A well-developed Monarch Butterfly catepillar. After pupating it will continue the species’ journey to Mexico for the Winter. -DOL
Although we tend to think that there’s still a lot of Summer left, for many birds (and bats and butterflies) it’s almost over and the time to head south is here. Yellow Warblers are a common nesting bird in this area but after August 1st, I’m lucky if I see any and even luckier if I catch and band them. They nest, fledge young, moult, and then off they go. Same with swallows….although many spend some time in the area going to roosts for the night and then spreading out during the day to feed. For the past couple of weeks the Grand River around York and local farmers’ fields have been their daytime haunt. [The marshes around Port Maitland, downriver from Dunnville, are a good spot to search for roosting birds in the evening.]
The “trail” into the banding are from the road before cutting. -DOL
Dave Gosnell cut the trail through the towering grass on Saturday. -DOL
It’s a magical thing to stand in the middle of the prairie grass field when all you can hear is the wind swishing through the grasses.
Right now there isn’t a lot of observable activity at the Farm. Young birds of the year are dispersing to look for good breeding areas for next Spring and adults are lying low while they go through an extensive moult. Bird song is only intermittent…but they’re around. And soon, when the migration really gets going, they’ll be there in large numbers. We’ll be ready. We’re preparing to put in a full Fall season which we plan to run from the end of August to the middle of November. We’re excited about the possibilities. If you’re interested in volunteering – or just finding out what it’s all about – email me: rludkin@hotmail.com [Put something about “banding” in the subject line.]
Michelle and Chris putting up the poles for a bat net – an array of mist nets that extend almost 6 meters high. -DOL
Hoping to identify and find out more about the bats in our area, Michelle Karam director of Land Care Niagara brought her team out to the Farm on Saturday evening. It was interesting – and a real learning experience – to see them put up sky nets extending 6 meters high. She tried to find areas that bats would use as “corridors”; e.g., along the laneway and through natural openings between the meadow and the pond. As with banding birds, patience is a virtue. this time, however, it wasn’t rewarded: we didn’t catch any. But there were a few around – their calls were being picked up by receivers. Evidently it is already “late” for them – most have headed south. Next year we’ll try in June and July.
Putting up a shorter net extending into the pond. -DOL
But the night wasn’t a complete loss. I called in an Eastern Screech Owl using my phone. The bird checked out the trees all around us. When it couldn’t find another owl it showed its dismay and disgust at our intrusion by crapping – from well above me – onto my hand. Now that was a surprise! The Screech Owls at the Farm have been using our Wood Duck boxes as nesting sites. This bird was just letting me know that he wasn’t to be trifled with….
Rick