Myrtle Warbler (photo by Bruce Larson) - Photo Credit: n/a

White-eyed vireo (photo by Erin King) - Photo Credit: n/a

For the 6th consecutive year refuge volunteers on Block Island are operating a banding station to document the variety and abundance of land birds that stop over on the island during fall migration.  Although the volunteers only operate the stations on weekend mornings when weather permits during September and October, they have banded over 6188 birds of ninety-nine species since 2004.  The most common species include myrtle warbler, gray catbird, golden crowned kinglet, ruby crowned kinglet and eastern towhee.  Located 13 miles from the Rhode Island coast, Block Island offers an important oasis to birds that have been blown off shore.  Many of these birds are young of the year making the migration for the first time.  The Block Island NWR, and its maritime shrub community provides much needed shelter and an abundance of berries for refueling to assist these individuals during the critical first year of their lives.  Without our dedicated volunteers this work would no be possible.