southwest Willow Flycatcher. Both Jen & Leanne will be sorely missed, and we wish them the best of luck!

A Chestnut-backed Chickadee, captured in February 2007 in Andrew Molera State Park, in front of the BSOL logo which bears its likeness

Female Nuttall's Woodpecker, captured in February 2007 at Andrew Molera State Park

Female American Robin captured in February 2007 at Andrew Molera State Park

Monarch butterflies mate before leaving the overwintering sites in
search of milkweed to lay their eggs on.

Hermit Thrush captured in February 2007 at Andrew Molera State Park

February brought long-awaited rain to Big Sur, and the vegetation responded vigorously. The willow trees are putting out soft and fuzzy buds, and the very first California Poppies, those heralds of spring, are brilliant spots of orange amongst the vibrant green grass. The very earliest spring migrants have begun arriving, as evidenced by the Allen's Hummingbirds zooming around the study area. Anna's Hummingbirds are engaged in their acrobatic breeding displays, and some already have nests. Many of our resident birds have already begun singing, and in the morning we are now greeted by the trill of the Spotted Towhee, the cheerful song of the Bewick's Wren, the burble of the Purple Finch, and the chatter of the California Thrasher.

Mist-Netting and Bird Banding at Andrew Molera State Park
Our capture rates dropped down to more typical winter levels this month. But after last month's bird activity, February felt very slow! In nine days of banding we captured just 70 birds of 17 species. On one memorable day, we caught only one bird! Two bird species tied for the number one spot this month: Hermit Thrush and Fox Sparrow, with 10 captures each. Ruby-crowned Kinglet (9 birds) and Purple Finch (8 birds) were close behind. Interesting captures included a striking Nuttall's Woodpecker and four more American Robins, bringing this winter's total to 10, the most since 2002! But our most exciting capture was a young female Varied Thrush, the third one captured this winter.

Mist-Netting and Bird Banding at the Carmel River Lagoon
Due to this month's inclement weather, we were only able to get in one day of banding at the Carmel River Lagoon. The river has begun steadily backing up, rising as it does every winter, which meant that one half of our study area was completely flooded. We were only able to run half of our nets, which meant that we only captured 5 birds of 3 species. Captures included Bewick's Wren (1), Chestnut-backed Chickadee (2), and Yellow-rumped "Myrtle" Warbler (2). Since there wasn't much happening at the nets, we had ample time to birdwatch, observing flocks of Lesser Goldfinches foraging in the trees and American Coots and Buffleheads swimming in the lagoon.

Monarch Butterfly Monitoring
This month marked the end of our annual Monarch butterfly monitoring project. As normally happens at the end of the season, our population counts declined steadily throughout February. Our county-wide population total at the start of this month was around 22,200, and by the end of the month it was down to 11,100. Of those, 10,800 were at George Washington Park! At all of the overwintering sites this month, Monarchs were zipping around, chasing each other and mating. After mating, the females disperse to find milkweed to lay their eggs on, for this is the only plant on which the caterpillars feed. The butterflies often head inland towards the Central Valley, but some may fly hundreds of miles. In order to learn where exactly the butterflies go in the spring, we conducted our second and final tagging session at the end of February. After the butterflies abandoned the Pacific Grove Monarch Sanctuary in December, we received special permission from the Pacific Grove City Council to tag at George Washington Park. Our crew and two dedicated volunteers tagged just over 750 butterflies with tiny numbered stickers. These tags were painted blue to distinguish them from the butterflies tagged in November at the Sanctuary. Our tagging session was also attended by a news team from KION Channel 46, which aired a story on the butterflies that evening, and a reporter from KAZU 90.3 FM, NPR Santa Cruz. The tagging segment is available for listening on the KAZU website (http://www.kazu.org). As the Monarch butterflies disperse, we wish them luck on their journey, and look forward to the return of their great-great grandchildren in the fall!

Outreach and Education
February was fairly slow when it came to visitors, except for the beginning of the month. That was when we hosted two field trips for the annual Western Section of The Wildlife Society conference, which met this year in Monterey. VWS Wildlife Biologists Jessica Griffiths and Nellie Thorngate and Senior Wildlife Biologist Karen Ritchie all presented talks at the conference on February 2. The next day, we led one field trip to George Washington Park and Asilomar Beach and another trip down to watch bird banding at BSOL and look for condors. It was a great opportunity to introduce other biologists to the research that VWS is doing here on the central coast, and to strengthen our connections with the scientific community. Later in the month, we participated in the annual Santa Cruz Migration Festival at Natural Bridges State Park. This event celebrates the migration phenomenon, which is part of the life cycle of creatures ranging from butterflies to salamanders to birds to whales. Visitors to the VWS table could learn about Monarchs, see a banding demonstration, or touch a condor feather. We had a great time (as always!) and look forward to spring migration.

