The bird migrations are long gone for this year but that doesn’t mean that the work at Ruthven comes to a close – in fact, bird banding/monitoring is just one part of a multi-faceted program that goes on all year. For example, take today:
Bob Donald hard at work on the Butterfly Meadow - keeping natural succession at bay.
Bob Donald was out “mowing” parts of the Butterfly Meadow so that it will remain as a meadow and not revert to forest.
Species-at-Risk Co-ordinator, Sandy Turner, bringing implements of destruction for trimming the Butterfly Meadow.
Sandy, the Stewardship Co-ordinator was helping Bob by trimming back some of the successional tree growth that is developing in the meadow. (By the way, Sandy is looking for some volunteer help to plant tree seeds in a restoration area. You can contact her at the front Gatehouse or by email stewardshipcoordinator@gmail.com if you want details).
Nancy doing some "ad hoc" banding - she needed a "fix".
And Nancy Furber had the feeder nets open to sample and band the Winter residents at Ruthven. Or so she says. My sense is that she just needed a bird “fix” as it’s a long time between Fall migration and Snow Bunting season.
Rick