Trying to decide….there was so much good food it was hard to know where to begin. -RF
A Summer day: clear blue skies and hot. In fact, it was hot by about 9:00. Having seen this forecast a few days ago we figured it would be a good day for a picnic – to relax, eat (great food), and reflect, a little, on the 2018 Spring migration which is quickly drawing to a close. Banding-wise it was an interesting day as we were getting long-distance migrants, who still had a long way to go before nesting, at the same time we were banding the first hatchlings of the year – robins and bluebirds. Many females of locally-breeding migrants that we’re catching are carrying eggs. We will finish on May 31st and let them get to it unharried by us.
Rick with 2 cuckoos. -JDF
Banded 42:
1 Black-billed Cuckoo
1 Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
2 Traill’s Flycatchers
5 Eastern Bluebirds
2 Swainson’s Thrushes
2 American Robins
2 Gray Catbirds
5 Cedar Waxwings
1 Warbling Vireo
1 Blue-winged Warbler
1 Tennessee Warbler
Brilliant male Yellow Warbler. -MMG
4 Yellow Warblers
3 Common Yellowthroats
1 Wilson’s Warbler
Natasha with a male Wilson’s Warbler. -JDF
1 Rose-breasted Grosbeak
1 Indigo Bunting
3 Song Sparrows
1 Baltimore Oriole
5 American Goldfinches
ET’s: 67 spp.
Photos:
Tick just above the eye of this male Common Yellowthroat. -KMP
After the removal of the tick this Common Yellowthroat shows no ill effects. -JDF
Female Common Yellowthroat with a tick above the eye and another on the gape. -MMG
New birding/banding enthusiast, Natasha, learning the bander’s grip. -JDF
Nancy and Natasha banding a clutch of young bluebirds. -JDF
Young Eastern Bluebird trying to figure out just what the heck is going on……. -MMG
Mother bluebird watching the antics of the banders. She quickly returned to the nest box when we were done to make sure everything was OK.
Karen, the Blue Jay fan: hope springs eternal…. -RF
One of the two young robins from the gazebo nest. -KMP
Last round done and the nets are closed….time for a picnic. –RF
Marnie and Irene – two people that make good things happen. -RF