An interesting shot of the meadow. -E. Campanelli
All weekend it was quite cool with a biting NE wind. Saturday morning there were frost patches on the ground and on some of the nets and the gusting wind precluded the opening of some nets. This morning the wind wasn’t a factor but it was still cool with frost patches. And when the dust settled we had a little more than twice the number of visitors than we had banded birds: 83 visitors vs 40 birds (20 each day). And more than a quarter of these were cowbirds. We have now banded over 100 of them and have recovered 28 that were banded in previous years. What an enormous amount of pressure these nest parasites must put on nesting birds!
Barn Swallows have finally shown up. -R. Camasta
Swallows have been late to show up (except Tree Swallows and Purple Martins) but Barn Swallows were seen cruising the river both days and we saw our first Caspian Terns of the year on Saturday.
Covering the eggs. -E. Campanelli
But it feels like we’re marking time…and have been for some time now. We need it to warm up a little and for the wind to move into the south.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. These hardy little birds, which have been around for the last few days, seem nonplussed by the cool temperatures. -R. Camasta.
Saturday; Banded 20:
1 Downy Woodpecker
2 American Robin
1 Yellow-rumped Warbler
1 Northern Cardinal
2 Chipping Sparrows
2 Swamp Sparrows
1 White-throated Sparrow
1 Red-winged Blackbird
2 Brown-headed Cowbirds
7 American Goldfinches
ET’s: 40 spp. Adult Bald Eagle soaring over the river. -E. Campanelli
Sunday; Banded 20:
1 Downy Woodpecker
1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
1 Hermit Thrush
1 Chipping Sparrow
1 Song Sparrow
11 Brown-headed Cowbirds
4 American Goldfinches
ET’s: 45 spp.
The “Baggers” were at it this weekend and managed to band 11:
4 Ruby-crowned Kinglets
2 Hermit Thrushes
2 White-throated Sparrows
3 American Goldfinches
Photo Gallery:
Song Sparrow – the river flats would appear to be a breeding factory for them. -R. Camasta
This pair of Tree Swallows have commandeered this box. -I. Turjansky
Tessa releasing a robin that she’s just banded as Kip looks on with approval. -I. Turjansky
Swamp Sparrow. -I. Turjansky
Our Purple Martin colony has grown to 11 birds over the weekend. -I. Turjansky
ASY male American Goldfinch. -I. Turjansky
Wing plumage detail of that ASY goldfinch. -I. Turjansky
Gideon releasing the Yellow-rumped Warbler that he helped band as Micah looks on….approvingly. -E. Campanelli
Male Tree Swallow. -E. Campanelli
Caleb looking for tadpoles. -E. Campanelli
Tree Swallow. -E. Campanelli
American Robin. -E. Campanelli
(Banded) Tree Swallow defending a nest box. -C. Scholtens
Cute…..but a real pest and bird nest predator: Red Squirrel. -C. Scholtens
Julian releasing an American Goldfinch – note the parka…despite the sunshine the wind was quite cool on Saturday. -A. Wilcox.
Female Northern Cardinal. -A. Wilcox
Fluffed up big to scare a “predator” from the nest area, this Killdeer is telling us to keep clear. -C. Scholtens
Rick