Sarah has been able to band on 5 days in August, effectively kick-starting the Fall banding season. It’s been a great help!
Bobolinks have been attracted to the field in good numbers. The mowing seems to have made it even more attractive: we estimated there were close to 100 of them using the field today at various times. -KDC
I got back from the East Coast yesterday and was anxious to see what was happening at the Farm – especially as the prairie meadow had just had its first mowing. About half of the field had been cut and will be baled on the 5th. To maintain the meadow as a vibrant entity it will require mowing or o burn every year. The good thing about these grasses is that the cut isn’t made until into July when all nesting birds will have fledged young.
A poor-quality picture of the Marsh Wren – but still a picture…. -KDC
The cutting seems to have made the field even more attractive to a surprising variety of birds: Bobolinks, Song Sparrows, a Nashville Warbler, and (surprisingly – to me, at least) a young Marsh Wren that Liam astutely picked out as NOT a young House Wren.
Keira with a banding first: Nashville Warbler. -KDC
It will be interesting to see the impact of baling as right now the windrows are quite think and heavy with the long-stemmed grasses.
There were not many warblers to be seen along the wetland edge but….we did catch and band an early Blackpoll Warbler. Which goes to show: you just never know.
A pleasant surprise: an early blackpoll Warbler. -KDC
Mosquitoes evidently had a pretty good year but aren’t as annoying as they were last year. Still, a head net or bug jacket might help you retain some sanity as the little blighters like to attack when you can’t use your hands, extracting, banding, scribing…..
Sam found the head net allowed him to learn scribing without undue difficulty. -KDC
Banded 38:
1 Least Flycatcher
1 Red-eyed Vireo
1 Marsh Wren
1 Carolina Wren
2 Gray Catbird
5 Song Sparrows
1 Swamp Sparrow
13 Bobolinks
2 Nashville Warblers
2 Common Yellowthroats
1 Blackpoll Warbler
4 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks
4 Indigo Buntings
For Liam banding this Bobolink was a first. -KDC
Rick
What a great start! I’ve never seen indigo bunting up close and personal. I noticed you use the word ‘blighter.’ Haven’t heard anyone say that since my English father.