It was a beautiful day, although it started off quite cold for the time of year (-2). It never got really warm – only up to 10 degrees – but the lack of wind made it seem quite comfortable. And once it warmed up a little the midges began to swarm, followed by the Tree Swallows that were in hot pursuit.
Mother Killdeer is still at it. Every morning when I drive in, I catch he in my headlights sitting tight on her nest, keeping those eggs warm. And due to the cold conditions she isn’t able to leave it for very long. She must be getting quite hungry by this point.
We’re still waiting for the White-throated Sparrows to arrive. We’ve seen and banded only a few. Checking notes from previous years suggests that these short-distance migrants are 7-10 days behind.
Banded 18:
2 Mourning Doves
1 White-breasted Nuthatch
1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
1 Chipping Sparrow
1 Field Sparrow
1 Dark-eyed Junco
2 Red-winged blackbirds
2 Brown-headed Cowbirds
6 American Goldfinches
Species Count: 47 spp.
Rick
Interesting looking Tree Swallow!