Manomet’s 55th fall season of banding begins!

Jeanne O'Rourke | August 29, 2020 | Newsletters

Emily Renaud

Communications Coordinator

Fall migration is officially here, and the banding lab is up and running once again! After a pared-down banding operation during the spring season, Manomet is excited to welcome four seasonal banders to Manomet’s Plymouth headquarters this month for the 55^th fall season.

The Landbird Conservation Team—comprised of Trevor Lloyd-Evans, Director, Evan Dalton, Lead Instructor, and Alan Kneidel, Staff Biologist— did record some data during spring migration, but having a full banding staff is crucial for a complete, consistent look at long-term trends. “We have always had banders in the lab since we started in 1966, and it’s essential to continue doing so to maintain our over 50-year-old dataset,” says Trevor. “Having a full team keeps the lab running at full capacity, capturing and recording data on as many birds as possible. It also helps us to connect people to nature and educate the next generation of conservation biologists.”

After testing negative for COVID-19, the banders— Cynthia Ramirez, Jeremiah Sullivan, Megan Gray, and Sarah Duff—arrived at Manomet the week of August 10 and will be here for the fall season. The banding staff is taking many safety measures because of the pandemic, including limiting contact with other Manomet staff, wearing masks, frequent handwashing and sanitation of equipment throughout the day, and reducing outside visitation. Prior to the banders’ arrival, the Landbird Conservation Team installed a pop-up tent on the outdoor patio to allow for an open-air banding station.

Hatch-year Grey Catbird

The banding lab is open!

Hatch-year Blue Grey Gnatcatcher

Female Hatch-year American Redstart

Take a moment to get to know the fall 2020 banders and learn how COVID-19 has affected their work lives this year.

Sarah Duff

Sarah banded at Manomet in 2017 and since then has worked in some marvelous places, including, most recently, the island of Rota in the South Pacific monitoring the endangered Mariana Crow. “I’m thankful that Manomet has put a great deal of thought and effort into ensuring our safety this fall,” she said. “This year, several banding stations and field projects have sadly been canceled. But, Manomet is a really special place and I feel lucky to be part of it this season, and I look forward to finding fun, creative ways to engage the public virtually about the amazing species we see here at the lab.”

Megan Gray

Returning from Rhode Island for her fifth season at Manomet’s banding lab, Megan is an experienced bander and overall naturalist, logging over 400 species at headquarters on iNaturalist since 2018. This season, she’s hoping to deepen her understanding of molt and enhance her plant ID skills. “COVID prevented me from returning to Manomet for the spring season as I had planned,” she said. “It also meant that it was incredibly difficult to find a job as many organizations canceled their field seasons.”

Cynthia Ramirez

Since graduating from Virginia’s George Mason University, Cynthia has worked on ecological projects in Guyana and Peru. She also has experience in preparing and organizing mammal and bird museum specimens. “There has been a huge cutback on conservation research jobs and training due to COVID; these jobs are vital for getting hands-on experience,” she said. “That’s why I feel very fortunate to be at Manomet this fall. I’m hoping to learn more about the banding process and key characteristics of birds in the hand.”

Jeremiah Sullivan

A native of Massachusetts, Jeremiah recently completed his undergraduate degree at Boise State University. He has volunteered at various banding stations in both the American East and West. An avid birder, Jeremiah has also led bird tours for Mass Audubon around Plum Island. “COVID disrupted my final semester at Boise State and made it pretty hard to find jobs after graduating,” he said. “I’m thankful to be banding at Manomet, where I have the opportunity to grow and gain new skills.” Jeremiah looks forward to sharpening his birding skills and becoming a more experienced bander this season.

Watch Manomet’s website for updates on the banders this fall through our weekly banding summaries, as well as on social media; follow the banding lab on Twitter and Instagram for updates straight from the banders.

For more information on the banding lab, visit our website or contact Evan Dalton at edalton@manomet.org.

Join us for a virtual banding demo!

September 15, 2020

Register for the Zoom link!