I've been stuck on the sidelines with bronchitis during the beginning of the spring migration which has kept me from monitoring the Prothonotary Warblers at Hoover Reservoir in Delaware County. However, some of my friends have been emailing me with information and the conclusion is that the Prothonotaries are back in full force. Just the past weekend I received words of 41 different sightings. Now I need to get out and enjoy the Prothonotaries myself.
I do have some data that is supportive of the numbers I usually have for my nest box trail. A source of some of the data is from Dr. Christopher Tonra and graduate assistant Elizabeth Ames. Dr. Tonra and his graduate assistants began working with my Hoover Reservoir Prothonotaries last year. In 2015 they banded 47 individuals and attached geolocators to 25 individuals. This spring, 2016, they are seeing a good return of the banded individuals and they have recovered the geolocators from some of the birds they attached locators to in 2015. They have observed some additional birds that have geolocators but the birds have managed to elude them thus far. There is good hope to recapture more of them as the season progresses.
Additional individuals have been banded this spring and as of the last update I got there are now 77 banded Prothonotaries at the Hoover Nature Preserve. This brings me to an important point I want to share with everyone, if you are at the Hoover Nature Preserve in the vicinity of Galena (Delaware County) and you observe a Prothonotary Warbler with either leg bands and possibily also a geolocator (located on the bird's back), you can help with the project by reported the information to Elizabeth Ames. See the following guidelines:
Prothonotary Warbler Project Resighting color-banded birds can help researchers monitor individuals and determine, longevity, movement and/or dispersal. If you see a color banded Prothonotary Warbler (PROW), do your best to identify the exact color combination*. The banded PROW will have two bands on each leg: one leg with two plastic color bands and the other leg with one plastic color band and one aluminum USGS numbered band. Determine which bands are on the bird's right leg and the bird's left leg and which colors are on top (closest to the bird's body) and bottom (closest to the bird’s foot). You can use the color key below to determine which colors the bird was banded with and the single letter associated with that color. *if you are only able to get a partial read of the bands, this can still be helpful, so please report partial combos.
Most important information to include: What color is the UPPERMOST band on the bird's LEFT leg and LOWERMOST band on the bird's LEFT leg? What color is the UPPERMOST band on the bird's RIGHT leg and LOWERMOST band on the bird's RIGHT leg?
What date and time did you see the bird? Where did you see the bird (GPS coordinates are helpful)? Other useful information to include: The age (i.e. fledgling or adult) and sex of the color-banded PROW, if you can determine it? What was the bird doing (foraging, perching, singing, unknown, etc.)
Please send this information to: Elizabeth Ames MS Student- Ohio State University [log in to unmask]
Your help and input will be greatly appreciated by Dr. Tonra, Elizabeth and myself.
With many thanks in advance,Charlie BombaciHoover Nature Preserve
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