This morning, in the dark, it was quiet – virtually no birds could be heard in the flats or along the edges when we were opening the nets. We had thought that yesterday’s big push had done just that and pushed on. Our first round was pretty sparse as well, especially when compared to the last few days. But when the sun started to heat things up the birds were on the move – especially Cedar Waxwings that are feasting on Ruthven’s bumper berry crop throughout the site. We ended up banding 62 – my hands were stained purple from them all. There were a lot of White-throated Sparrows around as well but not as many as on other days lately. On the whole we banded 125 birds.

Variety is going down – 41 species encountered over all and only 1 warbler species (Myrtle Warbler). We did see a Common Loon winging its way south. I love to see these birds high overhead. You just know that they’re on their way somewhere neat: northern forests in the Spring and the Atlantic or Gulf Coasts in the Fall.

Banded 125:
1 Eastern Tufted Titmouse
1 Black-capped Chickadee
2 Brown Creepers
4 Golden-crowned Kinglets
9 Ruby-crowned Kinglets
3 Hermit Thrushes
3 American Robins
62 Cedar Waxwings
1 Fox Sparrow
5 Song Sparrows
2 Swamp Sparrows
23 White-throated Sparrows
5 Dark-eyed Juncos
4 American Goldfinches

Retrapped 28:4 Black-capped Chickadees
2 White-breasted Nuthatches
1 Carolina Wren
2 Ruby-crowned Kinglets
1 Hermit Thrush
1 Cedar Waxwing
2 Northern Cardinala
1 Chipping Sparrow
1 Field Sparrow
3 Song Sparrows
2 White-throated Sparrows
6 Dark-eyed Juncos
2 American Goldfinches

ET’s: 41 spp.

Rick