A beautiful, cool morning with a stiff westerly breeze – almost felt like Fall. This change in weather has sure had the birds on the move! We had pretty good numbers and variety early but as the sun came up and things began to heat up the wheels came off the banding wagon. At 10:30, after a net round that produced NO birds we figured it was time to pack up the nets. The 2 groups of kids that were visiting were of the same mind and convinced their parents that it was time to leave. As their cars pulled, out the clouds drifted in and before we could wrap things up (2 hours later) we had to handle another 40 birds. I’m pretty sure that if we left the nets open we’d be catching into the evening. The banding total is the highest so far this year.
We had good variety today, banding 27 species (including 13 varieties of warblers). As well we had 39 species on census and altogether for the day we encountered 61 species
Banded 79:
1 Northern Flicker
2 Eastern Wood Pewee
2 Blue Jays
1 White-breasted Nuthatch
2 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers
1 Veery
1 Gray-cheeked Thrush (1st for the season)
4 Swainson’s Thrush (1st for the season)
1 Gray Catbird
3 Philadelphia Vireos
4 Red-eyed Vireos
2 Tennessee Warblers
4 Nashville Warblers
2 Chestnut-sided Warblers
9 Magnolia Warblers
1 Cape May Warbler
1 Black-throated Blue Warbler
2 Blackburnian Warblers
4 Bay-breasted Warblers
10 Blackpoll Warblers
2 Black & White Warblers
2 American Redstarts
1 Mourning Warbler
1 Common Yellowthroat
3 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks
2 Song Sparrows
11 American Goldfinches
Retrapped 15:
1 Eastern Wood Pewee
1 Eastern Tufted Titmouse
2 Black-capped Chickadees
1 White-breasted Nuthatch
1 House Wren
1 Gray Catbird
1 Blue-winged Warbler
3 Magnolia Warblers
1 Bay-breasted Warbler
1 Wilson’s Warbler
1 Northern Cardinal
1 American Goldfinch
ET’s: 61 spp.
Rick