Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survival (MAPS) at Witty s Lagoon Regional Park Olive-sided Flycatcher

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1 Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survival (MAPS) at Witty s Lagoon Regional Park 2009 Olive-sided Flycatcher Prepared by Ann Nightingale, Rocky Point Bird Observatory rpbo@rpbo.org January 9, 2010

2 Summary In 2009, an inventory of breeding songbirds was conducted for the first time at Witty s Lagoon Regional Park by banding birds caught in mist nets and recording observations of birds seen or heard during the breeding season. The inventory methodology followed the Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) protocol (DeSante et al, 2009) developed by the Institute for Bird Populations (IBP). Sampling was conducted between 30 May and 8 August (MAPS periods 4 to 10), resulting in the site being sampled seven times once in each 10 day MAPS period. The site proved to be quite productive with 220 individuals of 29 species banded. Species breeding status was determined by observing advanced breeding condition of adults while in the hand, by the location of active nests, and by the formulae prescribed by the Institute for Bird Populations. A total of 59 species of birds were observed at the site, 25 of which were categorized as breeders, 13 as likely breeders, 18 as transients (breeding nearby, but not at the study site) and 3 as migrants. A habitat structure assessment is required on establishment of a MAPS site and repeated once every five years to document changes in each study area s habitat structure, which may influence demographic trends (Nott, et al. 2009). This task was completed by a team of Camosun College students fulfilling the practical requirement of their diploma program. Background The Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship Program is managed by the Institute for Bird Populations in California to assess and monitor the vital rates and population dynamics of North American landbirds. Each summer dedicated volunteers operate bird-banding stations to collect data on individual birds-in-the-hand representing over 200 species. The MAPS program utilizes constant-effort mist netting and banding at a continent-wide network of monitoring stations. Analyses of MAPS data provide critical information relating to the ecology, conservation, and management of North American landbird populations and the factors responsible for changes in their populations. Rocky Point Bird Observatory has been operating two MAPS stations on Department of National Defense properties, one at Rocky Point in Metchosin, and one at Royal Roads University in Colwood since In recent years, access to the Rocky Point site has become unreliable, so an alternate location was sought, matching as well as possible the habitat structure of the Rocky Point site. A suitable site was found at Witty s Lagoon Regional Park in Metchosin and MAPS was conducted at this location for the first time in A map of the study area is shown in Figure 1. As with the research conducted on Department of National Defense properties, an annual research permit must be obtained for this project. Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survival (MAPS) Witty s Lagoon Regional Park

3 Figure 1. Map of the Witty s Lagoon (WILA) MAPS site with habitat structure types Methods The purpose of the MAPS project is to inventory the breeding songbird populations using standardized methodology, and to record sightings of other species occurring at these locations to facilitate comparisons of populations and avian diversity at the site with those in similar habitats across North America. The data is submitted to both Bird Studies Canada (banding) and to the Institute of Bird Populations (banding, observation, breeding status, and habitat structure) to be made available to researchers and others. The Witty s Lagoon MAPS site was somewhat smaller and the nets places closer together than recommended in the MAPS 2009 protocol due to physical constraints of the area (property boundaries, popular trails, beach). For observational purposes, the station includes everything within 100 m of a net. The methodology followed the MAPS 2009 protocol by which songbirds are captured in mist nets and banded during standardized sampling sessions. The sampling sessions were conducted once in every ten day period from the end of May to the first ten days of August. The safe handling and banding of birds followed the applicable sections of the Rocky Point Bird Observatory s banding protocol (RPBO 2008) and the MAPS 2009 protocol. A component of the RPBO protocol is the Banders Code of Ethics (Appendix A) which emphasizes bird safety over data collection. Nets were closed in poor weather with winds exceeding 15 km/h or significant precipitation. Nets were checked every 30 minutes, or more frequently if weather conditions warranted. Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survival (MAPS) Witty s Lagoon Regional Park

