The Gray Catbird is typical of migratory birds that prefer the fruits of native plants, despite invasive plants dominating fruit availability in late-autumn. The Gray Catbird was among 45 species sighted in the 2019 Migratory Bird Count on Fishers Island. Ann Stinely photo for the Manomet Team Newsletter.

As migratory birds pass through stopover sites later in the season due to warming temperatures, will they begin to eat the abundant late-autumn fruit of invasive plant species rather than fruit from the diminishing number of native plants? The apparent answer is no.

This finding was the result of an in-depth study of bird-fruit interactions published in the Nov. 2019 issue of Biological Conservation, a leading international journal in the discipline of conservation science. A trio of scientists conducted their research at Manomet, a migratory stopover site for landbirds on the Atlantic coast, and a long-term bird banding site, located in Plymouth County, Mass.

Scientists observed both native and invasive wild plant species at Manomet during the 2014-15 autumn migration season and identified seeds from 469 fecal samples collected from songbirds captured during that time.

“Our results demonstrate that native fruits are an important food resource for birds during the autumn migration season and are unlikely to be replaced by abundant fruits of late-season invasive species under climate change,” scientists wrote in their study.

Twenty years ago, University of Delaware entomology professor and FIConservancy advisor, Doug Tallamy observed that insects prefer to eat native plants rather than invasives. Birds, in turn, feed on those insects, particularly when foraging for their young. This study adds striking evidence to the “native” connection, even in the face of a diminishing late-autumn native food supply due to the aggressive growth of invasive plant species.

Become a First Responder!

Please join us for a FREE 2-hour training at the Fishers Island Community Center, Saturday, December 14 from 1-3pm! First responders are vital to Mystic Aquarium’s Animal Rescue Program. The initial response helps to determine the status of an animal and helps them prepare for action when necessary.

Learn about federal regulations that ensure the safety of these animals. You will also learn how to identify Connecticut and Rhode Island’s marine mammal and sea turtle species.

The Animal Rescue Program training is free and open to all 18 years and older.

Class is contingent on at least 10 people registered no later than December 11. Registration is required through the Mystic Aquarium website (please do not email).

For more information on the Animal Rescue Program and to register to reserve your space, please visit the Mystic Aquarium website www.mysticaquarium.org.

Scroll down to the the “Dates & Registration” button.  This will take you to the registration site.

You may also use the button below to go directly to registration.

If you need to cancel your registration please call 860-572-5955 x520.

The Asian jumping worm, which can grow to eight inches, is identified by the whitish band that mostly circles its body near its head.

Dianne Crary in October reported the presence of “a lot” of invasive Asian jumping worms on her property along Equestrian Road. Unlike the familiar earthworm, which burrows into the ground, this Asian invader, when disturbed, writhes and scatters across the surface of the soil. If touched, it thrashes wildly and may shed its tail.

Living on the surface in woodlands, Asian jumping worms quickly devour fallen leaves and other organic material, turning the surface into loose soil resembling coffee grounds. The loss of leaf litter destroys long-lasting nutrients vital for the survival of trees. Additionally, altered soil inhibits the establishment of tree seedlings and is inhospitable to many native plant species.

Asian worms reportedly have reduced leaf litter in hardwood forests by 95%. A naturalist observed an infested forest in Cortland County, New York, and said that “it was almost entirely bare soil.”

As with so many invasive species, these worms are adaptable and difficult to stop. They are parthenogenetic: they can reproduce without fertilization. The introduction of a single individual is enough to launch a jumping worm invasion. The worms have an annual life cycle. They die in the fall, but leave tiny cocoons that winter in the soil.

What to do? According to the Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County, “Asian worms are commonly spread through the horticulture trade, both in containerized plants, and especially mulch, which they love. Check bulk mulch before purchasing, and maybe think twice about getting fill delivered to your property.”

