Page 15 - Port of Baltimore - Issue 3 - 2024

Field Trip for Friends of Masonville Cove
Philadelphia is home to the nation’s first Urban Refuge, the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum, estab- lished more than 50 years ago as part of the U.S. Fish
& Wildlife Service (USFWS) National Wildlife Refuge System. Like Philadelphia, Baltimore can also claim a first as the home of the nation’s first Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership, Masonville Cove.
The John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge is supported by a strong Friends group, the Friends of Heinz Refuge (FOHR). In February, the newly formed Friends of Masonville Cove took a field trip to Philadelphia to meet with FOHR members and representatives of the USFWS to learn from their experience, in hopes of advancing their group. As a part of the tour of the refuge, Friends members enjoyed networking in nature, spotting a bald eagle’s nest and several birds, and visited a nearby community garden project led by FOHR.
“It was nice to meet the folks from Masonville Cove who are looking to start a new Friends Group. We toured the Refuge and were able to share information about the Nature Store, our membership program and all the things that FOHR, Friends of Heinz Refuge, does to support John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge. Let’s keep the momentum going for this new Friends Group,” said the President of FOHR, Mary Batts. 
Bird-Banding Effort a Success at Masonville Cove
h
trip, ultimately equipping the
Friends of Masonville Cove with strategic actions to enhance their role as influential stewards and community leaders within Friends of Masonville Cove
and Masonville Cove Urban Wildlife Partnership.”
– Ralinda Wimbush, Community Member and Friend of Masonville Cove
Over the last year, Masonville Cove has provided the perfect spot for bird banding conducted by Birds of Urban Baltimore (BURB), a local nonprofit organization dedicated
to engaging the commu- nity in bird science and conservation.
With support from
the Maryland Port Administration (MPA), the Maryland Environmental Service (MES), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and local volun- teers, including many from Baltimore Bird Club, BURB captured birds and attached small, uniquely numbered metal bands to their legs. This process allows scien- tists to study both individual birds and populations of birds over time.
Based on the first year
of data collection, the part- ners banded 551 birds
of 56 species during the fall banding season. The top five species captured in the fall were common yellowthroat with 119 indi- viduals, song sparrow with 105, swamp sparrow with 45, and gray catbird and yellow-rumped “myrtle” warbler, each with 34. Several birds banded in
the spring were recaptured and documented in the fall, including a white-throated sparrow that is believed to have stopped at Masonville on both its northbound and southbound migrations.
Among the most excit- ing observations this past fall were three Connecticut warblers, one of which is pictured to the right, and a single mourning warbler, all captured within one
week in early September. Mike Hudson, the bander in charge, summed up how remarkable this was by noting that there are bird- ers who have searched their whole lives to find this species of bird, and at Masonville Cove, the team managed to catch three in one week!
Disclaimer: All birds were captured and banded by qualified individuals with the proper federal permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey.
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PHOTO BY MATIAS ORREGO / MES
LEARN MORE about the Friends of Masonville Cove and their events at www.masonvillecove.org.
PHOTO BY MATIAS ORREGO / MES
PHOTO BY RALINDA WIMBUSH
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