Ornithological Ninjas Infiltrate the Woods

Following are excerpts from Joseph McClain's 10/29/2015 article on William & Mary's website.  I share it as an update to my post last week.

Article's opening paragraph:

It was a stealth operation. A group of highly trained specialists infiltrated the area at dark, quietly deploying a range of technical apparatus to neutralize and secure eight carefully selected individuals, then whisking their captives miles away to a set of safe houses.

Closing paragraph - keeps things in perspective:  

Watts explained that the establishment of a second population of Virginia’s red-cockaded woodpeckers has been a goal of several conservation groups for a decade. But, he said, the yardstick of the success of Operation Woodpecker will be in the reproduction.

“It’s a milestone,” Watts said. “But we need to keep in mind the distinction between introducing birds, like we did last week, versus birds establishing a population, which we won’t know until we see breeding in the spring.”

Rest of the article:  https://www.wm.edu/news/stories/2015/ornithological-ninjas-infiltrate-the-woods-on-behalf-of-endangered-woodpeckers.php

Translocation

Sample Nesting Cavities
Man-made and Bird-made
at Dismal Swamp Refuge Headquarters office, 10/22/2015

Waiting for dusk; so we could place chem lights on trails of 4 quadrants.
Just a few hours later the first 2 (of 8) RCWs arrived...
Thursday, 10/22/2015

Dusk in the Dismal
Thursday, 10/22/2015

First 2, of famous feathered 8!
10 p.m. Thursday, 10/22/2015

Pre-dawn - moments before release
Myrtle Ditch, Dismal Swamp Refuge
Friday, 10/23/2015

Moments before and after RCW were released. 7:20 a.m. Friday, 10/23/2015

Will McDearman, pictured on the right, is our country's coordinator for the recovery of RCWs
Myrtle Ditch, Dismal Swamp Refuge
7:40 a.m. Friday 10/23/2015

The rest of the story is, as they say... "for the birds!!
and will occur 30 or so feet above our heads, because RCWs rarely go to the ground. 

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Next Post:  Ornithological Ninjas Infiltrate Woods

Second Population

Did you know Virginia has 8 species of woodpeckers, including the endangered Red Cockaded Woodpecker?  Most Virginians have never seen an RCW.  That is because our State has just one breeding population.  These 50 or so RCWs live deep inside Piney Grove nestled in Sussex County.  Their decline has been attributed to the loss of habitat, specifically mature pine forests.  Pines (over 80 years old) are preferred because the inner wood is softer.  Softer wood helps with cavity excavations.  RCWs are the only species of woodpeckers to nest in live trees.

Piney Grove, 2014

Some confuse the RCW for Downy or Hairy Woodpeckers.  All three are black and white; but the rare RCWs are medium-sized and have an entirely white cheek.

                      Downy and Hairy Woodpecker.*                                     RCW**
Photos borrowed from:
*http://feederwatch.org/wp-content/themes/feederwatch/img/features/tricky-ids/woodpecker-size.jpg

**https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-cockaded_woodpecker

Second Population

Biologists and volunteers have been preparing an area of the Great Dismal Swamp.  If all goes well, it will host our state's second population of RCWs!  Four adjacent quadrants in the southeast corner of the Dismal Swamp were identified.  Each quadrant is a square mile and already possesses the requisite mature pines.  Screened nesting boxes have been installed high in several trees in each quadrant.

Dismal Swamp's Screened Nesting Cavities, 10/17/2015

Biologists in North Carolina and South Carolina have studied their populations to identify 8 young adults, 4 males and 4 females.  The 8 are being translocated from North Carolina and South Carolina to the Dismal Swamp one night this week. Then, just after midnight, the famous feathered 8 will each be placed in one nesting cavity and screened-in until dawn.  One male and one female will be in each of the four quadrants.  

Before daybreak, the biologists and volunteers will be poised underneath the eight trees.  On a wing and a prayer, so to speak, we will wait until the birds start communicating to each other.  When they do, the screens will be removed; and the birds will be free to meet each other, their neighbors and survey the Dismal Swamp Refuge.

Ladders, stacked - to nesting cavities, 10/17/2015

RCWs are keystone species, playing the vital role of primary cavity nesters.  At least 27 other species (insects, birds, snakes, lizards, squirrels and frogs) have been documented using cavities abandoned by RCWs.  Abandonment occurs for a variety of reason, including cavity entrances becoming enlarged - sometimes by Pileated Woodpeckers.

RCWs are known to fly up to 400 miles; so it is conceivable that any of the 8 could fly north 70 miles to Piney Grove... or fly south (back to North and South Carolina). Despite its name though, the Great Dismal Swamp is a wonderfully hospitable place of refuge for many invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds.  Especially birds.
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Next Post:  Translocation