Cerulean Warbler along the Fox Den Trail – a very exciting bird! -P. Thoem
I had just started to open the nets at 5:15, under the bright light of a full moon when, off in the distance, I picked up the unmistakable call of a Whip-poor-will. It called several times in the next 10 minutes and then was still. This is only the 2nd Whip-poor-will I’ve encountered at Ruthven in 20 years.
Cerulean Warbler. -P. Thoem
And then, when starting to close the nets, Peter Thoem called me to go and see a Cerulean Warbler that he had found along the Fox Den Trail. These birds are becoming quite rare now due to a loss of habitat – both in the breeding and wintering ranges. In their breeding area they prefer riparian forest. At Ruthven we are trying to broaden the swath of forest along the Grand River in an attempt to attract them. I wonder if this bird will stay here and try to nest.
Male Magnolia Warbler fluffed up by the wind.
These two birds are just some of the 12 new arrivals for the day. The others were: Great Crested Flycatcher, Yellow-throated Vireo, Blue-winged Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Ovenbird, Indigo Bunting, Bobolink, and Baltimore Oriole. It was quite a morning with new sightings seeming to pop up with each round.
We also got to reunite with some old “friends” – a Yellow Warbler banded in May of 2013, a Common Yellowthroat in September of 2014, and two Blue-winged Warblers (but I can’t remember the banding details….)
Brilliant ASY male Indigo Bunting.
And if you’re following the plight of Joey, the sickly Brown-headed Cowbird, we recaptured him again today and he’s put on 2 more grams since yesterday! He now weighs over 52 grams (up from 43), so it looks like he’s well on his way to a full recovery.
A new face around the banding lab for awhile: Sean Power from the University of Windsor.
Here’s introducing Sean Power, a University of Windsor student. Sean will be with us for at least two weeks to learn about catching and handling small birds. Make sure you say ‘hi’ to him when you see him at the Bird Festival this weekend (Friday night and Saturday…all day).
Banded 47:
2 Tree Swallows
1 House Wren
1 Gray Catbird
1 Warbling Vireo
3 Blue-winged Warblers
1 Nashville Warbler
5 Yellow Warblers
1 Magnolia Warbler
1 Western Palm Warbler
1 Black & White Warbler
1 Ovenbird
1 Northern Cardinal
1 Indigo Bunting
2 Chipping Sparrows
3 Field Sparrows
9 White-throated Sparrows
2 Eastern White-crowned Sparrows
1 Dark-eyed Junco
5 Brown-headed Cowbirds
5 American Goldfinches
Photo Gallery:
Christine with the first Gray Catbird of the year.
Male Yellow Warbler – one of many to come.
A female Blue-winged Warbler flanked by two males.
The lower Blue-winged Warbler has a Golden-winged wing making it a Brewster’s Warbler.
Male Nashville Warbler
Warbling Vireo.
Ovenbird – a relatively common breeding bird in the slough forest.
Occasionally we see growths like these on the feet and legs of various species (in this case a Yellow Warbler). If anyone knows what causes them please let me know.
Wing detail of the Indigo Bunting – note all the blue edging to the wing feathers.
Caught this picture through the window screen – a Baltimore Oriole at the hummingbird feeder (which later provided sustenance for a couple of hummingbirds).
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds arrived today. -M. Timpf
Rick
Those foot lesions look like they might be scarring resulting from one of the avian pox variants.
At the top of my most wanted bird moment is to hear a Whip-poor-will calling.
I’m not sure but here is a link to information on Avian pox that sounds like it http://feederwatch.org/learn/sick-birds-and-bird-diseases/
The case against avian pox is that the rest of the bird is healthy – no lesions on any other bare parts (like around the eyes, etc.).. I have been wondering whether it might be related to a mite infestation – burrowing into the legs, feet.