Introducing the Kiawah Island Banding Station (KIBS) Blog!

Header to the Kiawah Island Banding Station Blog -- Credit: Aaron Given, Town of Kiawah Island

            Just in time for Fall Migration and the Fall migration bird banding season on Kiawah Island, Aaron Given, wildlife biologist for the Town of Kiawah Island, has launched a blog, Kiawah Island Banding Station (KIBS), to be updated several times a week with banding reports and photos, through November 30. Congratulations to Aaron on this endeavor! 

           If you have not read my previous posts on banding, you may want to check out Birding Up Close and Personal -- Bird Banding 101 -- Part 1 and Part 2, and Marsh Bird Banding on Kiawah -- March & April 2012.  Although I outlined Aaron's goals for his Fall bird banding project in "Birding Up Close and Personal -- Bird Banding 101 -- Part 2," I will reiterate them here for clarity:

The goals of fall migration bird banding project on Kiawah Island are to:

• Gather baseline information on resident and migratory birds on Kiawah Island.
• Collect data to enable long-term monitoring (i.e. population tends) of birds on Kiawah Island.
• Monitor fall migration to determine the importance of Kiawah Island as stop-over habitat.
• Assess the effects of development on bird populations.
• Provide data to better manage habitat and guide future development plans.
• Contribute high quality data to the North American Bird Banding Program. 

 Specific data on the birds banded and other information on this project, as well as other bird banding and wildlife projects ongoing on Kiawah are also explained in-depth on the site, Wildlife on Kiawah Island.  I fully recommend taking a look at this site as well.  The Kiawah biologists' work is impressive.

       And yes, as of August 15, Aaron has begun the Fall Bird Banding!  So check out the KIBS site to see what he has caught in the nets thus far!  Aaron's passion for his work is infectious, the numbers are interesting and the photos are great!  Some parts of the site are still a work in progress.  However, the link to Past Season's Totals gives a good overview of what kinds of birds are passing through at different times throughout the Fall.  I probably will be returning to the station soon myself  this season to volunteer.  In the meantime, it is exciting to know that I can follow the birds on KIBS!  Thank you Aaron for another window into birdlife in the Lowcountry!