The consensus opinion I’ve heard from a wide variety of people is that this year’s migration has been late. That would certainly be our thinking here. But with the return of warm temperatures, the floodgates have opened and migrants are on the move. And they have to be. After all, their “window of opportunity” is not that big. If they fail the first time, the more southern birds might have a second chance but the more northern breeding birds will only get one crack at it….and they have to get moving. It’s crunch time.

It’s also crunch time at the lab – we’ve been having to get up earlier and earlier and the day to day slog can take it’s toll. So I’ll keep the “prose” brief and hope that our banding totals and pictures will give you a sense of what’s been going on.

Just a reminder that the Ruthven birdathon team, the “Ruthven Ringers”, consisting of Matt Timpf, Ben Oldfield, and Liz Vanderwoude, will be starting their Big Day tomorrow (Saturday) morning. You can still sponsor them!!!! Matt hopes to tick off 140+ birds.

May 16th; Banded 51:
1 Mourning Dove
2 Tree Swallows
2 Blue Jays
1 Black-capped Chickadee
4 Gray Catbirds
1 Warbling Vireo
2 Blue-winged Warblers
16 Yellow Warblers
1 Magnolia Warbler
1 American Redstart
2 Common Yellowthroats
4 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks
1 Chipping Sparrow
1 Song Sparrow
2 White-throated Sparrows
2 Red-winged Blackbirds
2 Brown-headed Cowbirds
5 Baltimore Orioles
1 American Goldfinch

ET’s: 64 spp.

May 17th; Banded 45:
1 Least Flycatcher
1 Eastern Kingbird
1 Blue Jay
1 Veery
1 Swainson’s Thrush
1 Wood Thrush
4 Gray Catbirds
1 Warbling Vireo
2 Blue-winged Warblers
1 Tennessee Warbler
8 Yellow Warblers
1 Chestnut-sided Warbler
1 Magnolia Warbler
1 Myrtle Warbler
1 Northern Waterthrush
1 Rose-breasted Grosbeak
2 Song Sparrows
2 White-throated Sparrows
3 Eastern White-crowned Sparrows
1 Orchard Oriole
8 Baltimore Orioles
3 American Goldfinches

ET’s: 70 spp.

Photo Gallery:

Rick