An Extraordinary Journey: The Story of Blackpoll Warbler #2400-42807

Posted by Kimberly Kaufman

At Black Swamp Bird Observatory where I work, much of what we do focuses on the science of bird migration.  But an equal portion of our mission is helping people fall in love with birds by introducing them to the miracles of what these winged wonders can do.  We experience these miracles nearly every day, both in terms of scientific discoveries, and in seeing the joy wash over the faces of students when they see their first Blue Jay or Yellow Warbler up close at one of our school programs.

A Dazzling Yellow Warbler

But it isn't just the visitors to the Observatory who are moved by these encounters with birds. Even for the most seasoned researcher, migratory birds still have the power to spark an emotional response.  

Take BSBO's Research Director Mark Shieldcastle, for example.  Mark has been studying migratory birds for nearly 40 years.  He has seen some of the coolest birds on the planet, banded many of them, and watched the sun rise over the marshes of northwest Ohio an enviable number of times.  You'd think by now he would have seen it all, right?   But a return visit from a very special bird this fall was enough to inspire a heartfelt essay from this veteran scientist.

A Special Friend Returns to BSBO's Banding Station

by Mark Shieldcastle

Imagine this, your summer home is in the far north, maybe Alaska; your winter home is somewhere in the jungles of South America; and you rely on a special beach ridge in Ohio for the critical stopover connection between the two.

You visit all these places, not by airliner, but by your own wing power. During fall migration, you spend 80+ hours with nothing but open expanses of ocean beneath you, longing for that first glimpse of terra firma. And you do this each autumn, for at least six years, guided by the primordial instincts that have obviously served you well.

And today, five years exactly to the day of your first visit, you return to one of this continent's most important stopover sites, to the astonishment of human friends from long ago. What stories you could tell us. What stories you DO tell, since you are wearing our band.   You are a Blackpoll Warbler, a true miracle of migration, first meeting the strange creatures that placed this bracelet on your leg on September 13th, 2006, calling you an adult male, and giving you an identity as number 2400-42807.

And today, most certainly in your twilight years, on September 13th, 2011, you have returned, nearly to the exact spot we encountered you all those years ago, to teach us about the extraordinary feats that even the smallest birds can accomplish, and to prove to us that miracles can—and do—happen.

We wish you a safe journey, and as an organization with bird conservation at the core of our mission, we promise to do everything in our power to see that this habitat in northwest Ohio that you rely upon for your survival will be here if you grace our nets and our lives again.                        ~Mark Shieldcastle      

Blackpoll Warbler in Fall Plumage 

The 500,000th bird banded by Black Swamp Bird Observatory.
Blackpoll Warbler #2560 59455

At BSBO, we thought that no Blackpoll Warbler could be more significant to us than the one banded by our research team in the fall of 2009—a bird that represented the remarkable milestone of our 500,000th banded bird. 

But this fall's returning champion has taken a very special place in our hearts. We estimate that this bird, weighing less than an ounce, has traveled at least 50,000 miles in its lifetime, a significant portion of those miles over the open ocean. 

50,000 miles ... on your own wings. 

Even folks who are fortunate enough to work at what they love get tired sometimes.  I feel so blessed to work at a bird observatory and be a part of a team that accomplishes things that we hope will enrich peoples' lives, and bring about positive outcomes for bird conservation.  But I do get tired. I grow weary of the endless grant writing, and the daily challenges that go hand-in-hand with nonprofit work, and sometimes I am tempted to move on to something less challenging...

And then a tiny bundle of feathers stops by during an extraordinary journey that we can scarcely even imagine, reminding me that my job is easy by comparison.  Inspiring me.  Motivating me.  And relighting that fire within that brought me to do this work on behalf of the birds in the first place.

As we begin a new year, let us all remember the bird that lit the fire within us.  Let us all remember the joy, the wonder, the excitement, and the peace that birds bring to our lives.  And most importantly, this year, please remember to give back to the natural world and support habitat conservation in any way that you can.

Happy New Year! 

Kimberly
BIRDS RULE!