It’s been busy as we’ve banded on 5 of the last 6 days of September. We were hoping that the rain would signal the real start of “Fall” but it just wasn’t to be. These last 4 days have shown a similar pattern: coolish nights producing ground fog first thing in the morning which dissipated quickly as the sun rose. Then the temperatures climbed into the mid-20’s as the skies cleared and the sun shone through with fierce intensity (for this time of year).
Banding has shown similar patterns as well: good numbers in the nets in the first 3 hours and then a precipitous drop-off in the later morning. Still, we banded an average of 38 birds each of these 5 days. This was probably a good thing as we’ve had visiting students on each of the days, all keen to learn with hands-on experience. The relatively slower pace of capture allowed us to take the time to really teach without neglecting net rounds.
We’ve had 4 groups from the University of Waterloo’s chapter of the Society of Ecological Restoration (SER) and members of Emily Choy’s lab at McMaster. It’s a nice thing to spend time with young people that want to learn about the environment with a view to making a positive difference in the future. [Besides learning to band, a SER group spent a couple of hours planting the gray dogwoods that Joanne Fleet had donated. If they take they will greatly enhance the edge banding habitat.]
Besides the pace of bird capture, I was helped out by some regular volunteers that were able to provide one-to-one instruction: Liam, Kim, Jason, Ishira, Jeremy, Faye, Annika. Thanks!!
September 29th; Banded 37:
1 Eastern Phoebe
1 Gray Catbird
3 Song Sparrows
5 Lincoln’s Sparrows
13 Swamp Sparrows
4 Tennessee Warblers
4 Common Yellowthroats
2 Magnolia Warblers
1 Blackpoll Warbler
3 Indigo Buntings
September 27th; banded 40:
1 Black-capped Chickadee
3 Gray Catbirds
1 Gray-cheeked Thrush
2 White-throated Sparrows
14 Song Sparrows
1 Lincoln’s Sparrow
9 Swamp Sparrows
3 Common Yellowthroats
1 Blackburnian Warbler
1 Northern Cardinal
4 Indigo Buntings
September 28th; Banded 46:
1 Eastern Wood Pewee
1 Red-eyed Vireo
1 Gray Catbird
12 White-throated Sparrows
8 Song Sparrows
3 Lincoln’s Sparrows
13 Swamp Sparrows
1 Common Yellowthroat
2 Myrtle Warblers
2 Northern Cardinals
2 Indigo Buntings
September 29th; Banded 33:
1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
1 Marsh Wren
2 Gray Catbirds
4 White-throated Sparrows
6 Song Sparrows
5 Lincoln’s Sparrows
8 Swamp Sparrows
3 Red-winged blackbirds
1 Tennessee Warbler
2 Common Yellowthroats
September 30th; Banded 35:
1 Eastern Phoebe
1 Savannah Sparrow
2 White-throated Sparrows
9 Song Sparrows
14 Swamp Sparrows
3 Red-winged Blackbirds
1 Nashville Warbler
1 Bay-breasted Warbler
2 Northern Cardinals
1 Indigo Bunting
And we have more than birds: Jason Smyrlis found the shell of a Heelsplitter Mussel along the shore of the Grand River:
Rick