September was a busy month! We banded on every day except the 28th (heavy rain) and had two days with over 100 birds: 125 on the 6th and 126 on the 29th. In total we banded 1,661 birds which is 236 over the previous high of 1,425 in 2007. In doing so we had new high banding totals for the following:
Black-billed Cuckoo – 4 (previous high, 1)
Eastern Wood Pewee – 29 (28)
Swainson’s Thrush – 80 (76)
Philadelphia Vireo – 19 (18)
Red-eyed Vireo – 72 (67)
Magnolia Warbler – 107 (80)
Black-throated Blue Warbler – 21 (14)
Blackburnian Warbler – 11 (9)
Bay-breasted Warbler – 27 (9)
Blackpoll Warbler – 182 (137)
Black & White Warbler – 19 (11)
American Redstart – 25 (23)
Mourning Warbler – 6 (4)
Wilson’s Warbler – 21 (14)

There’s a good chance we will add to some of these totals (e.g. Blackpoll Warbler) and we are just getting into the sparrow migration so who knows what will happen there.

Even though we handled a respectable 77 birds this morning (54 banded; 23 retraps), it seemed kind of slow. Probably due to yesterday’s onslaught. But we also had a number of helpers: Nancy, David Brewer, Elaine Serena and Shirley Klement. Helpers just seem to make things go easier. And, in Elaine’s case anyway, they always bring goodies. Not only was the number of birds handled down but the variety was as well (see below).

The day started off interestingly – we had a Black-billed Cuckoo in Net 2. It seems late for this species to still be around. At no time did we get large numbers on any round, just a few at a time (which was a little disappointing for the very keen grade 2 kids visiting).

Banded 54:
1 Black-billed Cuckoo
1 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
1 Downy Woodpecker
1 Black-capped Chickadee
2 House Wrens
3 Ruby-crowned Kinglets
2 Gray-cheeked Thrushes
2 Hermit Thrushes
2 Gray Catbirds
1 Cedar Waxwing
1 Magnolia Warbler
7 Myrtle Warblers
2 Blackpoll Warblers
3 Common Yellowthroats
1 Indigo Bunting
3 Chipping Sparrows
5 Song Sparrows
1 Swamp Sparrow
9 White-throated Sparrows
2 Eastern White-crowned Sparrows
1 Dark-eyed Junco
3 American Goldfinches

Retrapped 23:
1 Eastern Tufted Titmouse
2 White-breasted Nuthatches
1 Golden-crowned Kinglet
2 Ruby-crowned Kinglets
2 Gray-cheeked Thrushes
1 Swainson’s Thrush
1 Gray Catbird
1 Magnolia Warbler
3 Blackpoll Warblers
1 Song Sparrow
5 White-throated Sparrows
1 Eastern White-crowned Sparrow
1 Dark-eyed Junco
1 American Goldfinch

ET’s: 44 spp.

Rick