VWS Staff Conference
At the end of the month we had our fifth semi-annual VWS Staff Conference, which is a chance for our staff and interns to present research projects to the rest of the organization. VWS staff and board members were joined by representatives from agencies such as State Parks and the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District for a delicious potluck lunch and an afternoon of informative talks. Conservation Ecology interns presented independent research on longevity and site movement patterns of Hermit Thrushes and Wrentits, while Conservation Ecology staff presented findings on this year's Monarch Butterfly monitoring and the Spotted Owl surveys we conducted last summer. Species Recovery staff and interns presented data on the effect of supplemental feeding on California Condor movements, and the impact of natural food sources such as sea lions on the condors' health. The conference was a success, and we're already planning for the next one!

Welcome!
Due to the unpredictability of winter weather, we will be banding only three to four days a week Mondays through Fridays at Andrew Molera State Park through March. As a result, the lab may not be open on a given day. So, please call or e-mail Wildlife Biologist Jessica Griffiths ahead of time to confirm that we are here to welcome you. Jessica can be reached by phone at (831) 624-1202, or jessicagriffiths@ventanaws.org. See you soon, and don't forget your binoculars!

BSOL Update, January 2007
The month of January was cold and dry, not the usual combination of weather conditions we experience in Big Sur. The lack of rain means that the Big Sur River continues to flow placidly to the sea, and the hills which are normally a vibrant green this time of year are still tinged yellow. A severe cold snap mid-month left our nets frozen and our teeth chattering, but it didn't seem to slow down the birds at all! In fact, Andrew Molera State Park is humming with activity as wintering birds step up their foraging in order to keep warm.

Mist-Netting and Bird Banding at Andrew Molera State Park
This month it was extremely "birdy" at Andrew Molera State Park. In fact, in 11 days of banding we captured 269 birds of 23 species, which is the highest January total in all of our 15 years of banding! Our number one capture this month was Hermit Thrush (74 captures), unseating Ruby-crowned Kinglet, who dropped to third place (26 captures). Purple Finch (50 captures) was the second-most commonly banded bird. Fun winter captures included American Robin (3), Brown Creeper (2), and a few overwintering Lincoln's Sparrows (3). But our most exciting captures by far were the two Varied Thrushes we banded at the end of the month! We haven't captured this species at BSOL since fall 2002, but they are quite prevalent in the study area this winter. We captured the two Varied Thrushes at the same time, both beautiful adult males.

Mist-Netting and Bird Banding at the Carmel River Lagoon
We continued our winter avian monitoring at the Carmel River Lagoon this month. In two days of banding, we captured 34 birds of 10 species. The most commonly captured species was Chestnut-backed Chickadee (12), followed by Ruby-crowned Kinglet (5), Hermit Thrush (4), and Wrentit (4). We banded a few interesting winter residents such as Yellow-rumped "Audubon's" Warbler (2) and an Orange-crowned Warbler of the subspecies celata, which is the subspecies that winters on the coast. During our time at the river lagoon, our banders have to watch out for the steadily rising Carmel River, which is slowly backing up and flooding the study area. We hope that we are not flooded out over the course of the winter, but we will continue our monitoring as long as we can.

Science Education and Avian Monitoring at Carmel Middle School
Our educational avian monitoring program at the Carmel Middle School resumed this month. The students learned the basics of bird banding and the scientific method, as well as more complex concepts such as the principles of flight and how birds act as indicator species for environmental quality. Thanks to our bird banding demonstration, the kids were able to see these concepts illustrated using actual birds. January was also a very "birdy" month at the school, for in just two days of banding we captured 89 birds of 17 species. Our number one capture was Golden-crowned Sparrow (29 birds), followed by White-crowned Sparrow (17 birds), while Purple Finch and Ruby-crowned Kinglet tied for a distant third place (6 birds each). Interesting captures included Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (1) and Red-winged Blackbird (2).

Monarch Butterfly Monitoring
While we didn't experience any fierce winter storms this month, we did experience a very severe cold spell. We were worried about how the freezing temperatures would affect the overwintering Monarch butterflies, and what their response to the cold would be. At the start of the month, there were a total of 46,100 butterflies at all nine overwintering sites. After the cold spell, we saw a drop in numbers at all sites, but no apparent mortality (to our relief!). We theorize that the butterflies departed the area in search of warmer overwintering spots. By the end of the month there were only 31,000 butterflies total at all of the sites. However, it is normal for butterfly numbers to decline throughout January as the end of the winter approaches, and soon the butterflies will be gearing up to mate and disperse for the spring. Until then, we hope they keep warm!

Outreach and Education
Despite the cold weather and our irregular banding hours, we still had quite a few visitors to the banding lab this month. We worked with a group of teens from the Natural Resource Recruitment program, who came down to watch the bird banding and then spent the afternoon helping us clear our trails and net lanes. BSOL staff and interns also helped lead a Saturday morning birdwalk for Return of the Natives around Carr Lake in Salinas. Our group spotted lots of fun birds in the meadows and along the trails, such as Merlin, Say's Phoebe, Western Meadowlark, and American Pipit.