Blue skies, low humidity, and a handful of lovely birds made today great! A variety of warbler species are starting to come through. Today we caught a total of 8 different species: Canada Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, Mourning Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, American Redstart, and Black and White Warbler. It seemed like every net round gave us a nice little surprise.

We also had a first for the banding lab today – a Chimney Swift. Though these birds nest in the old chimneys of the mansion each year, we have never banded one. The details surrounding this unique catch are too uncanny not to share: We were visited by the group of kids attending Ruthven’s summer camp. As we were walking around the front of the mansion to check a few ground traps one inquisitive youngster turned to me and asked: “Do birds ever go down the mansion’s chimney?”. As I was sharing the intriguing lifestyle choices of the Chimney Swift I glanced down into one of the basement windows of the mansion and there, fluttering on the inside of the window, was a Chimney Swift! I went down and retrieved it – we figure it must have been down there for some time as it seemed fatigued and, on observation of its fat and muscle, relatively emaciated. On release it was a strong flyer so it should be able to replenish its stores. You can’t make this stuff up!

Banded 30:
1 American Goldfinch
1 Blue-winged Warbler
2 American Redstarts
1 Magnolia Warbler
1 Blackburnian Warbler
1 Chestnut-sided Warbler
2 Eastern Wood Pewee
1 Mourning Warbler
1 Black and White Warbler
2 “Traill’s” Flycatchers
1 House Wren
1 Chipping Sparrow
1 Canada Warbler
2 Black-capped Chickadees
1 Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
1 Indigo Bunting
2 Song Sparrows
1 Chimney Swift
2 Cedar Waxwings
1 Gray Catbird
1 Wood Thrush
1 Northern Cardinal
1 Rose-breasted Grosbeak
1 Mourning Dove

Retrapped 8:2 American Goldfinches
1 Chipping Sparrow
1 Blue-winged Warbler
1 Song Sparrow
1 Red-eyed Vireo
1 Eastern Wood Pewee
1 White-breasted Nuthatch

ET’s: 49 spp.

Christine