As they enjoyed their refreshments, the volunteers were able to see the VIMS Aquarium and models of fishes and marine mammals. Reserves studied as migrant 'stopovers' The York River components of the Reserve are being studied by staff and volunteer ornithologists as stopover habitats by neotropical migrants-birds that breed in North America but winter in Central and South America. We want to know what birds use which habitats on the Reserves during migration. He set up permanent points in the field, covering each type of habitat equally. At each point, 10-minute counts are made on each week's survey.
Breeding is happy with the results so far.
That's a lot, and it gives us better documentation of what uses the Reserves. The general habitats covered are marsh, scrub, edge and forest. Many volunteers have become involved with the project, and one day per week for six weeks is no small commitment. The Reserve is indebted to Jeannie Baldwin, Daniel and Myra Bickford, Arun Bose, Fenton Day, Jim Greaves, Tim Kinkead, Troy Rapp, Eileen Rowan and Phoebe Taff. Many neotropical bird species are declining, due to a variety of causes, including deforestation in the tropics, deforestation and habitat fragmentation in North America and nest predators.