It was a nice day: pleasant weather, a good mix of birds, and a congenial mix of bird enthusiasts…of all ages. Not only were our banding numbers up but the number of species around the site was also up.
Almost as though they had read yesterday’s blog, a group of Wild Turkeys strolled by a group of us on their way down toward the Fox Den Trail. They must have sensed that we weren’t hunters…..I’m not sure what I’d do if one made it into a net. It would likely be the end of the net for sure and I think they would be more than a handful to hold/extract.
For the second year in a row now we are going to tag Monarch Butterflies (thanks to Faye and Karen for procuring the tags). We are getting a much earlier start than last year and with good success. Faye and Liam caught and banded 3 today (1 more than last year’s total).
Banded 47:
2 Mourning Doves
1 Downy Woodpecker
6 Eastern Wood-pewees
1 Least Flycatcher
2 Blue Jays
1 White-breasted Nuthatch
1 House Wren
1 Gray Catbird
2 Warbling Vireos
9 Red-eyed Vireos
2 Blue-winged Warblers
3 Tennessee Warblers
1 Nashville Warbler
1 Chestnut-sided Warbler
1 Blackburnian Warbler
2 Bay-breasted Warblers
1 Blackpoll Warbler
1 Canada Warbler
1 American Redstart
1 Ovenbird
5 Song Sparrows
1 Baltimore Oriole
1 American Goldfinch
ET’s: 56 spp.
Below is the start of a new feature: the “other”, non-bird wildlife that you can find at Ruthven. This is inspired by Karen’s keen eye and camera (and identification app). It’s amazing what you can find if you just look.
Karen’s Kreeping Korner:
Rick