The delicate beauty of wildflowers..... -E. Campanelli
The day certainly didn’t start out hectic…although it did start out happy. Nothing like a colourful sunrise, loons going over, and a cup of very tasty home-made granola wetted down with coffee whiteners. Peaceful. But then birds and people began to arrive – at about the same time – and we were on the go for the next several hours. Mother Nature must have heard my crying about the lack of warblers and sent some our way: just over half of the 38 birds we banded were warblers and there were a number of other warbler species around that we didn’t catch – most notably Blackburnian and Blackpoll Warblers. We encountered 13 warbler species on the day.
Probably the most notable bird was the sighting of the first Red-headed Woodpecker of the year. These birds are becoming quite rare in Ontario.
The future: Ezra, Giovanni, Hannah, Ben, Caleb.
The people around today were…simply…fun. Most were repeat offenders, having been out on numerous occasions, and, so, quite helpful in a variety of capacities..as well as just being fun to be with. There was a very real sense of camaraderie today. We have a quite remarkable contingent of young people that have been coming along quite very quickly. They will be able to take over in a few years. Many of the pictures posted today were taken by them.
Ezra Campanelli - turned 13 today! A teenager....yikes! Where have the years gone?
Karla banding her first bird. -R. Beaumont
Bill Read, president of the Ontario Eastern Bluebird Association - a great contributor to the recovery of this species.
Windsor prof Oliver Love.
Banded 38:
1 Traill’s Flycatcher (measurements suggested it might be an Alder Flycatcher)
1 Least Flycatcher
1 White-breasted Nuthatch
3 Gray Catbirds
1 Brown Thrasher
2 Cedar Waxwings
1 Red-eyed Vireo
1 Tennessee Warbler
2 Yellow Warblers
1 Chestnut-sided Warbler
5 Magnolia Warblers
2 American Redstarts
2 Northern Waterthrushes
3 Common Yellowthroats
3 Wilson’s Warblers
1 Canada Warbler
1 Chipping Sparrow
1 Song Sparrow
1 Baltimore Oriole
5 American Goldfinches
Retrapped 25:
1 Red-bellied Woodpecker
1 White-breasted Nuthatch
1 Gray Catbird
1 Blue-winged Warbler
3 Yellow Warblers
1 Magnolia Warbler
5 Common Yellowthroats
1 Northern Cardinal
4 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks
1 Indigo Bunting
2 Chipping Sparrows
1 Baltimore Oriole
3 American Goldfinches
ET’s: 71 spp.
Photo Gallery:
Ezra practicing.
Getting ready for a busking expedition - Giovanni keeps 5 balls in the air.
Ezra and a Northern Waterthrush -E. Campanelli
Indigo Bunting -H. Scholtens
Female Common Yellowthroat -H. Scholtens
Rabbits are common at the moment - nice to look at but tough on young saplings. -H. Scholtens
Cedar Waxwing numbers have been increasing over the last few days. -H. Scholtens
Wild Anemone - E. Campanelli
Eastern Bluebird -E. Campanelli
Magnolia Warbler -E. Campanelli
Brown Thrasher - an elusive catch. -E. Campanelli
Turkey Vulture catching some rays. -C. Scholtens
Osprey - a common sighting. -C. Scholtens
Sparrow/finch food. -C. Scholtens
Wild Columbine emblazen some of the trails. -C. Scholtens
Tree Swallows. -C. Scholtens
Rick