4 Each sampling session involved using ten mist nets (12 x 2.8 m, with a 30 mm mesh size) for a six-hour period commencing at dawn. Captured birds were removed from the nets and taken to a central location for processing. Each bird was then identified to species, assigned an age class according to criteria compiled by Pyle (1997) and banded with an aluminum U.S. Fish and Wildlife leg band with a unique nine-digit number. From each bird, a series of morphometric measurements were collected including wing chord, stage of breeding development, amount of fat deposit, age of each feather tract, feather wear and mass. Sex and age were determined according to criteria in the MAPS 2009 protocol. Date, time and capture-net code were also recorded. Once processed, birds were released near their capture site to facilitate regrouping of family units. The Habitat Structure Assessment (HSA) is required by the Institute for Bird Populations to allow comparisons of populations from different stations. As directed in the IBP HSA procedures, (Nott et al, 2009) the National Vegetation Classification Standard is used to categorize the habitat. Results 2009 marked the first season of Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) at Witty s Lagoon Regional Park. Seven days of banding were conducted at the Witty s Lagoon (WILA) site (Table 1). Nets were closed during windy conditions, resulting in a total of net hours of the possible maximum of 420 for the season Table 1. Daily summary of effort and captures at the Witty s Lagoon (WILA) MAPS site. DATE New Bands Recaptures Unbanded Grand Total Net Hours New captures per net hour 30-May Jun Jun Jul Jul Jul Jul Grand Total All birds that were handled were categorized as new bands, recaptures, and unbanded. As expected, most captures resulted in a new band being applied. A total of 220 birds of 29 species were banded during this year s efforts for an average of 0.54 birds per net hour. All species represented were regularly observed in the area. A pair of Olive-sided Flycatchers was captured on July 10. This species is protected under the Canadian Species at Risk act. Banding was permitted as the birds were not specifically targeted for capture and study, but were captured incidentally. The male resumed territorial singing within minutes of release. Thirty-two birds were recaptured after initial banding. Recapture of an adult bird more than seven days after original banding is an indicator of the bird on breeding territory. In addition to the recapture of birds banded at Witty s Lagoon, an Orange-crowned Warbler Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survival (MAPS) Witty s Lagoon Regional Park

5 which had originally been banded in 2008 at the Rocky Point monitoring site was caught. It is very unusual for a bird to be recaptured at a different location than its original banding but the proximity of the two stations increases the likelihood of this occurring at the Witty s Lagoon site. It should be noted, however, that the Orange-crowned Warbler is a migratory species, so had likely just returned from its wintering grounds thousands of kilometers away. Ten birds were released unbanded, either due to escape, assessment by the handler as being stressed, or lack of appropriate bands on site. The total number of captures and the capture rate per net hour at Witty s Lagoon were comparable to the captures at RPBO s second MAPS site at Rocky Point in 2009, although the Rocky Point site recorded fewer net hours due to poor weather conditions on banding days. Table 2 summarizes the captures at the WILA site by species and category. Table 2. Summary of captures by species and capture category. Species New Band Recapture Unbanded Grand Total American Robin Anna's Hummingbird Bewick's Wren Black-headed Grosbeak 2 2 Brown Creeper Bushtit Chestnut-backed Chickadee Cedar Waxwing 1 1 Cooper's Hawk 1 1 Common Yellowthroat 4 4 Downy Woodpecker 2 2 Golden-crowned Kinglet 2 2 Hammond's Flycatcher 1 1 House Finch 2 2 House Sparrow 1 1 House Wren 2 2 Hutton's Vireo 1 1 McGillivray's Warbler Orange-crowned Warbler Olive-sided Flycatcher 2 2 Pacific-Slope Flycatcher 5 5 Purple Finch 5 5 Rufous Hummingbird Song Sparrow Spotted Towhee Swainson's Thrush 1 1 White-crowned Sparrow Wilson's Warbler 9 9 Yellow Warbler 3 3 Grand Total During the MAPS project, volunteers observed bird behaviours and located evidence of breeding birds. A bird is considered a breeder at the site if clear evidence, such as a nest or recent fledgling is found, but also if other related behaviours, such as territorial singing Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survival (MAPS) Witty s Lagoon Regional Park