 The disappearance of 2.9 billion birds since 1970 has caught scientists by surprise. Common birds, such as the Dark-eyed Junco (above), also known as the “snowbird,” have seen the greatest losses. (Video: Luis Velarde/Photo: Jay McGowan, Macaulay Library at Cornell Lab of Ornithology/The Washington Post)

According to research published online in September by the journal Science, the breeding population of birds in the U.S. and Canada has dropped nearly 30 percent since 1970.

“We were astounded by this net loss across all birds on our continent, the loss of billions of birds,” said Cornell Lab of Ornithology conservation scientist Ken Rosenberg, who led an international team of scientists from seven institutions in the analysis of population trends for 529 bird species.

“These bird losses are a strong signal that our human-altered landscapes are losing their ability to support birdlife,” he said. “And that is an indicator of a coming collapse of the overall environment.”

The study crossed all habitats, from grasslands to the Arctic, shorelines to forests. Common birds—the species that many people see every day—have suffered the greatest losses, according to the study. More than 90% of the losses (more than 2.5 billion birds) come from just 12 families including sparrows, blackbirds, warblers and finches.

Gone are millions of favorite species seen at bird feeders, such Dark-eyed Juncos (down by 168 million) and sweet-singing White-throated Sparrows (down by 93 million). Eastern and Western Meadowlarks are down by a combined 139 million individuals. Additionally, a quarter of all blue jays have disappeared, along with almost half of all Baltimore orioles.

Scientists observed that while it remains vital to save the most endangered birds, the loss of abundance among our most common species “represents a different and frankly more ominous crisis.”

FIConservancy’s focus on grassland restoration comes at a critical time. The study shows that 53 percent of grassland birds, a higher percentage than any other birds recorded in the study, have vanished since 1970.

These findings emerged from new techniques to detect the volume of migratory birds aloft using weather radar, as well as nearly 50 years of bird-monitoring data, including citizen-science records. (The steepest declines among radar stations were in the eastern half of the country.)

“Birds are resilient when we give them a chance—the data show that too. Waterfowl are up by 56%, and raptors have increased by 200% thanks to focused conservation funding and protections,” said John Fitzpatrick, Executive Director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

The red-winged blackbird—a common sight on Fishers Island and in virtually every marsh and wet roadside across the continent—has declined by 92 million birds since 1970. Justine Kibbe Photo

COMMENTS FROM OUR READERS

Much of this is due to the lack of food supply for baby birds. They only eat caterpillars and all of the non-native trees, ginkgo, the new pears, which are invasive have NO caterpillars. A native oak tree hosts at least 400 varieties.

Doug Tallamy has written a book called “Bringing Nature Home”, it is a road map to recovery, he is a scientist, professor and life long bird observer. This book should be in every household with a yard.

~ Sally Ogden

We have taken away the nesting place of many bird species. A large part of the loss is the loss of grassland habitat, an aspect of conservation where Fishers Island is in the forefront. The NY State Department of Conservation website reports that NY has lost 90% of grassland habitat in the state. The Pequot Indians and neighboring tribes routinely burned their fields for cropland and grassland habitat. City dwellers fail to understand the need for this preservation technique. Then the conversion of grassland to shrubland to forest clouds out many species. It is nice to know that Fishers Island is doing its part, but there is much more to be done.

~ Peter Rugg

This female yellow garden spider (Argiope aurantia) was sauntering across the Recreational Path east of the driving range in mid-September. FIConservancy Photo

Also known as orb weavers and Argiopes, these spiders are common on Fishers Island and in much of the United States. They produce a zig-zag band in the center of their webs, called stabilimentum, which arguably reflects light to attract flying insects into the web, and, at the same time, prevents birds from accidentally colliding into the web and destroying it.

Argiopes are beneficial for gardens, fields and anywhere you are trying to reduce the mosquito population.

Spider information courtesy of Adam B. Mitchell, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Entomology, Department of Wildlife, Sustainability, and Ecosystem Sciences, Tarleton State University.