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On our 7th day of trapping, April 8, we finally caught birds. We captured only two after the center cannon failed to deploy and missed the other 30 birds in the catch area. But we were elated. Stephanie, Lori, and Antonio attached the transmitters with glue and two sutures at either end of the dime-size transmitters. When we returned to the cabins, the two transmitters were already pumping out locations. Two days later, on April 10, we caught ten, and one more the next day, bringing our total of transmitters to 13, meager by Clive Minton standards, who wouldn’t bat an eye at a 400 bird catch. Still, these few birds produced a river of locations.
The transmitters are a marvel of technology. They feel almost feather-light in hand and have the size and appearance of a caramel or peanut chew with a small solar panel on top. This amazing device reaches into space and connects with a satellite which relays the signal back to our computers. And our attachment method, developed by Stephanie with the help of Pam Loring at the USFWS, has no discernible effect on the birds and zero lasting effects. Steph first glues the transmitter to a patch of skin on the bird’s back after removing a patch of feathers using glue suitable for human skin. She then adds two medical standard surgical sutures, known to dissolve but lasting for 4-5 months. It is still invasive and deserves scrutiny.
Stephanie Feigin sutures transmitter to a red knot being held by Lori Talbot
A Sunbird Satelite Transmitters attached to a red knot in Lagoa do Piexe Brazil.
We juggle two needs that justify the impact on the birds. The first has to do with the bird’s conservation. The knots with Sunbird transmitters have already provided the first and only description of the habitat necessary to maintain the functionality of this stopover. The Lagoa do Peixe National Park was partly created to protect the stopover, but the science behind the boundaries only used the best available information. The data from our instrumented red knots show a much larger area of use than the park boundary. Objectively outlining the area critical to the birds by the birds is what conservationists in Brazil need to protect the birds from disturbance and other threats. As though they were automated data collection devices, the knots will continue to outline their route and the places they use to help them migrate. On reaching thier Arctic home, they will definitively describe thier nesting area, the goal set by the Canadian Fish and Wildlife Service and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, who helped fund this expedition. When our team continues the project over the next few years, we will also determine if each wintering population, Florida/Caribean, Northern South American, and Tierra del Fuego, mix when they breed or separate into distinct areas.
In some ways, the question is esoteric. We know thier genetic separation exists because bill size varies with each population, the largest in Tierra del Fuego wintering group. But in other ways, it is vital. The long-distance fliers of the Tierra del Feugo wintering population suffered the most significant declines of the species, so knowing where they breed might provide new insights into the threat they face and the causes. Does climate change affect one group more than the other because of the section of the Arctic they use to nest?
So the discomfort of these few birds brings light to their plight and hopefully improves protection for them and many other species.
The second need we fulfilled with our project was to value the bird’s life by using a method that would not harm her. We suffered over this for years. Our first attempt at tagging birds only relied on gluing the tag to the back, as we do with these birds. We’ve tracked hundreds of birds this way with no known problems. But the glue can only last a few months, limiting the range of understanding of migration routes and habitats. We then tried harnesses used worldwide on other species but also the knot. But harnesses become dangerous for birds like knots, which blow up with fat and then deflate as they migrate. Putting harnesses on when the bird is lean can restrict movement as she gains weight. Alternatively, if attached while plump, the harnesses will loosen as she loses fat, potentially entangling her wings or feet. Either way, she becomes more vulnerable to predators like the Peregrine Falcon.
Lemanja, the Candomblé goddess of the sea
After we made our 10-bird catch, we continued trapping without success until the failing light made it unsafe. So, as usual, we started thinking of food but also wanted to celebrate. Mateo led us north from the Lagoon as darkness fell suddenly on the beach. Our headlights brightly lit the well-trodden roller coaster path just above the high tide line but then disappeared into a wet fog creeping in from the sea. Once again, we passed the statue honoring Iemanja, the Candomblé Goddess of the Sea, which looked much like a version of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, a familiar icon of my life. At least a few of us gave thanks. Five miles north, we arrived at Hotel e Restaurante Estrela do Mar, a bright seafood restaurant with big windows facing the sea. The menu featured variations of only a few things, but the food, including the fish, was fresh, and the preparation was perfect. We had the room to ourselves, and we celebrated with good food and pitchers of beer. Even Lori had a mug of beer.
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The team has dinner at Hotel e Restaurante Estrela do Mar . Going from the right Lori Talbot, Kieth Talbot, Julia Finger, Mateus Luís Haas, Antonio Brum and Stephanie Feigin
