David Lamble has officially “kicked” off the Snow Bunting Banding season:
Hello Rick:
Banded my first Snow Buntings today — 14 males and 15 females — all but 3 were birds of the year. Most had fat contents of zero or one — only 2 were as high as a value of 3. Saw one flock of about 200 birds but mostly small flocks of 30 or so. Did not get any Horned Larks or Longspurs. I believe this is the earliest i have ever banded Snow Buntings. So perhaps a good year is in the offing ( hope springs eternal in the heart of a bird bander)……………….. David [Lamble], Fergus, ON.
I am in Kangiqsualujjuaq on the Ungava coast of northern Quebec for a few days and can say that the Snow buntings have left the north…according to my observations and those of the local Inuit. So they should be showing up soon down south in greater and greater numbers.