It was another hot – for this time of year – day: going up to 25 C. I hope this is a one off anomaly and not the new normal. Early on there was a thick fog but the rising sun burned it off and we were left with blue skies. There was not a lot of visible migration along the edges or in the meadow.
At first there was almost no wind but later in the morning it picked up, just enough to wrench leaves from the walnuts and blow them into the nets. I closed several early as they were just catching leaves. Over the years I have come to detest black walnuts; I have picked more black walnut leaves out of nets than I care to think about. And it’s time consuming – you certainly don’t want to be in hurry to go anywhere when leaves are falling. Elaine Serena and I set the record on day when it took us an hour and a half to close a double net that was just filled with walnut leaves. I still cringe just thinking about it. It certainly teaches patience.
We banded some interesting birds: a young Wood Thrush was the first one we’d seen this year; and the two Blackpoll Warblers were the first of the season. They weren’t carrying any fat. They will travel to New England where they will fatten up before heading out over the Atlantic to make an 84-hour flight to South America.
Banded 24:
1 Least Flycatcher
1 Gray Catbird
1 Wood Thrush
4 Song Sparrows
1 Lincoln’s Sparrow
3 Swamp Sparrows
5 Bobolinks
1 Ovenbird
3 Common Yellowthroats
1 Magnolia Warbler
2 Blackpoll Warblers
1 Black-throated Blue Warbler
ET’s: 27 spp.
The pond is almost dry. We’ve been wondering what has happened to all the turtles that lived in it. In the Soring I counted as many as 60 Midland Painted Turtles sunning themselves. I haven’t seen any so far this Fall. So I was surprised when I came upon this Snapping turtle making its way along the River Trail. I wondered if it was going to lay eggs or had just done so….or was just out for a stroll.
Rick