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last try



Will:
If this does not work, forget it.
The fall of 2002 at Cedar Grove
 In 1950, Dan Berger and Helmut Mueller began trapping migrating hawks in an
operation that became known as The Cedar Grove Ornithological Station, an
effort that has continued every fall until the present.  In fall 2002, we
arrived at the station on 12 August and departed on 21 November. We watched
the skies for migrants constantly from dawn to dusk on each of these 101
days, and counted or estimated their numbers.  We attempted to trap all
hawks observed.
 Overall, we trapped 10.5% of the hawks we saw. Excluding Ospreys, Turkey
Vultures and Broad-winged Hawks, which are usually not trapped at Cedar
Grove (the latter because they rarely eat on their migration to Central or
South America), we trapped 19.2% of the hawks seen.  In addition, we
operated a 136 m long line of 61 mm (stretched mesh) mist nets.  After 2
October, these nets were left up 24 hours a day in an effort to capture
owls.  These large mesh nets captured small birds only rarely.  Birds the
size of Swainson¹s Thrushes occasionally passed through the nets and
probably only one of 100 warblers that struck the nets was captured.
 We netted 1211 non-raptorial birds of 66 species, including 157 warblers of
17 species and 41 kinglets. On 22 September  we netted 41 warblers of 11
species. One can only be amazed at the number of small birds that passed
through our nets !
  Only 528 raptors of 11 species and 50 owls of 4 species were captured and
banded, our worst season since 1979.  The poor migration appears to be
largely a result of poor weather for concentrating migrants along the shore
of Lake Michigan, although the effects of West Nile virus cannot be
discounted. 

Highlights of this dismal season include a Bald Eagle trapped on 27
September, two Broad Winged Hawks trapped,15 Peregrine Falcons and 65
Merlins trapped in spite of the poor season , and a beautiful melanistic
adult Red-tailed Hawk trapped on 1 November.
   Unusual sightings of non-raptorial birds include a plegadis ibis on 11
September, a Greater White-fronted Goose on 3 October, a jaeger on 2
November, Bohemian Waxwings between 23 and 31 October and a Townsend¹s
Solitaire on 8 November. We netted a Pine Warbler on 22 September, only the
second to be recorded at the station.
Helmut and Nancy Mueller, Daniel Berger and John Bowers were present at the
station on every day. Jack and Cathy Kaspar, Julie Gibson and Paul Radley
were there for more than a few days

The Cedar Grove is a non-profit corporation incorporated under Chapter 131
of the Wisconsin Statutes and it relies heavily on public donations for
continued operation. All personnel are unpaid volunteers.
  Helmut C. Mueller
  409 Moonridge Road
  Chapel Hill, NC 27516
  Email: hmuleller@email.unc.edu