[va-richmond-general] Dutch Gap Prothonotary Project Update

2007 appears to be another outstanding season for the Prothonotary Warblers at 
Dutch Gap.  Through today we have banded a remarkable 468 nestlings since early 
May.  We have captured 117 returned adult breeders (73 females and 44 males).  
Many of these returned breeders were originally banded as nestlings at Dutch 
Gap.  A number of our breeding adults are several years old, a few are known to 
be 6-7 years old!  These returns are truly humbling when one contemplates the 
3200-4000 mile round-trip migration to Central and South America that they must 
survive to breed again each year. That trip includes two 550-700 mile non-stop 
crossings of the Gulf of Mexico.  In addition to the returned breeders, we have 
banded another 44 new adult breeders (28 females and 16 males).  Many of our 
breeders successfully raise two broods each year in the 138 Project nest boxes. 
 The boxes also produced nearly 20 chickadee clutches and  15-20 tree swallow 
clutches this year.  Dutch Gap is a special place to many of us, and it is 
clearly a powerful contributor to the conservation of this beautiful watchlist 
species in Virginia. 

Best,

Bob Reilly

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