Even in its "basic" plumage, a Blackburnian Warbler is lovely.
Emails in the last couple of days were predicting a good showing of birds today. And….they were right. At opening time it was cloudy without much wind. I could hear thrushes overhead, some of them dropping down before it got light. And in the distance the hooting of a pair of Great Horned Owls. After that it was just go, go, go for the next 5 hours. We handled lots of birds (90) of many species (35) – which makes it so much fun. You just can’t wait to see what the next net will bring.
Female (left) and male Red-breasted Nuthatches.
Matt, who covered the banding for the past week, left for the Dominican Republic last night, somewhat disappointed that he hadn’t been able to band any of the Red-breasted Nuthatches that have been showing up. We got this pair at the same time in the same net…they were looking for Matt (evidently).
Banded 67:
2 Mourning Doves
2 Eastern Wood Pewees
2 Least Flycatchers
1 Blue Jay
2 Red-breasted Nuthatches
1 House Wren
1 Gray-cheeked Thrush
5 Swainson’s Thrush
4 Gray Catbirds
4 Philadelphia Vireos
3 Red-eyed Vireos
1 Tennessee Warbler
3 Nashville Warblers
4 Magnolia Warblers
1 Black-throated Green Warbler
1 Blackburnian Warbler
12 Blackpoll Warblers
1 American Redstart
2 Ovenbirds
1 Northern Cardinal
1 Rose-breasted Grosbeak
1 Indigo Bunting
2 Song Sparrows
1 Swamp Sparrow
4 Purple Finches
1 House Finch
4 American Goldfinches
Note the female nuthatch's much grayer head.
Retrapped 23:
2 Downy Woodpeckers
1 Black-capped Chickadee
1 White-breasted Nuthatch
1 House Wren
4 Gray Catbirds
1 Philadelphia Vireo
2 Red-eyed Vireos
1 Chestnut-sided Warbler
1 Black and White Warbler
3 Common Yellowthroats
1 Wilson’s Warbler
2 Song Sparrows
ET’s: 53 spp.
Fall Season Total: 397
Year-to-date Banding Total: 3,040
Rick