by Jim Armbruster, Lead, Center for Field Research
Some exciting updates from the research world!
July 2024
Broad-winged Hawk Monitoring
The VINS Field Research team, in collaboration with Hawk Mountain’s Broad-winged Hawk Project, recently deployed a second transmitter on a Vermont Broad-winged Hawk. “Billings” was encountered at Marsh Billings Rockefeller National Historical Park in Woodstock, Vermont, near a nest discovered by Park Staff earlier in the spring. After his release, he immediately began transmitting location data to the team. Meanwhile, “Ottauquechee,” a Broad-winged Hawk captured last year, continues to send location data from near her new nest in nearby Taftsville, Vermont.
We hope to track both birds on their migrations this fall!
May 2024
Broad-winged Hawk Monitoring
The VINS Field Research team trapped and banded our first Broad-winged Hawk of the season at the end of April. An After Hatch Year (AHY) bird was encountered in Norwich, Vermont in close proximity to a mate. We will hopefully track down their nest in the area. We also captured a second AHY Broad-winged Hawk recently in Hartford, Vermont. Both birds were trapped as part of our joint blood parasite study with the Center for Wild Bird and Rehabilitation and Ambassador Care (CWBRAC).
Monarch Monitoring
The VINS Field Research team contributes to the long term monitoring efforts of Monarch Watch. Each Fall, individual Monarch butterflies are tagged and released. Community scientists are encouraged to report any tagged individuals they encounter throughout the Monarch migration season.
We received resighting reports for two individuals tagged in the VINS meadow during September 2023. Butterfly AHNW453 received a tag on September 12. Four days later, a community scientist documented this individual in coastal Darien, Connecticut. That’s approximately 185 miles from VINS! The second butterfly received a tag September 26, and observers logged two sightings in the Waterford, Connecticut area over mid and late October.
American Kestrel Monitoring
In mid-April, one of the landowners participating in the VINS American Kestrel Project monitoring program sent the team photographs of a banded adult female sitting with a non-banded male on the nestbox. Although the photograph angle did not include the number on her color band, the Field Research Team felt confident they banded this individual in the 2023 season. A couple weeks later, the team visited to check the nestbox and attempted to band the male American Kestrel. The team found this female American Kestrel, known by their band number 0A2, is actively nesting. They conducted a quick health analysis and confirmed she is in good health and brooding four eggs!
