Carol Foss and her team are well into their field season already, conducting research on Rusty Blackbirds from a remote location in northern NH. She shares these photos from the week:
“Rusty Blackbird biologist Patti Wohner makes harnesses for radio transmitters that will enable the team to document fledgling survival and habitat use.”
NH Audubon is studying the decline of this once common species. The project is focused on a concentration of breeding pairs discovered in 2009.
“Field technician Emily Tomak (below) activates miniature temperature loggers to prepare them for deployment at Rusty Blackbird nests. By comparing the temperature data from a logger hidden under the nest lining and another tied to a nearby tree, we can determine when the nest fledged or failed.”
Visit the Rusty Blackbird Project web page for more information and photos from last season.