Our 2nd male Mourning Warbler of the Spring.
Just 5 days to go! In some ways it’s hard to believe….on the other, it feels like a long slog. Still, we’re doing well. We’re at 1,909 birds banded which is just 136 below the record of 2045 set in 2012. So….if we manage 28 birds per day over the next 5 days, we will set a new Spring record.
We have already set record numbers for banding: Brown-headed Cowbirds (155); White-throated Sparrows (151); Yellow Warbler (133…and running); and we’re tied for Rose-breasted Grosbeaks (60…and, hopefully, running).
Usually at this time of the season numbers have dwindled markedly but (knock on wood) we’re still getting half decent numbers and certainly a nice variety. Today we got another Mourning Warbler and Canada Warbler. And, for a brief moment, I thought I might have heard a Cerulean Warbler out front of the Mansion but it didn’t sing again and I couldn’t find a bird that I could transform into one.
Female Canada Warbler.
Speaking of “almosts”, there are both Black-billed and Yellow-billed Cuckoos about and I almost caught one but it jumped out of the net just as I approached it. I could see that it was Yellow-billed as it sped off….laughing.
Banded 37:
1 Eastern Wood Pewee
2 Yellow-bellied Flycatchers
3 Traill’s Flycatchers
1 Least Flycatcher
8 Gray Catbirds
6 Cedar Waxwings
1 Red-eyed Vireo
3 Yellow Warblers
1 Magnolia Warbler
1 Canada Warbler
2 American Redstarts
1 Mourning Warbler
2 Common Yellowthroats
1 Wilson’s Warbler
1 Song Sparrow
1 Brown-headed Cowbird
1 Baltimore Oriole
1 American Goldfinch
ET’s: 62 spp.
Rick