It’s been a hectic (and exhausting) 4 days. Lots of birds, lots of visitors, and lots of action. The easiest thing for me to do is just sort of summarize and sprinkle in the many pictures people have kindly sent me (and my apologies to those whose pictures I don’t post – just not enough time…..).
May 10th: International Migratory Bird Day:
Stiff West winds reduced the effectiveness of the nets but we still managed to handle 108 birds – 67 banded and 41 retraps.
Banded 67:
1 Mourning Dove
1 Downy Woodpecker
1 Least Flycatcher
1 Eastern Kingbird
2 Tree Swallows
1 House Wren
1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
1 Swainson’s Thrush (1st for the year)
1 Wood Thrush
10 Gray Catbirds
1 Warbling Vireo
1 Blue-winged Warbler
1 Nashville Warbler
7 Yellow Warblers
1 American Redstart
1 Common Yellowthroat
3 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks
4 Chipping Sparrows
2 Field Sparrows
2 Song Sparrows
1 Swamp Sparrow
2 Eastern White-crowned Sparrows
1 Red-winged Blackbird
5 Brown-headed Cowbirds
6 Baltimore Orioles
1 Orchard Oriole
8 American Goldfinches
ET’s: 64 spp.
May 11th; Mother’s Day:
What better way to celebrate Mother’s Day than with a Clay-coloured Sparrow!? Light southerly winds during the night brought in an exciting array of migrants – and we banded 28 species!
Banded 86:
1 Least Flycatcher
1 House Wren
2 Ruby-crowned Kinglets
1 Blue-grey Gnatcatcher
2 Wood Thrushes
6 Gray Catbirds
1 European Starling
1 Blue-winged Warbler
1 Nashville Warbler
6 Yellow Warblers
1 Magnolia Warbler
1 Black-throated Blue Warbler
1 Yellow-rumped Warbler
1 American Redstart
6 Common Yellowthroats
5 Rose-breasted GRosbeaks
1 Indigo Bunting
3 Chipping Sparrows
1 Field Sparrow
2 Lincoln’s Sparrows
2 White-throated Sparrows
4 Eastern White-crowned Sparrows
1 Clay-coloured Sparrow
3 Red-winged Blackbirds
2 Brown-headed Cowbirds
5 Baltimore Orioles
4 Orchard Orioles
21 American Goldfinches
ET’s: 65 spp.
May 12th – Young Ecologists’ Worshop (YEW)
The Grade 4’s from Fern Hill School came out today for an intensive 30-hour exposure to different facets of the natural world around them. This included birding/banding (of course) as well as the search for life in ponds and streams; collecting and planting wildflower seeds; sweeping the meadows for insects and looking for them at night; searching for Flying Squirrels; and sleeping over in the Coach House during a thunderstorm. It was intense and exciting.
Banded 54:
2 House Wrens
1 Veery
3 Gray Catbirds
1 European Starling
1 Yellow-throated Vireo
3 Blue-winged Warblers
1 Nashville Warbler
10 Yellow Warblers
1 Magnolia Warbler
1 Black-throated Blue Warbler
1 Black & White Warbler
1 Northern Waterthrush
1 Rose-breasted Grosbeak
2 Indigo Buntings
1 Chipping Sparrow
1 Lincoln’s Sparrow
1 White-throated Sparrow
1 Eastern White-crowned Sparrow
1 Red-winged Blackbird
4 Baltimore Orioles
16 American Goldfinches
ET’s: 71 spp.
May 13th – Fallout!!
Thunderstorms in the middle of the night brought a huge migratory flock of birds down to earth. Magnolia Warblers and Chestnut-sided Warblers were everywhere. We opened at first light and then had to run around and close again for an hour because of a drenching downpour. But at the end of the day we had had our biggest catch of the year so far, banding 101 birds! So there were lots of birds for the Fern Hillians to experience as well as the other activities.
Banded 101:
5 Least Flycatchers
1 Eastern Kingbird
1 Wood Thrush
4 Gray Catbirds
1 Blue-winged Warbler
1 Tennessee Warbler (1st of the year)
1 Nashville Warbler
8 Yellow Warblers
8 Chestnut-sided Warblers
32 Magnolia Warblers
1 Black-throated Blue Warbler
1 Black-throated Green Warbler
1 Canada Warbler
2 Ovenbirds
3 Common Yellowthroats
2 Wilson’s Warblers
2 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks
3 Lincoln’s Sparrows
4 Eastern White-crowned Sparrows
2 Red-winged Blackbirds
5 Baltimore Orioles
13 American Goldfinches
ET’s: 61 spp.
Rick