Our relationship with the University of Western Ontario has been going on for several years now. I think it’s great that they want our cowbirds and are willing to take large numbers of them off our hands for various research projects. Due to the negative consequences of their nest parasitism on vulnerable species, some people think that any I catch should be euthanized which is something that I don’t like to do. But this way I can just move the problem somewhere else.
A number of years ago we sent a large batch to Western but one escaped and returned to Ruthven. We first noticed it because it was sporting a pink band on the left leg (we put aluminum bands on the right). When we recaught it we learned it was one of ours from the metal band. Inquiries with the Western folks clarified what had happened. The interesting thing was that it had returned in a very short period from London, a distance of over 160 kilometres.
So in 2014 when we were told that they had more cowbirds than they could use we got them to take the birds anyway, put a coloured band on their leg, and let them go so we could see if they would return. Five did and Eddie (with an orange band) was one of them.
We had been looking for colour-marked birds this Spring but hadn’t seen any. But today when Lauren went into the holding cage to retrieve another batch there was Eddie – he had got into the trap on his own! (There is a narrow opening at the top of the trap; birds can ease into the cage but have a hard time getting out.) I think it was Eddie’s familiarity with the trap from two years ago that allowed him to figure out how to get in….or at least brought him to the cage.
Lauren took Eddie with her today but will release him as soon as she gets back to Western this afternoon. It will be interesting to see how long it takes him to return.
It was a very slow day. If it hadn’t been for the 15 cowbirds we banded we would have done only 9 birds.
Banded 24:
1 Mourning Dove
1 White-breasted Nuthatch
1 Golden-crowned Kinglet
1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
1 Hermit thrush
1 American Robin
1 Field Sparrow
1 Dark-eyed Junco
15 Brown-headed Cowbirds
1 American Goldfinch
ET’s: 47 spp.
Rick
From Fern Hill Burlington:
Roxanna gets ready to release an American Tree Sparrow. -J. Chard
We had a couple of season firsts today. Our first MYWA and SAVS were observed on census!
We are continuing to have a good turnout for the Young Ornithologists club, with 3 new young students coming today and a new member from last week (Mia) coming again today and planning to come again tomorrow with her Dad.
Madeline also showed me a notebook she bought after the open house on Sunday to use to record the birds she sees when she is outside and she had already begun to fill it with daily lists. I think that it is so great she is so excited about birding!
Students preparing the nesting boxes.
Today we banded 14 birds of 6 species.
Mourning Dove 1
Song Sparrow 2
Slate-colored Junco 2
Red-winged Blackbird 2
Brown-headed Cowbird 6
American Goldfinch 1
ET’s: 34 spp.
Janice