We had fairly heavy rains during the night – I could hear it drumming on the aluminum canoe on my side deck – but it had stopped by the time I got to Ruthven. The temperature was 17 degrees already and it was muggy; hardly Fall weather. I knew that rain was forecast and, before leaving the house, I could see it on the radar just west of London. So I knew I had a window.

I opened most of the nets, prepared to dash around and close them when the time came. We actually got about four and a half hours of catching time before it hit and we took full advantage of it. During that time we caught close to 60 birds which proved to be plenty for the 56 school kids visiting for the day.

The surprise for me was a lovely Yellow-billed Cuckoo in Net 6. I had figured that they were long gone by now but…..no. Another surprise was a young male Ruby-throated Hummingbird (and later we saw another). I guess Carol’s Butterfly Garden is proving too hard to leave. Good thing it’s still so warm. The next couple of days will be “unsettled”. We will try to open nets but only when it’s safe for the birds to do so. It should be interesting because birds are definitely on the move in good numbers.

We captured another very fat/heavy Blackpoll Warbler: “6” fat score and a weight of just over 20 grams!!

Banded 61:
1 Yellow-billed Cuckoo
1 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
1 Winter Wren
1 Golden-crowned Kinglet
5 Ruby-crowned Kinglets
2 Swainson’s Thrushes
2 Hermit Thrushes
1 Gray Catbird
4 Cedar Waxwings
1 Red-eyed Vireo
1 Tennessee Warbler
1 Magnolia Warbler
30 Myrtle Warblers
2 Blackpoll Warblers
3 Chipping Sparrows
1 Song Sparrow
3 White-throated Sparrows
1 American Goldfinch

ET’s: 37 spp.

Rick

Yellow-billed Cuckoo