Banded male Tree Swallow staking out a nest box. It probably spent the Winter in southern Florida. -KMP
What a lovely day! It just felt like…..well, it felt like Spring! Opening nets in the dark this morning there was an American Woodcock peenting in the wet area below nets 4 and 5 and at least 2 Winter Wrens were trilling along Rick’s Rill. Across the river a Great Horned Owl was hooting. What a way to start.
Last night the winds, although light, were initially out of the SW before moving to the W. I think migrants took advantage of this good weather and were on the move. We encountered 8 “new” species for the site (i.e., birds we hadn’t seen yet this year), some of them migrants: Pileated Woodpecker, Northern Shoveller, Sharp-shinned Hawk (carrying a hapless Tree Swallow), Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, and Pine Warbler. Another early migrant, Tree Swallow, was back in good numbers.
Banded 14:
Mourning Dove – 1
Northern Cardinal – 2
One of two Field Sparrows banded today – the first ones of the year. -BGO
Field Sparrow – 2
Fox Sparrow – 1
The first Fox Sparrow of the year. -BGO
Song Sparrow – 6
Dark-eyed Junco – 1
American Goldfinch – 1
ET’s: 50 spp.
Photos:
Female Eastern Bluebird surveying the Butterfly Meadow. -KMP
Female Eastern Bluebird. -KMP
Fungi provide a splash of colour. -KMP
Another funguy – Liam with his prize bird of the day: Tufted Titmouse. -JET
Cleaning out nest boxes Nancy and Faye found these two old Eastern Bluebird eggs from last year. -FAS
A banded Song Sparrow – back for another year…. -KMP
A pair of Tree Swallows taking in the beautiful day. -KMP
Rick