Whimbrel Capture: May 9 - May 12

On May 9th, Clive Minton and two other bird banders joined us at Box Tree Marsh to help us capture whimrel.  Clive is a famous bird bander from Australia and has probably banded more shorebirds than anyone else in the world.  He helped us scope out a few new whimbrel trapping areas in a nearby creek to the north known as Kitt's Creek.  On May 10, conditions were perfect for a capture.  As the tide came in,whimbrel retreated to the last high oyster bar out on the water, and at least 100 were in the immediate area. 

While we were waiting, a flock of dunlin flew past us in a frenzy. The next thing we heard was a loud "WHOOSH" past our heads, and a peregrine whizzed right by. Most of the birds got up, but many resettled back down into the marsh. As the tide rose even higher to belly level, the birds on the oyster bar became anxious and flushed onto shore by our trap. 

whimbrel on oyster bar right before it became submerged

whimbrel being pushed by high tide

trap on right: birds lining the shore towards the trap

whimbrel heading for trap

This particular trap site is a perfect site, and is a small point (known as "Monk's Point) that juts out into the water at the mouth of two creeks.  Whimbrel love to gather on these particular points.  They slowly lined the bank, and at least 15 were in the trap zone.  Alex and I relayed this information to Fletcher and Clive, who were set up in a position to set the blasting charge.  Another 20-30 were on the bank near them, but not in the trap zone.   Meanwhile, with no birds in the danger zone (directly in front of the box within 1-3 meters), Fletcher set the charge, and we were succesful in capturing 13 whimbrel.  We were able to put radio-transmitters on all 13 birds!

rocket net firing (10-15 whimbrel in trap zone)

We processed the birds in about an hour.  I was in charge of writing down all the banding info, so I didn't take many photos, but you can see Alex's photos here.

On May 11th through May 12th, we made more capture attempts in Kitt's Creek in a few different areas.  The whimbrel became uncooperative again, and any birds we had near the trap zone never walked in, or were flushed by raptors.  On the 12th, just as we set up, a huge thunderstorm was looming in the distance and we had to take down and get out of the marsh as fast as possible, even though whimbrel were everywhere.  Whimbrel may be one of the most frustrating birds to capture!

Also on May 12, Alex and I took a short trip over the Chesapeke Bay Bridge-Tunnel to do some birding.  At the pull over before the first tunnel going north, we stopped to check out the rocky area just north of the bridge.  It was full of purple sandpipers, at least 35!  There were also many ruddy turnstone, dunlin, and sanderlings, in addition to an oystercatcher on the rocks. 

purple sandpiper

purple sandpiper and ruddy turnstone

oystercatcher

Many tree and barn swallows were flying over, and Alex spotted one bank swallow in the flock, a FOY bird for us.  While we were there, I noticed a female common yellowthroat in a meager patch of vegetation.  Soon after, we witnessed a small fallout of warblers, starting with this magnolia warbler that walked along the chain link fence before going into the same small patch of vegetation that the yellowthroat was in.  Soon after, a few female American redstarts appeared, in addition to a male common yellowthroat. 

magnolia warbler

Later near Kiptopeke State Park, we found a yellow-throated warbler, in addition to many of the other common birds we've been seeing lately on the refuge.