A week or so ago Warblers and other long-distance migrants were pouring through the willow tops (not many found their way down to net height). Since then, the tap seems to have been turned off and numbers and variety have dropped. Let’s face it, the bulk of the migrants have pushed through. But….there’s still a lot of birds yet to be seen and banded.

The biggest surprise of the day (and, for that matter, of the season) was a Least Bittern that Maggie and Sam found at the west end of the pond. It evidently approached to within about 5 meters giving great photo opportunities. It’s the first one encountered here.

Banded 18:
1 Eastern Kingbird
1 Tree Swallow
4 Eastern Bluebirds (juveniles in a nest box)
2 House Sparrows (odd that we’re seeing this male and female in the banding area)
2 American Goldfinches

1 Swamp Sparrow
1 Baltimore Oriole
1 Common Grackle
2 Common Yellowthroats
2 Yellow Warblers
1 Blackpoll Warbler
ET’s: 55 spp.
Another BIG surprise was found down by the river: our resident mammalogist-in-training, Jake, found a pair of River Otters!

[Yesterday was a tough day for finding and counting birds: overcast, windy, and, at times, wet. But our stalwart Birdathon Team, the Haldimand Harriers ventured out and got 104 species!! Congratulations, and THANKS!, to the team members: Sarah Sharp, Ishira Fernando, Keira De Canha, and Alex Predeitis.]
Rick