It’s been a cold, slow Spring and most “bird people” have been waiting for this day with keen anticipation. Benign temperatures and light southerly winds were a boon to long-distance migrants that have been held up by a spate of bad conditions south of us. They poured into southern Ontario during the night.

Migrants were everywhere at the farm site. We counted 78 species (17 of which were warblers) and banded 41 birds of 21 species – both new records for this site:
1 Downy Woodpecker
1 Least Flycatcher
1 White-breasted Nuthatch
1 Veery
2 Hermit Thrushes
1 American Robin
2 Gray Catbirds
3 Swamp Sparrows
1 White-crowned Sparrow
2 Red-winged Blackbirds
1 Common Grackle
1 Nashville Warbler
1 Northern Parula
4 Yellow Warblers
3 Magnolia Warblers
1 Bay-breasted Warbler
4 Black and White Warblers
3 American Redstarts
2 Ovenbirds
3 Common Yellowthroats
3 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks
ET’s: 78 spp.

At the Lowville Station Marnie was even busier banding 52 birds of 15 spp,:
1 Black-capped Chickadee
2 Ruby-crowned Kinglets

1 White-eyed Vireo
4 Gray Catbirds

1 Golden-winged Warbler
5 Nashville Warblers
1 American Redstart
1 Magnolia Warbler
3 Common Yellowthroats
1 Black & White Warbler
1 Ovenbird
12 American Goldfinches
10 White-throated Sparrows
4 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks
5 Indigo Buntings
ET’s: 51 spp.

And as an added treat…..I’m sure most of you remember Alessandra Wilcox who was one of our contingent of “young birders” for several years before heading off to university. She is working this Spring as the assistant bander at Pelee Island Bird Observatory. She sent me an early morning text with a picture of this Yellow-breasted Chat they had just banded.
Rick