Great Crested Flycatcher – a denizen of the treetops. -R. Barnes
Today, the 25th, was a washout: steady rain throughout the day. The only excitement was the report of a bear cub in the vicinity of the Gatehouse!?! I sure don’t know about that one…..not that it couldn’t happen but it’s VERY unlikely. Anyway, if you happen to see a bear while you’re out on the trails, please let us know!
Michele Karam from the MNR and some of her colleagues and students were out last night to try to catch and band bats. They were unsuccessful but…..they did catch an Eastern Screech Owl. Ironically, this was just after I had gone home….my usual luck with owls. This was our first encounter with a screech owl at the site this year.
Ruthven May 24th:
It was a typical late May day – started off slow and stayed that way. With lots of help, things went very well. We banded some typical late birds such as a Lincoln’s Sparrow, Blackpoll Warbler and a Traill’s Flycatcher.
Interestingly, both cuckoo species were near the banding lab for a chance to compare their distinctive songs.
Banded 26:
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1
Traill’s Flycatcher 1
Blue Jay 1
American Robin 1
Gray Catbird 2
Red-eyed Vireo 3
Why the Red-eyed Vireo is called that….. -CHS
Yellow Warbler 3
Magnolia Warbler 1
Blackpoll Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 3
(Banded) male Common Yellowthroat….and these really are common around Ruthven now. -D. Ward
Indigo Bunting 1
Lincoln’s Sparrow 1
Orchard Oriole 1
American Goldfinch 5
Recaptured 20:
House Wren 1
Gray Catbird 2
Warbling Vireo 1
Red-eyed Vireo 2
Yellow Warbler 7
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1
Indigo Bunting 1
Song Sparrow 1
Baltimore Oriole 2
Orchard Oriole 1
American Goldfinch 1
ETs: 63 species
Mike
Ruthven Photo Gallery (from the last couple of days):
Sharon from Niagara-on-the-Lake donated this innovative oriole feeder: a martini glass filled with grape jelly. A good excuse to drink martinis……in case you needed an excuse. -CHS
The cowbird in the foreground had a terrible head wound inflicted by other male cowbirds. We treated it with a topical spray and he seems to have recovered well. -CHS
All the way from South America – Blackpoll Warbler. -CHS
Note all the brown wing feathers; this Blackpoll male is just in its second year. -CHS
The mottled blue tells you this male Indigo Bunting is in its 2nd year. -CHS
Female Indigo Bunting. -CHS
Least Flycatcher. -CHS
Life in the pond. Can anyone tell me what these are? -CHS
Female Orchard Oriole. -CHS
Female Common Yellowthroat. -D. Ward
Song Sparrow. -D. Ward
Female Yellow Warbler. -D. Ward
Indigo Bunting. -R. Barnes
Cedar Waxwing in the blossoms. -R. Fotheringham
Yellow-throated Vireo. -R. Fotheringham
Amy giving me advice……. -A. LaFleur
Fern Hill Oakville – May 24th
No sign of migrants on the move today (except for maybe 20 Blue Jays that seemed to be heading NE). The long-distance migrants that we encountered on and around the site appeared to be “Summer residents”.
Banded 12:
Male (left) and female Common Yellowthroats. -KAP
3 Common Yellowthroats
1 Red-winged Blackbird
1 Brown-headed Cowbird
1 Baltimore Oriole
5 American Goldfinches
1 House Sparrow
ET’s: 38 spp. (including 11 Bobolinks)
Photo Gallery:
Goldfinches bring a healthy glow to Angela’s cheeks…. KAP
Sonali with a male Common Yellowthroat. -KAP
Male Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Always a wonder. -KAP
Red Squirrel nest in a Tree Swallow box. -KAP
Rick