The stillness of the early dawn was shattered by multiple shotgun blasts as hunters upriver were out to bag some wild game (if you call local Canada Geese wild). Now, were they looking to eat them or just stop them from defecating on their lawns? Who knows? I know some people get pretty passiionate about the latter. Anyhow, the magic of the dawn was broken and the geese were….I can only describe it as nervous – small flocks flying around early and HIGH, too high to be shot.

There was a flurry of activity early high in the trees around the Mansion. Some warblers and, frustratingly, some Chipping Sparrows acting like warblers. My hopes started to rise…another big day maybe. But no. The wind picked up with the rising sun and the birds disappeared with only an occasional resurfacing in a net.

We had a lot of retraps today (19). It’s interesting but when we get a lot of ‘new’ birds we tend to get very few retraps but when the banding numbers are down we seem to get larger numbers of retraps.

Banded 38:
1 Downy Woodpecker
2 Eastern Wood Pewees
1 Black-capped Chickadee
1 Gray-cheeked Thrush
5 Swainson’s thrushes
1 Wood thrush
1 Gray Catbird
4 Red-eyed Vireos
3 Magnolia Warblers
2 American Redstarts
1 Ovenbird
1 Scarlet Tanager
1 Rose-breasted Grosbeak
2 Chipping Sparrows
12 American Goldfinches

Retrapped 19:
2 Downy Woodpeckers
2 Eastern Tufted Titmice
1 Black-capped Chickadee
1 White-breasted Nuthatch
1 Gray Catbird
2 Red-eyed Vireo
2 Magnolia Warblers
1 Bay-breasted Warbler
3 Chipping Sparrows
1 Song Sparrow
3 American Goldfinch

ET’s: 45 spp.

Rick

Thanks to Christina and Emily for sending their photos!