On Friday, February 19, LSSI naturalists took a skiff down the Hampton River to Bungalow Creek, with the purpose of looking for American Oystercatchers. The birds gather in large flocks during the winter months and it is a good opportunity to survey for the numbers of birds and to search for birds with colored leg bands. The weather was warm and clear, making for excellent conditions to read the unique letter and number band combinations.

The tide was high at 11:30, and the naturalists surveyed from around 11:00 AM until noon. We counted 60 oystercatchers  and of those, 21 had leg bands. The majority of birds had received the bands from Georgia biologists, but there were also birds that had been banded in other states. One bird was seen with a green band, the color for North Carolina, and another bird had an orange band, from New Jersey.

The purpose of giving individual birds colored bands is to be able to track the birds throughout their lifetime, and therefore gain valuable information about when and where the birds travel and spend their time. The information from re-sighting birds is collected into a database.  Brad Winn, a biologist with the non-game conservation section of the Georgia DNR, shared some insights into where the birds seen on Friday had been previously.

Of the 19 birds with bands from Georgia, 13 birds have only ever been re-sighted in Georgia. 6 of the birds had records of being seen in other states. The states include Virginia, Massachusetts and New Jersey! The bird with the oldest band was J5, who was banded right here at LSSI as a chick in 2001. Two birds (T7 and X8) were re-sighted for the first time since they received bands in December 2008; they were given the bands on Little St. Simons Island. Two of the birds sighted were confirmed as breeders in Virginia in past years; one bird bred in New Jersey, and one bird bred in Massachusetts.

By looking at the above data, we can see just how valuable it can be to track individual birds. Without designating individuals, it would be impossible to understand how far the birds travel and how they form relationships during the nesting season.  Birds do not know political boundaries such as state lines; they seek out the best resources. Understanding their behavior helps states make informed management decisions and gives states the opportunity to work together.

Remember, if you are ever fortunate enough to see a bird that has an individual band, record all the information that you can, and share it with the right people. Yo can do something as simple as search “banded birds” on the internet, or call your local DNR office for contact information on who to report to.  Someone will be very interested in what you saw!

Large flocks of American Robin can be seen throughout the maritime forest and in the compound.  Although it is not uncommon for robins to overwinter here or even farther north, they have only just appeared this year, suggesting that they have spent the winter farther south and are only beginning to move back northward. In summer months the robins feed heavily on insects and worms; they also feed extensively on berries or other wild fruits, especially in the winter months.  Regardless of where the robins have been, it seems like there is nothing more Springlike than hearing the cheery call of these common but beautiful thrushes.

On Friday, February 5, naturalists on LSSI took part in the annual Mid-winter Shorebird Survey with the help of Giff Beaton and Brandon Noel. The survey is part of a statewide effort looking at shorebird numbers. A total of 23 bird species were seen during our count, adding up to a total of 8099 birds. Of those, 18 species (7989 individuals) were shorebirds. Dunlin numbered the highest, with 5477 birds counted. Trailing far behind in second were Semi-palmated Plover (834). Third numerous were Sanderling (593), followed by Short-billed Dowitcher (236).

Other shorebirds counted were: Black-bellied Plover (227), Red Knot (171), Western Sandpiper (158), Ruddy Turnstone (157), Dowitcher Sp. (32), Least Sandpiper (25), American Oystercatcher (17), Piping Plover (12), Greater Yellowlegs (11), Wilson’s Plover (9), Marbled Godwit (9), Killdeer (9), Greater Yellowlegs (8), and unidentified “peeps” (4).

Other species counted on the survey were: Scaup Sp. (86), Lesser Scaup (19), Greater Scaup (3), Lesser Black-back Gull (1), and Bald Eagle (1).

It is the time of year when visits to the two Bald Eagle nests on LSSI become more frequent… we believe that the eggs of both clutches have finally hatched! The nest on the north end of the island was believed to have hatched on January 26th. The adult was seen sitting high on the nest and moving things around below it. The bird seemed very active in comparison to when it was still incubating the eggs. The pair on the south end of LSSI is a bit trickier — we don’t have an exact date of hatching for them, but by now the eggs should be fully developed and hatched. So far, we have not had any looks at either nest where the chicks could be seen. Stay tuned for further updates and photos as the season continues!