Usually, at this time of the season, the number of birds we see, and especially band, is diminishing…markedly so. So today was kind of an anomaly. There was a lot of activity all around the site. Mixed flocks of juncos and tree sparrows were present in the parking lot and all along the gravel road in from the highway. And while Rusty Blackbirds were few and far between, Cedar Waxwings continued to wheel around the treetops before dropping down to get into the numerous wild grape clusters that still abound. Even goldfinches were noticeable!
The day started, though, the night before when Nancy and the owl-catching crew worked their magic and brought in 5 Northern Saw-whet Owls. This runs the total so far up to 18 – well below last year’s bumper “crop” of 88…but at least we’re catching them now.
The banding lab was a happening place this morning with over 50 visitors – including a group interested in promoting science involvement in girls. These kids were a lot of fun and certainly enjoyed participating. As one said to me: “You have the coolest job in the world”. I certainly couldn’t disagree with that!
Here’s a good news story: if you scroll back to the post for October 24th (A Killing Frost), you will see a rather gruesome picture of a White-throated Sparrow with a large, engorged tick protruding from its right ear. I removed the tick with a pair of tweezers but was quite concerned when the bird was bleeding profusely (ticks exude an anti-coagulant to impede clotting). Today we recaptured that sparrow and it appeared to be in very good health and definitely not the worse for wear.
Banded 151:
5 Northern Saw-whet Owls
1 Tufted Titmouse
1 Golden-crowned Kinglet
1 Hermit Thrush
3 American Robins
74 Cedar Waxwings
1 European Starling
1 Northern Cardinal
26 American Tree Sparrows
1 Chipping Sparrow
2 White-throated Sparrow
21 Dark-eye Juncos
1 Red-winged Blackbird
12 American Goldfinches
ET’s: 30 spp.
Photo Gallery:
Rick