[va-richmond-general] Re: they're on the move!

Hi Diane,

Kiptopeke is a VA State Park near the south end of the Delmarva Pennisula.  
About a 2.5 hour drive (without a traffic jam at the I64 tunnel). Take I64 esat 
and then 13 North across the Bay-Bridge Tunnel.  Once you get on the Eastern 
Shore at the other side, go about 3 miles and watch for a left turn toward the 
Park (marked by a modest white sign on the right). After paying the nominal 
parking fee at the Park entrance take your first left off that road and park in 
the gravel parking area.  Walk down the broad path/dirt road through large 
wooden gate for perhaps 1/8th mile and you will see the banding station on your 
right.  Just walk right up and you are likely to see some remarkable things, 
i.e., some great birds up close and personal along with a wealth of interesting 
information provided by the affable bander, jethro.  CVWO stands for the 
Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory.  They are a private organization devoted 
to conservation, public wildlife education, and research that, among other 
things, has paid for the staff and running of the station since 1997.  Like our 
own Richmond Audubon Society, they depend on membership fees, donations and 
fund-raising events plus some small grants to cover their programs.  The 
Observatory's administration is all volunteer, and they depend on the help of 
many volunteers to assist with their programs, as does Jethro at the banding 
station.  They also pay for a hawk counter on the hawk platform (many tousands 
of hawks fly over there each fall and are readily identified in flight and 
counted by the highly skilled counter), a hawk bander (that operation is not 
generally open to the public since the hawks are plenty wary of the slightest 
detectable movement) and for a person who counts and tags migrating monarch 
butterfiles.  This is the 43rd year of operation of the Kiptopeke songbird 
banding station.  Last year Jethro banded about 7000 songirds of 107 species.  
In all, the station has banded nerly 300,000 birds in its 42 years of 
operation.  I am pretty active with their banding programs and typically help 
Jethro out with the banding several times each fall.  By the way, in addition 
to observing the songbird banding whenever and for as long as you wish (and 
possibly helping out if you are so inclined) you are welcome at any time on the 
hawkwatch platform which is probably one of the best places I can think of to 
learn to identify hawks in flight.  Hope you will venture over there and take 
advantage of a wonderful opportunity for someone who loves birds.

Bob
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Diane Bumpass 
  To: va-richmond-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Tuesday, September 06, 2005 9:19 PM
  Subject: [va-richmond-general] Re: they're on the move!


  Where is Kiptopeke?  What does CVWO stand for?  I'm new to all of this, but 
it sounds really interesting.

  Diane Bumpass
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Bob Reilly 
    To: va-richmond-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
    Sent: Tuesday, September 06, 2005 7:02 PM
    Subject: [va-richmond-general] Re: they're on the move!


    Kristi,

    No arrangement is needed to visit and observe.  Jethro runs 7 days a week 
from about 15-30 minutes before sunrise through the early afternoon, and later 
if there are still birds around.  He is always happy to have visitors walk up, 
and if you tell him you would like to help out, he might well put you to work 
and show you how various things are done there.  He is a very friendly and 
generous person.  The season is Aug 15th - Nov. 22nd.  A good tip:  the best 
days are the ones associated with a cold front the day/night before, so that 
the winds have been from the NW the night before.  Almost all the songbirds 
that migrate do so at night and attempt to take advantage of the wind.

    Bob
      ----- Original Message ----- 
      From: botnizn@xxxxxxx 
      To: va-richmond-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
      Sent: Tuesday, September 06, 2005 6:34 PM
      Subject: [va-richmond-general] Re: they're on the move!


      Bob, how does one arrange a visit to view and or assist with banding 
efforts on Kiptopeke?
      -Kristi


       
      -----Original Message-----
      From: Bob Reilly <rjreilly@xxxxxxx>
      To: va-richmond-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
      Sent: Mon, 5 Sep 2005 10:22:15 -0400
      Subject: [va-richmond-general] they're on the move!


      Heard from Jethro Runco, CVWO's bander at Kiptopeke this morning. They 
started on Aug. 15th, and he says they are off to the best start ever. Already 
banded 58 species, including Louisiana waterthrush, Nashville warbler, Kentucky 
warbler, blackpoll warbler, golden-winged warbler, blue-winged warbler, and 
blackburnian warbler! Also banded an eastern screech owl and a 
chuck-wills-widow. Says this current cold front has been terrific. The birds 
are moving! 
       
      Bob Reilly  
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