Today marked the start of Ruthven’s 4th season of MAPS banding. MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survival) is a method of determining the breeding success of birds that nest in the forested habitats of Ruthven Park. Unofficially, at least for the past few years, it has also been a test of how much blood loss Brian can endure before keeling over. At times the mosquitoes can be ferocious…

Although there was much damage wrought in the surrounding area by the intense storm system that moved through yesterday, Ruthven itself was spared. There were a few branches down but our only real casualty was one of the Purple Martin houses. The wind bent the pole until it hit the ground, rendering the structure fit accommodation for communally nesting species of rodents until such time that the pole can be replaced.

Banded: 24
Blue-Winged Warbler 1
American Goldfinch 9 (goldfinch are to Ruthven what squeaky cheese is to poutine)
Common Yellowthroat 2
Traill’s Flycatcher 1
Yellow Warbler 1
Indigo Bunting 2
Tree Swallow 1
Red-Eyed Vireo 1
Grey Catbird 2
Baltimore Oriole 2
American Robin 1
Red-Winged Blackbird 1

Retrapped: 19
American Goldfinch 5
Eastern Wood Pewee 2
Common Yellowthroat 2
Yellow Warbler 4
Indigo Bunting 1
Grey Catbird 2
Red-Winged Blackbird 1
Wood Thrush 1
Yellow-Billed Cuckoo 1

One of the Eastern Wood Pewees was originally banded as an ASY on June 20th, 2004 and has not been previously recovered.

MAPS banding takes place once every ten days or so. The next MAPS session is tentatively scheduled for Friday, June 15th.

B.