marsh volunteers building a new j-trap

We would be lost without volunteers Rachelle and Sylvain to the rescue !!!

So what is a "j trap you might ask?   It is a trap which has "j" shaped funnels to allow the birds to get into the trap. The birds are attracted by food and with the door left open they can come and go as they please but once the door is shut it allows us to capture birds in a way that does not harm them..  The  species we really are targeting in this trap are red winged blackbirds and common grackles. Sadly since the 1990's Red winged blackbird numbers have been in decline by about 2% per year which does not sound like a lot but is really substantial when one thinks about sheer numbers of birds, We have been tracking these  birds  with the use of a j trap but two winters ago our trap built by past terra students did  not survive the winter  so with the help of  Sylvain and Rachelle Plante  we will have a trap ready for the arrival of  blackbirds which is very soon.

Rachelle and Sylvain taking a forced break by an insistent photographer

The trap design we are using was designed by David Okines from Prince Edward Point bird observatory. Dave is a master trap designer  and with the addition of some new plastic mesh we will soon be able to hopefully capture some good number of returning birds. Every year we catch birds that we have banded  before the oldest grackle we have re-trapped was 10 years old and the oldest red-winged blackbird so far was 8 years old.

Rachelle and Sylvain with the trap

  Blackbirds have a lot of survival issues including poisoning and being shot. Blackbirds are not protected by the migratory convention act and are at risk during the migration. one reason is that farmers need some way to protect their crops from large flocks  and ironically in places like Georgia one of their favouite crops  to eat are  sunflowers which are specifically grown for bird seed!!!


Our hope at the marsh is that we can continue to track their  population. Red winged blackbirds and grackles both favor wetlands . Red wings are more wetland dependent than grackles requiring cattails to nest in. Our numbers have been pretty consistent over the years  ,

year	red winged	grackle
2016	244	57
2015	229	50
2014	281	45
2013	147	35
2012	128	24
2011	292	57
2010	126	45
2009	167	58
2008	272	91
2007	159	67
2006	230	138
2005	196	66
2004	104	84
2003	208	52
2002	200	88
2001	72	57
2000	143	63
	ave  170	ave   55.2
	total 3246	total   431

So that is the story of the J trap we are so lucky that Rachelle and Sylvain have been able to take on the project  and I certainly cannot wait until we can try it out .  The trap is being assembled in sections so we can put it together in the field .  Apparently I am allergic to hammers and all sorts of tools but I will not be able to cry sick when it comes time to carry it out to where it will start to catch birds . I am looking forward to continuing the saga of the j trap.... more to come !!!!!