The lumberjacks, Fric and Frac (Giovanni & Ben), clearing the walnuts that have overtaken Net 9.
It was a beautiful morning but still cool. And still without birds. So it was a good time to do some maintenance. Ideally the vegetation around the various net lanes should be kept at similar levels of growth from one year to the next. I say “ideally” because, on top of all the other things that need to be done in running a migration monitoring station, it’s sometimes hard to find the time so it’s a job that keeps getting bumped down on the priority list. But today we had the time….and we had the manpower. Both Giovanni and Ben don’t like to have time on their hands so they are very willing to take on any jobs that need doing.
Net #9 used to be a top-catching net. At one time it was flanked by dogwoods and the overtowering trees were just at the downhill end. But some walnuts grew up over the years and hampered the dogwoods from growing/spreading and the “catch” has diminished in the last couple of years. So the two took it upon themselves to rehabilitate the lane. You could hear strains of the “Lumberjack Song” as they worked away for 2 hours. Sadly, they don’t know the Lumberjack Song…maybe that’s a good thing.
The first White-crowned Sparrow of the year. He was on the move – with a ‘5’ fat load (out 6).
Birding was slow again today although we had two new arrivals: White-crowned Sparrow (which we banded) and Spotted Sandpipers (which we didn’t). Otherwise there was nothing to write home about.
Spotter Sandpipers arrived at Ruthven today. -G. MacLellan
Banded 11:
1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
1 American Robin
1 Northern Cardinal
1 Chipping Sparrow
1 Swamp Sparrow
1 White-crowned Sparrow
1 Dark-eyed Junco
1 Red-winged blackbird
3 American Goldfinches
Another shot of a Savannah Sparrow (by G. MacLellan)
Species Count: 48 spp.
Photographer Gail MacLellan was visitng again today but her concentration was on the marvellous creatures that inhabit the ephemeral ponds on the site – like the large one below Net 8. Here are some of her findings:
Spotted my first tadpole of the season. -G. MacLellan
Caddisflies They produce silk from glands on the lower lip and spin protective cases from the surrounding material making them blend in to their environment. This one was placed in a bucket for the pic but in the water they look like duckweed. -G. MacLellan
Caddisfly larva. -G. MacLellan
Fairy Shrimp live in temporary vernal ponds and they lay eggs which need to dry out when the water evaporates. In Canada, the eggs pass the winter under the snow in the dried mud, and when the spring thaw produces ponds, the eggs hatch and the young quickly develop, needing to mate before the ponds dry out again. -G. MacLellan
Rick