The S wind was blowing at about 40 km’s when I arrived. A walk around the net lanes showed that NO net was sheltered from it. Further, the skies were overcast and threatening and the forecast was calling for a 90% P.O.P. So I baited the traps and opened only the two most sheltered nets (2 & 10) – these nets were also close by so they could be checked regularly and closed quickly if the rain struck.

The wind was billowing these nets enough that they were quite visible to the birds. Even so, we managed to net 15 in the course of the morning and got another 18 birds in the traps. The most interesting bird we caught was a male Blue-gray Gnatcatcher which we had originally banded as a SY bird in May 2011. These diminutive (but feisty) birds spend their winters anywhere from the far southeastern U.S. down into Mexico or Cuba. This bird would have been south at least 3 times now. It would be interesting to know its route and to have an idea of what it would have encountered during this time.

Banded 14:
3 Chipping Sparrows
2 Song Sparrows
2 White-throated Sparrows
1 Dark-eyed Junco
2 Brown-headed Cowbirds
4 American Goldfinches

Retrapped 18:
3 Black-capped Chickadees
1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
2 American Tree Sparrows
4 Chipping Sparrows
2 Song Sparrows
1 Dark-eyed Junco
1 Brown-headed Cowbird
4 American Goldfinches

ET’s: 45 spp.

Christine Nielsen, who lives and works in Moosonee, sent this picture of Snow Buntings. They were taken around the beginning of April. I would wonder if some of these birds follow the James Bay/Hudson Bay coast on their way back to their Arctic breeding grounds.