Kids Grow Up So Quickly

I remember when they were just one to two days old...

The above picture is obviously a nest we can get to, and have a number of days before these guys need to be processed.

At times, it doesn't work out that way. Nestlings turn to Fledglings before you get to them. Not ideal.

It's then when you get a couple of co-workers together for a nestling round-up. Not an easy thing to do on flat-land, much less canyons. We try to surround fledglings and persuade them to fly down ultimately to the ground. This time is then critical as they can quickly disappear into Morning Glory patches, rock crevices, shadows, etc.

The other day, we sat atop a ridgeling with 4 fledling LOSH in our scope. These guys were why we were there. We needed to round them up and process them. Four, very Shrike-looking fledglings, roosting on a Prunus spp. branch. Hmm, there was a fifth when this nest site was visited before. Nevertheless, we descende the ridge, down the wall, down canyon from the fledglings' Prunus on the canyon bottom.

Two co-workers were on opposite rims, just above the bottom, respectively. I, on the canyon bottom. The idea; to get the fledglings to fly down canyon toward me. Shrikes, fledglings suredly, are built to fly downward, not so daft to fly up as this seems like labored flight somewhat. So lets get these Fledges to flush down canyon to me. Alright.

Somewhere, an adult Shrike's alarm call is heard. So much for stealth.

We are nearly underneath the tree the Fledges are perched on. They are aware.

Ok, I let co-workers know I'm ready.

Alright, this one is about ready to move. See the tail? Here it comes...

ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooommmm.

Oh Man!! That's no Fledgling, that's a Shrike!

It turned out that these Fledge's, while not adults this soon, where quite far along. Quite shrike-ish. Quite flight-worthy.

That particular kid flew, not only down canyon, but across and over to another drainage. "I wonder how long we'll keep at this?" I found myself wondering.

Another Fledgeling flew...up....canyon a bit. A third flew down canyon quite a ways. Mission, cough, Not Accomplished.

We eventually found ourselves under one of the shrikes that had flown down canyon, but was now back up the drainage, perched on a tree branch. This kid eventually was persuaded to fly down to the drainage bottom, a drainage bottom full of boulders and cobbles and dead Russian Thistle tumbleweeds.

A co-worker quickly put a butterfly net over the young LOSH. Nets work best when used on flat, without obstacles, land where the rim can lay flat not allowing any escape routes. This was not such ideal topography. BUT, we have it, we got it, I never saw it scurry out. Where is it? Where is it?

Co-worker then heard the the grating call of a young Shrike behind us, and just above canyon bottom. WHAT?! How in the?

Hey, there's a Shrike....is that an adult??.....no, thats a Fledge... GO!!

Co-worker armed with nothing but sharpened spidey-senses and a rounded butterfly net dashed for the slate gray-backed bird.

I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it. With a fluidity and quick judgement of one blessed with ninja pouncing skills and Jedi adept tendencies, he was one with the butterfly net as the net was one with him. An extension of self. Fledgling contained.

One down.

Did this guy really escape us down at the bottom?? Let's continue checking the rock and boulder crevices before you heard the apprehended.

I ended up finding the 2nd FL wedged under a boulder and dead Russian Thistle.

Two down.

Two, when zero looked inevitable. This site has had enough disturbance, we didn't see how we would be able to ge the other two where ever they went plus it was already 1000 hrs. Let's get these guys worked on and get out of here...

Aged at 24+ days-old. Healthy, very far along, young SCI Loggerhead Shrikes.

*thanks to M.C. Cammarota for the following pics*

Each bird gets a metal Service band with a set of numbers unique to that bird alone.

Nevermind the look on this kid's face. It's not that bad. Like a child going to the barber shop when it hears those electric trimmers turn on, the bird, like the child, is not hurting. I'm glad I was never like that as a kid...

A perfect fit.

Now to the color bands. We put on the color bands with a simple metal device commonly called a "spoon." You can see a white band, on a spoon, ready to go on my right leg in the above picture.

As the colorband is pushed up the slightly widening "spoon", the color band spreads out.

The spoon is of a concave shape that slips atop the birds leg. When the band is sufficiently spread out, the biologist holds the band and leg and slips the "spoon" out. This, ideally, then allows the color band to safely wrap around the leg.

In past work, I have always closed a color band with banding pliers much like the metal Service band.

Shrikes have a beak that is designed to quickly sever the spine of their prey. Consequently, it also is adept to tearing off color bands. The color band combination is also unique to a specific bird, allowing the biologist to identify (difficult at times) the bird in the field from a distance.

We need those color bands to stay on as long as possible. Thus bringing us to method of heat-sealing colorbands. The colorbands are a good bit longer than "normal" color bands, as they wrap around the LOSH's leg. This is quite noticeable with trying to spread them out with the "spoon." Anyhow, this extra bit of length gives some material to work with as the biologist takes a butane-fueled soldering iron-type instrument to melt, and fuse the seal.

This was a new methodology for me. Initially, taking a searing hot iron tip to an endangered bird nestling, or in this case fledgling, was a little disconcerting. Now, though, I have performed this numerous times and don't give it much extra thought. Obviously, care must be given not to burn most importantly the bird, secondly the biologist holding the bird for you, and leastly you. The pad of my index finger has taken a few hits. Never flinched.

Oh, I nearly forgot, we also take four feather samples.

The samples go in an envelope labeled with the date, nest site acronym, colorband combo, and Service band #. These are sent to a genetics lab for DNA analysis. From this, we learn the sex of the bird, and continue to track the bloodline of this endangered guy.

We also take weight and some other measurements as well.

After all this, we let these guys go. Nestlings go back in their nests. Fledglings of this grand old age go back to a branch near where we scoped them out way back on the ridge. After they successfully hop on a sturdy branch and away from us, we get back up the canyon as quickly as possibly. We then do a post-observation. This to make sure adult LOSH's are around, or come back to the site.

This is how I spend some of my mornings at work.

peace and good morning,

mwyork

**editors note: Seriously, I don't know what is going on with this huge space below. I guess just keep on a-scrollin'. **