Burlington city councilor Peter Thoem arrived this morning to do the census. For the past few years Peter has faithfully come out every Sunday to help us do this important count (which also gives him an excuse to take a relaxing walk in the woods). But this season it has been different. He has spent the last couple of months campaigning, making it here for just one day (during the Bird Festival). I was struck by how used up he appeared. Peter’s a guy with a ready smile and a great sense of humour but none of that was showing early on. Politics can do that to you I guess. With the election tomorrow, he figured he had done all he could do and decided to treat himself by doing some birding. Good thing. For us, it meant we got a comprehensive census done. For him…..he was relaxed and smiling by the time he drove away. Ah, the healing effects of a walk in the woods.
The Owl Crew had been out again last night and had managed to retrap one of the birds it had banded the night before. The bird had stayed to enjoy the buffet that Ruthven offers migrating birds. The crew members, however, were running on empty (although Chris seemed…somehow,,,,to keep his motor running). We had a steady flow of birds into the nets – not large numbers but steady. There was also a lot of visible migration involving blackbirds and robins. All seemed to be enjoying the warm temperatures. The conditions last night evidently were not overly conducive to migration as we had a large number of retraps (40).
Banded 61:
1 Eastern Tufted Titmouse
8 Golden-crowned Kinglets
3 Ruby-crowned Kinglets
6 Hermit Thrushes
3 Cedar Waxwings
3 Myrtle Warblers
1 American Tree Sparrow
3 Fox Sparrows
5 Song Sparrows
1 Swamp Sparrow
5 White-throated Sparrows
2 Dark-eyed Juncos
3 Rusty Balckbirds
1 Purple Finch
2 House Finches
14 American Goldfinches
Retrapped 40:
1 Northern Saw-whet Owl
1 Downy Woodpecker
3 Black-capped Chickadees
1 Brown Creeper
5 Golden-crowned Kinglets
3 Ruby-crowned Kinglets
2 Hermit Thrushes
2 Myrtle Warblers
2 Song Sparrows
1 Swamp Sparrow
5 White-throated Sparrows
7 Dark-eyed Juncos
1 Purple Finch
3 House Finches
3 American Goldfinches
ET’s: 41 spp.
Rick