(by Carol Foss)
New Hampshire Audubon’s Rusty Blackbird crew has deployed a portable Motus station to help keep track of tagged individuals at remote wetlands in their study area. Constructed on an old boat trailer, the station is powered by a rechargeable 12-volt battery and stores detection data on a small computer. With permission from cooperating forest landowners, the crew can position the trailer at an inactive log landing near wetlands that tagged Rusties are using. After the nesting season, Rusty Blackbirds tend to spend up to several weeks at particularly good foraging areas, and the portable receiving station can document when tagged birds depart for another location.