Never look a gift horse in the mouth I was once told (well, pretty often actually) so last week (when it was fairly warm) since Faye asked me if I’d like some help setting up nets – but she could only come today…not next week – I said sure. And then, of course, it reverted back to winter with below freezing temperatures and snow. Still, helping hands are always appreciated, even more so when they proffer muffins!

And then Sarah and Liam arrived, the sun came out, the temperature climbed into the pluses, and the snow began to melt. Why not start Spring banding now!? By the end of the day we had put up 7 of the 10 nets.

But, more importantly, we left 3 of them open as we were working and these were catching birds. After 2 hours and with just 3 of the nets on the go, we ended up handling 29 birds: 19 new banded and 10 retraps – including 1 American Tree Sparrow from April of 2023. The prairie field continues to have an impact. As you can see below, 12 of the 19 banded birds were sparrows. (And of the 10 retraps, 7 were sparrows.)

Banded 19:
1 Downy Woodpecker
1 Black-capped Chickadee
5 American Goldfinches
3 American Tree Sparrows
3 White-throated Sparrows
6 Song Sparrows
ET’s: 29 spp.
Photos:

What a beautiful day! Blue skies, light winds, temperature climbing to 9 C. It pulled me out of my lethargy and pushed me outside to look for signs of Spring. They were abundant (over and above the temperature). There’s a nice loop trail in Cayuga: the Grand Vista Trail. You park behind the courthouse, the trail runs down from the lot and crosses the Grand River along a wonderful bridge, offering wonderful views up and down the river – NO ice by the way. Half way across I heard the soft bugling of Tundra Swans and looked up to find a flock of 10 winging their way WSW, heading for the St. Clair marshes(?). Northern Cardinals were singing from multiple perches and a flock of Red-winged Blackbirds went by (heading NE) eschewing their compatriots on the ground that were already busy staking out territories. [The trail continues on the other side of the bridge winding around and down into Cayuga and then back to the start; a distance of 3 kilometers. A walk I would highly recommend.]

Then it was on to the Farm for some Spring Cleaning. I was surprised that the pond was completely ice free and was being checked out by a pair of Canada Geese (probably potential nesters), 5 Mallards, and 4 Wood Ducks(!). Seems awfully early for Wood Ducks……Spring?

I’ve been trying to declutter the banding hut and give it a bit of a cleaning/sweep. I built a bit of a fire pit out to the side – looking forward to weenie roasts on nights I sleep over or a warming fire on early May evenings when I’m looking for Whip-poor-wills….or both. I also made a round of all the swallow/bluebird nest boxes and cleaned them out – my condolences to the few mice I ended up displacing. We’ve got about 16 boxes on the go, so lots of nesting options for them. Next time I’ll have to lug around a big pail of grease for the poles to try and deter predators (thanks Duncan for the lubricant).

Along the river bank I came upon a number of trees (Black Walnuts) that have recently been harvested by some industrious and enterprising beavers. I searched for a den but couldn’t find it. I wish they would take down the walnuts on the prairie side of the pond – it would save us a lot of work. And if only they had a hankering for buckthorn….

When I was approaching the river several large flocks of Canada Geese flew over, most high up. But a pair cruised by low. Out of the blue I heard 5 shotgun shots ring out and watched as one of the birds wheeled and dropped into the river. I was still about 100 m away and as I approached I watched the downed bird’s mate circle, calling and calling. Just before I reached the bank a speed boat made off upstream before I could catch a glimpse. The occupant(s) hadn’t bothered to get the dead bird, just left it. What was the point of this senseless act. I could see it if the shooter meant to eat it, but, obviously, that wasn’t the intent. The bird was just something to shoot. I don’t get it, I really don’t. [Also, is there a hunting season going on right now?]

