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Reminder: Saturday, June 2nd will be the last day of the Spring Banding season at Ruthven.
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May 30th
The temperature rose quickly during the day and bird movement was consequently slow. A few migrants are still around, but not in large numbers.

The Purple Martins are still investigating the Martin Houses and Eastern Bluebirds are still in evidence.

Mosquitoes were the most numerous flying creatures encountered today.

Banded: 13
Magnolia Warbler 1
American Goldfinch 1
Traill’s Flycatcher 1
Yellow Warbler 4 (late migrants or individuals still looking to pair up?)
Blackpoll Warbler 1
Orchard Oriole 2 (both ASY males)
Great Crested Flycatcher 1
Grey Catbird 1
Red-Winged Blackbird 1

Retrapped: 9
American Goldfinch 1
House Wren 1
Yellow Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 2
Chipping Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 1
Grey Catbird 1

B

May 29th
A beautiful day and the “dawn chorus” was simply magnificent (making the pain of getting out of bed worthwhile – I’m going to have to stop working for a living…).

There were a lot of birds about and a lot of activity – just not near the nets. Most of the “locals” know where the nets are and it is neat to see them fly hard at a net, do an up and over when they get to one, and then keep going. There were 3 Purple Martins giving the Martin houses in the parking lot a very serious going over and they were around the vicinity all morning – keep your fingers crossed! I removed the nest of a House Sparrow from the other Martin house – I don’t want them getting in the way. Also, for some reason we don’t have House Sparrows nesting on the grounds (although there’s lots of areas for them to do so) and I don’t want them to get started.

Banded 12:
1 Least Flycatcher
1 Gray-cheeked Thrush
1 Swainson’s thrush
2 Gray Catbirds
2 Cedar Waxwings
1 Yellow Warbler
1 Magnolia Warbler
1 Blackpoll Warbler
2 American Goldfinches

Retrapped 3:
2 Yellow Warblers
1 Wilson’s warbler

Rick