6 or carrying food, are observed over an extended period. Fifty-nine species of birds were observed at the site during MAPS. Of these, 25 were determined to be breeders, 13 were likely breeders, 18 were transients (in breeding range, but not breeding at the MAPS site) and three were migrants (outside of known breeding range). Table 3 shows the breeding status of species observed at the Witty s Lagoon site. Table 3. Breeding status of birds observed at the Witty s Lagoon MAPS site. American Goldfinch American Robin Anna's Hummingbird Bald Eagle Barn Swallow Belted Kingfisher Bewick's Wren Black-headed Grosbeak Black Oystercatcher Brown Creeper Brown-headed Cowbird Bushtit California Gull California Quail Canada Goose Chestnut-backed Chickadee Cedar Waxwing Common Raven Cooper's Hawk Common Yellowthroat Downy Woodpecker European Starling Glaucous-winged Gull Golden-crowned Kinglet Great Blue Heron Greater Yellowlegs Hairy Woodpecker Hammond's Flycatcher House Finch House Sparrow Migrant Migrant House Wren Hutton's Vireo Killdeer McGillivray's Warbler Northern Flicker Northern Rough-winged Swallow Northwestern Crow Orange-crowned Warbler Olive-sided Flycatcher Pacific-Slope Flycatcher Pileated Woodpecker Pine Siskin Purple Finch Red Crossbill Red-breasted Nuthatch Red-winged Blackbird Rufous Hummingbird Song Sparrow Spotted Towhee Swainson's Thrush Turkey Vulture Violet-green Swallow Warbling Vireo Western Sandpiper White-crowned Sparrow Winter Wren Wilson's Warbler Yellow Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Migrant The habitat structure assessment found that the majority of the station site was in a previously farmed area. Six of the ten net lanes were located in habitat dominated by apple trees, English hawthorn, Nootka Rose, Himalayan Blackberry and grasses, with widely dispersed fir trees. This habitat is in an early succession stage from the lagoon Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survival (MAPS) Witty s Lagoon Regional Park

7 filling in and becoming dry land. The remaining four net lanes were in sub-dominant habitats including forests (primarily Douglas-fir), and poplar groves. A third habitat which held no net lanes, but which was in the confines of the station was dominated by tidal-temperate herbaceous-perennial vegetation. The full HSA results as prepared by Camosun College students Brendan Dueck, Christian Gessler and Ben Parker are included as Appendix B. Comments The MAPS protocol advises that a five to ten year period of data collection is required before meaningful analysis can be initiated. However, it is clear to see that the MAPS site does provide habitat for a wide variety and significant population of breeding birds. The 2009 MAPS project provided baseline data for breeding bird populations at Witty s Lagoon. There is great potential for data from this project to be used in studies investigating disturbance and habitat size as well as in the expected longitudinal population studies. The MAPS project at Witty s Lagoon requires a considerable amount of volunteer effort for setup and operations. As the grounds are open to the public, it is unsafe to leave the mist-nets erected between banding days. As such, the nets were set up the afternoon or evening before each monitoring session and were removed immediately after the conclusion of each banding day. Access to the site was somewhat problematic, but tolerable. Net poles, ropes and the banding table were left hidden in the area of the net lanes between banding days, but all other equipment needed to be carried a considerable distance in and out for each session. In 2009, there was minor tampering with equipment and the site, including loss of two net poles and construction of a campsite complete with fire pit in one of the net lanes. A secure site, such as the property at Rocky Point allows the nets to be left installed, reducing the required volunteer effort by about 20%. A more accessible site also reduces volunteer effort required to operate the program. The presence of Olive-sided Flycatchers (Contopus contopus) protected under the Species at Risk act may require special permits if they are frequently captured. Typically, this locally common species stays well above the mist net height. The MAPS program provides an excellent opportunity for new banders and volunteers to improve their skills. In addition to existing and new RPBO volunteers, students from the University of Victoria and Camosun College participated in the MAPS project at Witty s Lagoon Regional Park in Recommendations Despite the effort required to operate the station, the results show that the Witty s Lagoon site is a worthwhile location for MAPS. It is recommended that RPBO continue this program, with the permission of CRD Parks, for at least the five year minimum recommended by the Institute for Bird Populations. Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survival (MAPS) Witty s Lagoon Regional Park

