Overcast this morning which caused the birds to forage lower to the ground…and closer to the nets.

Christine was out early but had to leave early, which was too bad for her (even though she got to process a lot of birds). She was quickly replaced by two newcomers, curious McMaster students, Christina DeMelo and Emily Johnson, who had come out just to discover what bird banding was all about. Literally within a minute of their arrival, they got to watch me take an Olive-sided Flycatcher out of a net (the first one I have ever banded) and then shortly thereafter a beautiful adult male Mourning Warbler (along with a bunch of ‘ordinary’ ones). They now think that banding at Ruthven consists of rare birds throwing themselves into nets upon their arrival. Either they will be disillusioned or….they should come more often.

The census was unremarkable except for a Great Egret along the river – first one for the year.

Banded 67 (highest total so far this Fall):
1 Mourning Dove
1 Downy Woodpecker
2 Eastern Pewees
1 Yellow-bellied flycatcher
1 Olive-sided Flycatcher
1 Eastern Tufted titmouse
1 Black-capped Chickadee
6 Swainson’s Thrushes
1 Wood Thrush
1 Gray Catbird
1 Warbling Vireo
2 Philadelphia Vireos
2 Red-eyed Vireos
3 Tennessee Warblers
6 Magnolia Warblers
2 Bay-breasted Warblers
1 Black and White Warbler
4 Ovenbirds
1 Common Yellowthroat
4 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks
7 Chipping Sparrows
1 Song Sparrow
17 American Goldfinches

Retrapped 13:
1 Downy Woodpecker
3 Black-capped Chickadees
1 White-breasted Nuthatch
1 Swainson’s Thrush
2 Red-eyed Vireos
1 Magnolia Warbler
1 Mourning Warbler
2 Chipping Sparrows
1 American Goldfinch

ET’s: 46 spp.

Rick