Atlantic Flyway review: Region IV Piedmont-Coastal Plain, Fall 2007: Robbins Nest, Laurel, MD (390-0765)

Abstract

After a gap of two years I resumed banding at this suburban fall-line station on the Patuxent River, my 33rd fall banding season on our two-acre wooded lot. I banded three mornings per week, trying to keep the same schedule as the Patuxent powerline station five miles downstream. I used half as many nets as they did and captured only 15% as many birds. Their location in a large undeveloped area combined with their managed shrub habitat probably accounted for most of the difference. The powerline station favored warblers and kinglets; I did better on cardinals and thrushes. I have witnessed a continuing decline in warblers. In 1997 and 1998 I was still getting four species of warblers among my top ten, and then two or three warbler species through 2004; 2007 was my first year with no warblers among my top ten species. My oldest recapture was a 1 0-year-old Gray Catbird (8051-36905) banded as an AHY on 18 Aug 1998.