8 Relocation of nets is permitted between the first and second years of the project, and if possible, one or two nets should be moved to cover a wider area as recommended in the MAPS protocol. Nets 1, 2, 4, 5 and 8 have the greatest potential for relocation. Now that the site has been established, it should be possible to involve more CRD personnel (naturalists, volunteers), and perhaps open up one or more of the sessions to the public. There is some risk for increased vandalism and disruption of the habitat, however, if the location is made more public. Acknowledgements This project would not have been possible without assistance from CRD staff, including Marilyn Fuchs, George Gollmer, and Michele Rempel and others whose names are not known. In 2009, MAPS monitoring by Rocky Point Bird Observatory was conducted by volunteers. Ann Nightingale and Rick Schortinghuis coordinated the organizational and technical aspects of the project and served as the primary banders. Rick was assisted in site preparation by CRD staff and Camosun College students Brendan Dueck, Christian Geissler, and Ben Parker. These three students also completed the habitat structure assessment. Thanks go to Anna Colengeli and Myke Chutter for connecting us with the students. Station setup and monitoring efforts were completed with the volunteer help of Aziza Cooper, Eric Demers, Jessie Fanucchi, Dominique LeJour, Gloria LeJour, Megan Lyden, Agnes Lynn, Cheryl Mackie, Bailee McColl, Donna Murray, Ron Melcer, Dave Riedel, Mary Robichaud, Margie Shepherd, Steve Stobart and Candace Sy. Rheanna Fraser entered all of the collected data into the MAPSPROG database. More than 200 person-hours of fieldwork were completed for the 2009 MAPS season at the Witty s Lagoon site. Literature Cited DeSante, D. F., Kenneth M. Burton, Pilar Velez, Dan Froehlich, and Danielle Kaschube MAPS manual: Instructions for the establishment and operation of constant-effort bird-banding stations as part of the Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) program. Institute for Bird Populations, P. O. Box 1346, Point Reyes Station, CA Dueck, Brendan, Christian Gessler, and Ben Parker Establishment of a Bird Banding Site and Preliminary Sampling at Witty s Lagoon for the Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) Program. Camosun College Environmental Technology Program., Victoria, British Columbia. Rocky Point Bird Observatory Field Protocol for Migration Monitoring at Rocky Point Bird Observatory. Available at: Nott, P., D.F. DeSante, and N. Michel Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) Habitat Structure Assessment (HAS) Protocol; Describing vertical Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survival (MAPS) Witty s Lagoon Regional Park

9 and horizontal patterns at MAPS stations, Institute of Bird Populations, Point Reyes Station, California. Pyle, P Identification Guide to North American Birds. Part 1. Columbidae through Ploceidae. Slate Creek Press. Bolinas, California. Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survival (MAPS) Witty s Lagoon Regional Park

10 Appendix A The Bander s Code of Ethics (adapted from the North American Banding Council 2001a) Banding is a Privilege 1. Banders are primarily responsible for the safety and welfare of the birds they study so that stress and risks of injury or death are minimized. Some basic rules: - handle each bird carefully, gently, quietly, with respect, and in minimum time - capture and process only as many birds as you can safely handle - close traps or nets when there are known predators in the area - do not band in inclement weather - frequently assess the condition of traps and nets and repair them quickly - trainees must be properly trained and supervised - check nets as frequently as conditions dictate - check traps as often as is recommended for each trap type - properly close all traps and nets at the end of the banding - do not leave traps or nets set and untended - use bird bags only once before washing to prevent the spread of disease - use the correct band size and banding pliers for each bird - treat all bird injuries in the most humane way 2. Continually assess your own work to ensure that it is beyond reproach - reassess methods if an injury or mortality occurs - ask for and accept constructive criticism from other banders 3. Offer honest and constructive assessment of the work of others to help maintain the highest standards possible - publish innovations in banding, capture and handling techniques - educate prospective banders and trainers - report any mishandling of birds to the bander - if no improvement occurs, file a report with the Banding Office 4. Ensure that your data are accurate and complete 5. Obtain prior permission to band on private property and on public lands where authorization is required 6. Obtain all necessary banding permits - ensure you have the appropriate permissions on your banding permit (including net type, - species, adding additional markers beyond metal band). - obtain provincial or territorial permits to band provincial species. - obtain federal scientific permits to take samples from birds or tag with more markers. - obtain federal Species at Risk permits to work on federally-listed species. - ensure you have permission and the appropriate permits to sample on private property. Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survival (MAPS) Witty s Lagoon Regional Park

11 Appendix B Habitat Structure Assessment Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survival (MAPS) Witty s Lagoon Regional Park

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