SWAMP Birdbanding 2006 Season Report:
Breaking Records and Breaking Hearts

by Marci Buettgen

The end of May marked the fifth season of the SWAMP Birdbanding project, a season which produced record breaking numbers reports Professor Caleb Gordon, Project Manager and Assistant Professor of Ecology, Ornithology, and Conservation Biology, Lake Forest College.

SWAMP, the Shaw Woods Avian Monitoring Project, a birdbanding station in Lake ForestÕs Skokie River Nature Preserve, monitors population trends of woodland migrant birds passing through the Chicagoland region during spring migration.

Several CAS members participated as birdbanding volunteers this spring and were deeply moved by the heart-breaking beauty of the Nature Preserve and the experience of handling birds.

Record-breaking birdbanding results for 2006 include:
• all-time high of 27 netting days in May (previous high = 24)
• 1,614 netting hours (previous high = 1,440)
• 1,091 individual new birds banded (previous high = 936)

New single-season high in species count include:
• 34 Wood Thrush
• 38 Nashville Warbler (previous season high = 8)
• 1 Cerulean Warbler

For a comprehensive report, plus photos of birdbanding at the SWAMP check their website.

You can view a list of specied recorded at the SWAMP HERE.