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PSF Update - October 25, 2006 Dear PSF volunteers and friends, In this fifth update, you’ll not only get the numbers from the field but also a nice story about our outreach and education efforts. Numbers from the field As you all may have noticed, migration is slowly winding down with numbers dropping across the sties. Still, this past week, 51 birds were collected, including 42 dead ones. The total numbers for the season now reach 377 birds, with 323 dead ones (85%). This number is the highest since 2000, when most of our efforts where concentrated on the World Trade Center Towers. This high number can be explained by the rigorous monitoring we are doing this year and I want to thank all the volunteers for your efforts in this amazing data gathering project. Below is a graph showing migration intensity for the season, with an obvious peak in the first week of October.
This second graph breaks up the intensity of migration into the most common species found so far. Warblers such as the Northern Parula, the Black and white Warbler and the Common Yellowthroat came through first followed by Kinglets, Dark-eyed Juncos and the White-throated Sparrows.
Finally, this week marked the first finding of an American Woodcock for this season. It was found by Carolyn Carson along the glassed lobby of a tall apartment building right off 28th street, between 8th and 9th avenues (see picture below)
American Woodcock. Photo: Cal Vornberger
Location where the bird was found PSF’s outreach to students On Monday, October 16th, thirteen middle school students, grades 5 – 8, from The Studio School, participated in Project Safe Flight as part of their fall study of immigration and migration. In this school, students combine the study of the sciences and social studies in a class called One World. Field trips are a critical way for the students to gather data and to actively engage in becoming dedicated observers of their environment. On their day out, the middle schoolers, and their teacher Julie Mabey, joined Amber Sweeney on a walk around the Morgan Mail building. The students collected 12 dead birds and helped save one injured Golden-crowned Kinglet. The experience gave the students with an awareness of the devastating impact our urban environments have on migrating birds. They also learned what kind of birds cross New York City on their journey south. The students had a chance to observe and sketch species such as the Ruby-crowned Kinglet, the Dark-eyed Junco, an Ovenbird, a White-throated Sparrow, a Blue-headed Vireo, and a Northern Flicker. The Studio School students have become ardent supporters of Project Safe Flight and look forward to the spring when they can see the birds as they cross over on their way up north.
The students walked around the Morgan Mail building and helped collect the birds. Photo: Amber Sweeney
Then the students drew pictures of the dead birds found. Photo: Amber Sweeney Thank you and have a great week, Nicole |
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