September 23rd – Movie Shoot!

As a novel fundraiser for the banding lab, I decided to sell kisses. There was quite a line-up in no time!!
As a novel fundraiser for the banding lab, I decided to sell kisses. There was quite a line-up in no time!!

For the next week or so the CBC will be shooting a movie at Ruthven. The place is a hive of activity! Equipment everywhere. People rushing here and there. I really don’t like these times….not because of the fact that Ruthven is being used for filming but because of the inconvenience I encounter all around the grounds……fans rushing up to me: “Mr. Redford! Mr. Redford! please sign my autograph book!!” or, not quite as often, “Mr. Clooney! Hey George!! please sign my [well-endowed] t-shirt!”

“Look”, I say. “I’m just the resident bird guy.”

“Sure you are…” (wink, wink, nudge, nudge).

“No, really, I’m just the bird guy.”

“Well, you must have a great make-up artist that can turn a hunk like you into this wizened old bald guy with elephant skin….”

“Yeah, I do….and he doesn’t come cheap.” And this will go on all week. What a pain!

The Mansion is a hive of cinematic activity.
The Mansion is a hive of cinematic activity.

Equipment everywhere!
Equipment everywhere!

The parking lot is full of trailers - of equipment and for dressing rooms.
The parking lot is full of trailers – of equipment and for dressing rooms.

But the birds don’t give a damn. That’s right: THE BIRDS DON’T GIVE A DAMN! They continue to flow through as if nothing is going on. This fake drama pales in comparison to the real life drama of migration.

Banded 35:
2 Eastern Wood Pewees
1 Gray Catbird
1 Blue-headed Vireo
3 Philadelphia Vireos
5 Red-eyed Vireos
4 Tennessee Warblers
1 Nashville Warbler
2 Chestnut-sided Warblers
2 Magnolia Warblers

Male Black-throated Green Warbler.  -N. Furber
Male Black-throated Green Warbler. -N. Furber

Female Black-throated Green Warbler.  -N. Furber
Female Black-throated Green Warbler. -N. Furber

2 Black-throated Green Warblers
1 Blackburnian Warbler
Young male Blackburnian Warbler.   -N. Furber
Young male Blackburnian Warbler. -N. Furber

3 Blackpoll Warblers
1 Black & White Warbler
7 American Goldfinches

ET’s: 31 spp.

At Fern Hill Burlington:

Some young (and an old) ornithologists.
Some young (and an old) ornithologists.

Not only did we have a nice mix of birds but also a new group of potential young ornithologists – young people that are keen about birds! The rain/drizzle held off all morning so we were able to keep the nets open until noon.

Banded 15:
2 Blue Jays
4 Black-capped Chickadees
2 Swainson’s Thrushes
1 Red-eyed Vireo
1 Nashville Warbler

Great shot of Melissa; lousy shot of a young male American Redstart.
Great shot of Melissa; lousy shot of a young male American Redstart.

1 American Redstart
1 Common Yellowthroat
3 Chipping Sparrows

ET’s: 23 spp.

Photo Gallery:

Stunning male Black-throated Green Warbler.   M. Martin
Stunning male Black-throated Green Warbler. M. Martin

Evan with a Blue Jay he just banded.....GO JAYS!!
Evan with a Blue Jay he just banded…..GO JAYS!!

Amy, one of our new Young Ornithologists, with a Downy Woodpecker.
Amy, one of our new Young Ornithologists, with a Downy Woodpecker.

Logan with his first banded bird: Red-eyed Vireo.
Logan with his first banded bird: Red-eyed Vireo.

Young male Common Yellowthroat (the black mask is just moulting in).  -K. Petrie
Young male Common Yellowthroat (the black mask is just moulting in). -K. Petrie

Young male Black-throated blue Warbler.   -K. Petrie
Young male Black-throated blue Warbler. -K. Petrie

Young (brown eye) Red-eyed Vireo.   -K. Petrie
Young (brown eye) Red-eyed Vireo. -K. Petrie

Soaring Red-tailed Hawk.    -K. Petrie
Soaring Red-tailed Hawk. -K. Petrie

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