Author: Richard L. Smallwood-Roberts (---.madison.tds.net)
Date: 12-05-01 10:30
Greetings to the CBC. I am an avocational ornithologist and master bird-bander living in Janesville, WI. My family is originally from Phillips, settling on Cork Road off of Hwy. 111 between Phillips and Catawba about 1907. If any of you know some Linds or Zellingers, they are cousins of mine. My family owns a cottage and property near our family homestead. It is my second home, and would be my first if I could make a living in the area. My heart is in the Northwoods.
I have worked at the Sand Bluff Bird Banding Station and Observatory (on the Sugar River, 1 mile South of the Wisconsin border in Illinois) for over 25 years (I was ten when I started). For the past four years I have been participating in Cornell University's Birds in Forested Landscapes Project (BFLP), concentrating on wooland thrush species, which have been declining, especially Wood Thrushes, it seems.
In relation to this research, I would like to announce that I will be opening a MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship Program) banding station on our family land next spring, following the MAPS protocols. I will be banding there outside of the protocols as well from time to time. This station will be called the Wilson Creek MAPS Station, since Wilson Creek is the nearest identifiable land feature in the area.
Since I am unaware of any banding projects being done in the area, I thought that this would be of interest to your club. After the station is smoothly in operation, I would be happy to receive visitors who request to visit. Visits will be allowed by appointment only, and groups would probably be best. If anyone is interested, you may contact me via e-mail at the listed address. Banding operations will start in April, weather permitting. The MAPS protocol begins the end of May, and continues until August.
In addition, if anyone is interested in learning about banding, and would like to help with the station, I will be looking for a couple of good volunteers to help with the operation of the station, to inlclude:
Net checkers (requires training in the safe removal of the birds)
Recorders (records the data on forms as I am banding the birds)
Interested individuals will need to contact me so that I can send you a training packet (net checkers). There are protocols that must be followed to insure the safety of the birds, and only certified volunteers will be allowed to check the nets.
I will accept donations for the operation of the station. Mist nets and other supplies are quite expensive, and a very large burden on my finances. Nets, depending on the manufacturer are normally in excess of $50.00. I will need between ten and twenty for the station. If you would like to make a contribution, please contact me.
You have a very nice website!! I will be joining your organization in the near future (after the holidays......money is short now, and I have to renew memberships in some other ornithological organizations first). I look forward to working with your organization in the future. Happy birding and holidays!!
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