Banding

Our fledglings are now 4 weeks out of the nest and separated from their parents. It's only 2 weeks until release day but firstly each bird must receive a silver band with a unique number for long term identification, colour bands to identify individuals once released and geolocators as part of a study into their migration routes.

Field Biologist Hazel carrying the boxes and net to transfer the fledglings into their release cages

Next up is the banding and measurements - Here's me applying the steel bands

Hazel weighing a shrike in our specially designed shrike weighing tube. Normally a bird would be placed in a bird bag to weigh them but shrikes have too much fight in them and would exhaust themselves thrashing around in the bag.So instead we have an elastic band and a toilet roll. It works a treat!

Each bird gets unique colour markings before they are released into the release cages. This enable us to identify each bird easily during our daily observations. The birds will moult these feathers before migration so luckily for them they wont look silly forever.This one is blue cheeks!

Geolocators are small devices that the birds carry like a backpack. They take readings of the suns position and when this information is put through a special programme it can tell us where the birds have been. Unfortunately the birds have to be caught to obtain this information - satellite tracking devices are too heavy for the birds to carry Our hope is that next year we will recapture some of these birds and finally find out where they spend the winter. We already know they travel to North Western USA but once we know exactly where and what habitat then we can start our efforts to protect it.

There are fewer the 100 Eastern loggerhead shrikes in the wild so this study could save them from extinction!

Applying colour bands

Some just like to show off!

And much to mine and Steph's surprise.. it's Christmas at the cabin! We finished up our days bird feeding duties and returned to a cabin full of old tacky Christmas decorations, garland and a very excited Hazel jumping around with mitts and a woolly hat playing Christmas songs on her phone. Oh and presents on the table! Lovely! 

Preparing for release!

The fledglings are growing fast and release day is creeping ever closer. Firstly the fledglings are banded and given a health check, then are transported to their release cages with extra high perches to encourage them to strengthen their wing muscles.

This year geolocators will be attached to some of the fledglings in hope that if they return next year after migrating, they can be caught and the information in their geolocators can be extracted. This will tell us where exactly in the South Eastern US they migrate to and spend the winter. Currently this is a knowledge gap that If filled will greatly increase the chances of this species successful recovery. Some fledglings however will be kept behind and retained for the captive breeding population.

Just over a week ago we had a storm with hail the size of marbles. I sat in the cabin biting my nails with worry about the fledglings getting pummelled with icy bullets. After the storm passed I check up on our closest cage. As I feared the fledgling was sat out in the open and had't attempted to get under cover. Thankfully though it seemed unharmed and on checking the other cages the next morning everyone seemed fine. Sadly though a female nighthawk that had nested just outside one of the cages was not so lucky. Being a ground nesting bird she had laid her eggs directly on the ground out in the open and was unable to sit tight during the storm. The next morning she has abandoned her eggs, both had died just as they had started to hatch, one even had it's egg tooth poking through the shell. It was a sad reminder of how vulnerable wildlife can be.

Hazel watching the storm rolling in.

On a brighter note, we have a new shrike team mascot - Maddy.

And this is bunners, a wild hare possibly a jackrabbit that decided to join me in the feed room whilst preparing the shrike food one morning. I gave him some apple and after a few bites he jumped towards me, sniffed my shoe and then quickly hopped away. I don't blame him.