Monday Memories: Birds by the handfuls helped predict flight patterns

Spring bird migration is a busy time at the Navarre Marsh unit of the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. The preserve bustles with volunteers working with the Black Swamp Bird Observatory (BSBO) to capture tiny migrating songbirds snagged in mist nets across the marsh. They band them and record data before sending them on their way. In this 1994 Blade archive photo, Julie Shieldcastle, BSBO executive director, holds four songbirds between her fingers while she records band numbers. Clockwise from the bottom are a Western palm warbler, Nashville warbler, yellow warbler and a yellow-rumped warbler. The non-profit organization has been monitoring bird migration patterns at Navarre Marsh in the spring and fall since 1989. Over the years the long-term study has collected data on more than 500,000 birds of 150 species. The birds breed in Canada and spend winters in Central and South America. Go to thebladevault.com/memories to purchase more historical photos taken by our award-winning staff of photographers, past and present, or to purchase combinations of stories and photos.