{)JOD&'-c o&~ ~'t'() Dan Dessecker PRELIMINARY DATA (MARCH-JUNE 1981); AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STUDY ~PPROACH IMPROVEMENTS ..

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1 {)JOD&-c o&~ ~t() J PRELMNARY DATA (MARCH-JUNE 1981); AND RECOMMENDATONS FOR STUDY ~PPROACH MPROVEMENTS..,, _,,,>""- by Dan Dessecker

2 , Table 1. American woodcock captured March-June Band number Sex Age Capture site Date captured Singing Band colors M A 41"> 1iollll. r:!"."!" J eft. :cjgb:t. S. ground A J YES YG " 3256 M A S. ground A YES " F A,. s. ground C NO " M SA S. ground C L~-5-81 YES GB " 3259 M A S. ground B YES BY ti M A S. ground E YES BG ti M A s. ground F YES YB " M A s. ground G YES GY " M SA S. ground A YES YY " M A s. ground C NO BB ft F A s. grounp. C NO GG " M SA s. ground F YES GY B M - male, F - female. A - adult, SA - subadult. Y - yellow, G - green, B - blue.

3 2 Table 2. Mist netting success March-June Singing ground. Net nightsa Captures % A B C D E F G 6 l 17 Totals % a - 1 net set for 1 performance. Taple 3. Trapping success March-June Trap site Trap daysx Captures % a 14 b 15 C 16 d e f.. ;:7 14 g h 12 i 16 j 16 k Totals Y x - 1 trap set for 1 day. y - 1 capture43.75 tra1>.days.

4 .J Figure 1. Map of study area ~.,,... J...,,i"...,...._.-._..,.,,. 1 ;...,~--.. ~ C c d - -,,,.....,.,-.- i i.... i ii,,-" j... B i a. : A , " ( :! b !.!t~....: ;~ t 4t>..,-, - Ji,... J il """-_:: , r i!.5!...,-, - -,, i,._. (---,,,,_,-. -._.._.,., -. i., e,;,.,,,.-...,_.. Dr - -(., f,,;,.-- j ii lake ) ~, J : g1,1.,;,. -:,~--,...,.. <.. 9, - -; :::..~:--:::. J.,_..,,.. "1., j h...._...,... ~ J r. E k 1.. ""... ~ -:,... ~ ~ ===:1,,,,. --- G ).. ; F ("";,,. : =:= dirt road creek - - footpath e shelter ~ ski hill A-G singing ground a-1 trap site l?iaria. Drive 2 Reserve Street J Michigan Avenue 4 Fifth Avenue.5 llinois Avenue N o m Scale 1:966

5 4 Figure 2. Singing ground A. )!..) (- A,.-., (:i. ~ <-,,.. - <..,> r".... (~" r">d w,,., OCl~---- -c;::,o.. v<,.r-,"-:.jr-. o..."~~ o..t ".,(..) V ~d-.. > _ Cl u Ur-,._ f., ~.~.~""_, ""--- ",..,. A, l(};:-j o -.,..()... o ; O. : : v. ~~ zr, : l o icd l ), i ~i O -~ CU# r,r o... t - - D Q~ o~d o o ooo - - foot path ~ ski hill shelter.a. jack pine!}_ white pine A scotch pine primary landing area ---;,, flight path -tt mist net N m

6 5 Figure J. Singing ground B. ( L.,5. ("; _..,--~,-., t::. r L,.,,.,...,, -:t,,- D.,_, " (, t!. ~ 1, i J.i. i._.,: L A... l 1, w a1,1. u. n ~. n, r G - t_l!!j. _)k ~ L:. ) : ~.r. ~ i f1 () A! Ll r-. 1 ) ; ; -,a L l c~) fj -~ ::. (... ") li:l "" - r~. :..,j A. jack pine + b. white pine primary landing area secondary landing area. ~-~ flight path --.. mist net, -,!J..,.,. ; ~ ~ i l"! 1, (, 6 l:;, (; -... ~ ,.,_ J... ~... --,;~ {.,..) ) --, _J v c"..._,., v C,J!-... (j (~,) r) CJ N 5 1 Scale 1:4oo 15 2 m

7 6 Figure 4. Singing ground c. A Ai A j! 1 a bird feeder + A jack primary landing area ~ - _,. flight pa.th ** mist net 4 A _!---.- A ,.AA....A A -, ~ Jx..."... ]: i ",-:,A.A..., --Ytl... "-.("...A t i r~i l A.4 ~ l A,,.,1 Jl L~. A-1 A. ~ ~ ; 4 "-...~ o o, A A otia.&.. Q.A A 4.. N Scale ls4 1.5 a:>m

