The whirlwind rushed through the Farm site yesterday, or so it felt. This morning there were still remnants, little eddies – pockets of birds working their way along the edges – but nothing like yesterday. Marnie had opened by the time I got there and we had a pretty good first round. But to the south we could see foreboding clouds approaching – and so did the birds and very quickly they disappeared seeking shelter from the wind and cold rain and ice pellets that hit late morning. But we made hay while the sun shone…so to speak, banding 27:
1 Downy Woodpeckers
3 Ruby-crowned Kinglets
1 White-breasted Nuthatch
5 Purple Finches
6 White-throated Sparrows
2 Song Sparrows
1 Lincoln’s Sparrow
2 Swamp Sparrows
5 Myrtle Warblers
1 Northern Cardinal

All Fall there has been a family group of 3 Sandhill Cranes that have been flying over to feed in the adjacent fields – I’ve seen them every time I’ve been out. This morning they were joined by a new group of 7 (cranes….not to be confused with the artists).
Rick