MAPS Banding Session 7

Sunday, July 31, 2022

Spring Lake Park Reserve

Banded: 32

Re-trap: 2

Seen/Heard: 34

Most Banded Bird of the Day: American Goldfinch (AMGO), 7 birds

Banders: Jennifer V, Linda W, Shelley B, Sonia M, Isabel M, Pam A, Loren A, Jeanne N, Wendy L, Maddie D-C, Erin A, Justin B, Delaney O.

The seventh MAPS banding at Spring Lake Park Reserve was, sadly, the last session of the year at this location. However, as per the MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) protocol, CNC will return to the site to complete the same survey for at least 5 years. As this project is in collaboration with Dakota County Parks, the results of the survey will be used to determine the effects of reintroducing bison on grassland bird populations. The bison will be brought to Spring Lake Park Reserve in October of 2022.

There were no new birds added to the Probable Breeders[1] list or the Confirmed Breeders[2] list. Although, this outcome was likely considering the fact that the area has been thoroughly surveyed over the span of the study. Thank you very much to Claudia Egelhoff who completed the survey.

If you are interested in other upcoming banding projects that are associated with Carpenter Nature Center, there is the recurring banding that takes place at the CNC Minnesota campus and Project Owl-Net research that starts in October.

For more information on these projects, contact Jennifer Vieth at jennifer@carpenternaturecenter.org. Otherwise, Rick Schmid, will be starting the fall season of the Midwest Migration Network study. This study runs Spring and Fall and is currently wrapping-up year 2. For more information on this project, please contact Rick via email at SCHMID_R@msn.com.

Thank you for following the results of this study, and look forward to the results that comparing the coming years will yield.

Jen and Rick would like to extend their gratitude to the volunteers who have committed their time to the MAPS projects, this research could not be completed without you. Thank you.

[1]  Refers to birds that exhibit courtship & copulation, territorial behavior, and/or song & drumming, but have shown no signs that would confirm breeding.

[2] Refers to birds that have a current year’s nest, are seen carrying nest material or food, perform distraction displays, or is a local bird.