8 7 Figure.. Singing ground D. N :~1C}~~i 5 1 Scale l: m ~~r o...,,.::--.,;,,-, <,?,... = (~,;(.!"1, 1, ~".~ J [-:: ~ ;~:-,! : ):.~;; ;!,). f.,-;,, f::. ~ t-...-" <?! tv _,::::;"" --_,,t,~w~~,.,,,,, t..,,,. ~ J!...,,.. l f _; t f p, f;, i rta~-q ~-:,.. ---,,,, 1 <:;~:-..,(},; ()~t.. ~ D. r,, ~.; } r)y;:~ :, 7t.... rl"v...}..,,.,.,,. :--~, : _ ; ;_.i~--:..- i ---~------!c K ;-- -.._, -.,.,,, ;< -...,_ " -c:, --~- " s > ~.~. _,.-...,,. ~- h~.,. >:-.... <}-. -~ -, ~,:_. ( 1! - - footpath,.,-~fence A jack pine D. white pine G deciduous (!) primary landing area -e- -? flight path rl-h+ mist net

9 8 Figure 6. Singing ground E. r, i.v,,.. J r,{ _,1;} ; {..r~ i,.j; ,,..- f],=._y. r" ";" ~ :,_,.f. ;-::: (.~,~ f-~)!...i:; 4 ~{~":.,..,... ~ -f. ~.,_... ~ r..._,: j... -f"". (.r>:.. r," 1 r ; v-.. n ~._,.J co r:-~,1 ~, "-_,; ~,..,..,_,,. -.:..:.::. "--, ; (,-: _,.-,.{.. r.-, n -,- t... L~J. ~~,.yj_; j. o-,. --:,-, Maria Dr. -:-::_.:-:- gravel Q deciduous G>. :primary landing area ~--+ flight path -mist net r~,:-- t)~~~ f~1 ~.~J - N + r--~-+-~-+-~--j~~ m

10 9 Figure 7. Singing ground F. i L!. - i r! l t, t ( r i t t ;! f i., " ~- " ";,( J ; k".- ;... t - f.,-",...::.. ~.. - r-,...-;-: i f! 1 i _ i -~! --~ --,.. ~~ _,..--, t.,., ,. j! -~,l, ) t ~!:l. l t i.. J C!! -!) i. : ~,,... ~.,,,. - ==== creek :=~=~dirt road ::::::; grass road *-><-)<. fence A scotch pine primary landing area <a--~ flight path +H-+-1- mist net " >. fi y. ;.-::,. " " >( " N + > ~---t m

11 1 Figure 8. Singing ground G. ~ ~~ ~ -~---,--,,- ~ ~. ~.- ~ ~..,,..~, O ~ ~ C Q 1 j (l (::::::~<~ ~ o ()...,, - ~ ) C, C.) C C: ::: tj Q --:! :).., C.. "-).,.,v,1 -!) r,.::, l) G.?l),C!t. :j ~ v f"-;,-..:w { l,., -" V -_ :J ~.~ r ( -.. ~ 1 _ C C,?.,... JtJc C,... (, : - -" c",. A tj (._..; ljr, f" l_j t, ( C ~-.-:---- L 1..._)._. t_.,-- C: D.r)... (.. -;;: "" rv, ~ ~ :..., ~ ~..... ;~~ Fifth Ave. footpath a deciduous "o O primary landing area ~ -~ flight path,..;++,+ mist net m Scale 1:4

12 11 RECOMMENDATONS FDR STUDY APPROACH MPROVEMENTS 1. Us~ only single compartment, double lead fence ground traps: Several of the burlap covered trap compartments were readily visible in areas where they were by necessity located as close as 1 m from existing footpaths. These footpaths are used quite heavily during the early spring. Four seperate instances of trap vandalism, including 2 occasions where a captured woodcock was removed from the trap and decapitated caused the author to prematurely conclude the study. Making the traps less visible by placing the single compartment further from the footpath, and extending the 2 lead fences out at appropriate angles will hopefully reduce the possibility of their being located, and interfered :with. 2. ncrease the number of ground traps used from 4, to 1: The desired final product of this investigation is a ratio of singing to nonsinging males. C~pturing all singing ma~es on the study area posed no problem during the spring of However, little success at capturing nonsinging males via use of ground traps was achieved... ncreasing the number of traps used, along with more judicious trap placement, should increase the number of nonsinging males captured. 3. Do not move the ground traps, leave each trap at its specific site throughout the study. During the spring of 1981 it took from o hours to dismantle, transport, and reset each ground trap. This was necessary in o:rder to ensure complete coverage of all potential diurnal coverts on _the study area while using only 4 traps. f as suggested in recommendation #2, 1 traps are used instead of 4, and care is taken to set traps only where wo_odcock

13 12 sign (probe holes, whitewash) has been previously located, this movement of traps should be unnecessary. 4. Begin mist netting performing males as soon as they arrive on the study area, and continue until courtship activity on the singing grounds stop: n 1981, capturing performing males on the singing grounds with the use of mist nets was found to have no adverse affect on their subsequent performances. Four singing males were recaptured a total of 7 times, only once was the recapture site different from the original capture site. Visual identification of singing ground occupants via colored leg band combinations was achieved 3 times. On each occassion the male was found to have remained on the same singing ground where it was originally banded. nitating banding as soon as singing males arrive may increase the number of individual woodcock banded by capturing males who are not resident breeders. 5. Use red, yellow, and blue colored leg bands: t is too difficult to make a positive distinction between the blue and green leg bands when viewed under low intensity light. This problem was anticipated, but the only colors available when the bands were first ordered, were green, yellow, and blue.

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