After a long year of COVID restrictions to our lives, we seem to be slowly getting back to “normal”. I am happy to report that this spring we will be doing one day of banding in Hammock Park. We have partnered with the Friends of Hammock Park to offer the banding to a limited number of people. As you will see in the announcement below, it is only open to folks who are members of the Friends or one of the local Audubon chapters. We will have groups of 10 people each half hour between 8 am and 11:30 am come visit the banding station on the Kettles Trail. In addition to limiting the group size, we are asking all attendees to wear a mask and observe social distancing as best you can. As those of you who have visited the banding station know, the space can be tight to see the birds as they are being processed.
My hope is that by next fall most adults will have been vaccinated and we will be able to open the banding up to more people in Hammock Park for the one day of banding. Thank you all for your patience and understanding as we continue our important research through these unprecedented times.
Monthly Nature Walk & Bird Banding Demonstration
April 10, 2021
Friends of the Hammock and Jim McGinity, Florida Avian Conservation, are pleased to announce an opportunity for their members and members of the Audubon Societies of Clearwater and St. Petersburg. Join Jim McGinity to observe bird banding research in Hammock Park on the morning of April 10, 2021. We are privileged to observe and learn about the migration of songbirds through Hammock Park.
This event is a free member event; all registrants must be members of either Friends of the Hammock, the Clearwater Audubon Society, or the St. Petersburg Audubon Society. If you are not currently a member of these organizations, but would like to participate, please consider joining one of these nonprofit organizations by visiting their respective websites before registering.
Due to Covid-19 precautions, and in order to closely monitor the number of participants in each session, any small groups must register each participant individually. For example, a family of four will have to sign up each of the four family members individually.
Masks are required. For the safety and inclusion of everybody, masks must be worn even when in the field.
If you register, PLEASE show up. Spots are limited and we really want everyone who is interested to be able to participate. We will be offering 8 sessions during the course of the morning, at half hour intervals starting at 8 am. All groups will meet at the pavilion at the main entrance to the park located at 1900 San Mateo Drive, Dunedin.
Please show up early for your time slot. Parking is limited; you may need to park in the Osprey Field lot and walk to the pavilion area to check in.
Each scheduled time slot group will meet in the pavilion, walk together as a group, and stay with the group the entire time. Each group will leave right at the half hour, so make sure you are on time. Again, due to Covid restrictions, the group will leave the pavilion with a guide, who will lead the group to the bird banding site. You will not be allowed to stay behind and watch another presentation. And remember there is NO Guarantee that you will actually see a bird, some things are just beyond our control.
Wear walking/outdoor clothes, bring water, sun and mosquito protection. It is a ten minute walk to the site and the entire walk/presentation will take 45 minutes-an hour.
Walk-ups will be accepted on a space available basis but you still must be a member of FoTH, the Clearwater Audubon Society or the St. Petersburg Audubon Society. Sign up by clicking the link below.
Hammock Bird Banding 