Now don’t get me wrong: there’s still LOTS of good banding/birding ahead in the next 2 weeks or so. But it’s beginning to feel like the migration is drawing down, we’re getting toward the end. We’re getting Blackpoll Warblers, our first Wilson’s Warbler and Canada Warbler, and yesterday our first Mourning Warbler. These are always “late” migrants here at Ruthven. Now the only “late” migrant we haven’t seen yet is the Gray-cheeked Thrush. But my sense is that the bulk of the migrants has moved through.
Besides the Canada and Wilson’s Warblers, we also had our first sightings of an American Bittern and an Olive-sided Flycatcher. I think that is only the second or third sighting of this bittern at Ruthven in the 19 years I’ve been here. We usually get one or two Olive-sided Flycatchers each Fall but they are an unusual sighting here in the Spring.
The latter part of May is usually good for shorebirds in southern Ontario. At Ruthven whether we see some or not usually depends on the height of the Grand River. Right now it’s low and some gravel bars are exposed. This would explain the sighting of the Semipalmated Plover and Least Sandpiper yesterday on the bar just upriver from Slink Island. (By the way, this was the first record for either of these species at Ruthven.) Every now and again we get lucky and see flocks of migrating Whimbrels. They often fly in a loose “V” and are the size of small ducks. Whenever I’m outside of the banding lab I scan the horizon for them. They’re a treat! Speaking of scanning the sky….we had a Common Loon go over this morning. This is very late by our records…but always a pleasure.
Banded 47:
2 Traill’s Flycatchers
2 Least Flycatchers
1 Veery
14 Gray Catbirds
1 Tennessee Warbler
4 Yellow Warblers
5 Magnolia Warblers
2 Blackpoll Warblers
2 Common Yellowthroats
2 Wilson’s Warblers
1 Canada Warbler
4 Indigo Buntings
1 Field Sparrow
1 Song Sparrow
2 Baltimore Orioles
3 American Goldfinches
ET’s: 67 spp.
Photo Gallery (from yesterday and today);
Rick