Some of you will remember Loretta Mousseau. For a good number of years she banded with me and then decided she would take up grandmothering – at which, it seems, she is really good with 7(!) on the go. She and her husband Pat have a place about 2 km outside of York that they are managing for birds, and other wildlife. Loretta runs a number of nest boxes and has a small population of Purple Martins in the Spring/Summer. (If you get a chance, get her to describe how to feed mealworms to martins during dangerous unseasonable cold snaps using plastic spoons to shoot them into the air – it works!!) Anyway…..she had read somewhere that if you invert the front plate of a nesting box for the winter season it helps roosting birds keep heat in (heat rises…remember). Well, it seems that a Downy Woodpecker was having none of it. There’s only one way to enter a nesting/sheltering cavity and that’s from the top. Thinking about it, I could see how it would be much more difficult for the woodpecker to squeeze into the bottom hole and then go UP to find a roosting spot. So much for theory….
Rick

We’ve had a busy two days. Lots of birds checking out the traps, some feeding, others moving on – maybe returning, maybe just heading on. I would love to be able to follow the various flocks that show up and then disperse. Some I know fly out into the surrounding field and sit before returning for another feed. Others head off in a direction and there’s no sign that they return – but maybe they do later via a more circuitous route. Maybe some of the birds that show up at 11 are the same ones that were here at 7:30 and are just returning.

Yesterday I felt that I was seeing many of the same birds throughout the day. There was always a large group sitting out in the winter wheat while others fed and then they’d change places. But most of the time they were in view and going back and forth between the same venues. But today felt different. I sensed that birds were on the move. For example, when I arrived at first light I was met by a flock of 80+ Snow Buntings. They swirled several times around the trap area and then took off into the west. And for awhile there were no birds to be seen. Then they (I think it was the same group?) returned but they were very “flighty” taking off with the noise of each passing car. (This lead me to believe that they were “new” birds as “locals” aren’t deterred by passing vehicles.)

At 8:15 a group of 125+ arrived. They dispersed quickly when an American Kestrel flew in to see what all the activity was about but returned quickly for awhile when the threat had passed. An hour later a large flock of 200+ birds dropped in from the east. They spent only a few minutes around the traps and then continued on to the west.

And this is the way it went all morning. Birds moving in, moving out, leaving enough of their brethren in the traps for me to get a sample. But it felt like these birds were on the move. Coulf it br a response to the coming change in the weather? Sort of a repositioning effort? If it is, the question is: where are they repositioning to? What are they expecting? How do they know? So many questions, so little time.

January 21; Banded 89:
9 Horned Larks
75 Snow Buntings
5 Lapland Longspurs
[Marnie, on Irish Line, banded 121 Snow Buntings on her first day of banding!]

January 22; Banded 85:
13 horned Larks
68 Snow Buntings
4 Lapland Longspurs
[Marnie, on Irish Line – the same one as above – reported that there were 100’s at her site this morning. But, alas, she had to go to work. I tried to stress with her that you get only so many migrations and that maybe work wasn’t that important. She countered with something petty about bills that needed to be paid….]

And as an afterthought: Amy Thorne has now taken over 1st place in the carrot cake muffin with icing competition.
Rick

The night was easing into the gray of dawn when I pulled into the parking area at my banding site by the York Airport. When I got out of my car to lay and bait the traps, I didn’t hear a sound…at first. And then, there it was, the alarm call of a distant Snow Bunting. Magic. I scanned the field but couldn’t see a bird but a bird obviously could see me. The call was repeated by another from a different spot, and then another and another. And then there was a mixed flock of over 100 Snow Buntings and Horned Larks racing for the bait spot. They circled as I put down the cut corn and then surrounded the traps as soon as I turned to head back to the car. They were hungry, ravenous. And no wonder…they’d just spent a long night in -17 degree weather. They were ready for breakfast.

Birds just kept pouring in all morning. The traps would fill; we (Liam, Sam, Ben, Jennifer, and I) would clear them, and no sooner would we start banding in the car then the traps would fill again. The only times there were slowdowns was when Northern Harriers decided to see what all the hubbub was about and dropped by and when a distant Merlin sped by. We thought it might make a pass but it hadn’t seen the feeding frenzy and just kept on going.

I pulled the traps around 12:30 and, before leaving, restocked the corn piles so that any birds that wanted/needed to eat could and to reinforce that this was a good place to be – so that tomorrow morning we can do it all over again.
Banded 140:
20 horned Larks
116 Snow Buntings
4 Lapland Longspurs

And there were more than these Arctic-nesting birds around. Other noteworthy species that we encountered: Bald Eagle, 2+ Northern Harriers, Merlin, Common Raven.