Week 1 Recap:
What a start to the season! The first few days of the 2025 Cape May Songbird Stopover Project Season are in the books! Hundreds of migrants have been safely banded, data collected, and an incredible variety of birds seen up close.
Banding began on Saturday, August 16th, with clear skies and excitement in the air from the banding team. The first day went well, with a steady flow of birds and a total of 54 birds banded and two recaptured indigo buntings! Seventeen species were recorded on day one, with blue-winged warbler, worm-eating warbler, and Canada warbler being the banding crew’s favorites.
Following an exciting first day, total numbers and diversity dropped off with the heavy winds and rainy weather of Hurricane Erin. Still, the banding team made the most of the conditions and was thrilled to catch several season firsts, including Great Crested Flycatcher, House Wren, Yellow-breasted Chat, and Worm-eating Warbler. Even on the slower days, migration has its surprises! The good vibes continued through the end of the week when on Friday, August 22, a total of seven Ruby-throated Hummingbirds were safely captured, banded, and released! As well as another season first, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher on August 22!
As summer winds down and Autumn begins, we anticipate a stronger push of bird migration, bringing greater numbers and increased diversity. With cooling temperatures and more frequent northwest winds, conditions are shaping up perfectly for exciting days ahead.
The Project is in its eighth season of collecting data on how migrating songbirds are utilizing the different habitats and resources on the South Cape May Meadows property. Last year, the team successfully banded 10,309 passerines, and they are excited to see what their total will be this fall!
This year’s banding team is composed of two returning Head Banders, Maia Nguyen and Stephanie Bartlett, and two Banding Technicians, Noah Nei and Paulo Ditzel. Dr. David Mizrahi, NJ Audubon’s VP for Research and Monitoring, is the project lead, with the help of Lena Usyk, the project’s co-lead.
Stay tuned for more updates from the banding station this season!
All bird capture, handling, and banding are authorized under appropriate state and federal permits.
