May 19th – Pot Pourri

Posted on by
1

Yesterday, Karen discovered a Virginia Rail and with patience managed to get it to within 3 meters for this shot. We figure there’s at least two here. -KMP


On the one hand the migration is winding down; on the other my life is getting more frenetic as I get ready to put out to sea for a Summer of seabird counting on the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. In fact, for the first jaunt I head to St. John’s on Monday to put to sea for 3 weeks, crossing the Labrador Sea to SW Greenland and then back to Halifax. If ever there was a time for in-depth oceanographic research, this is it. So I will be cutting the migration season a little short. But it’s been a good one and I managed to band our 500th bird of the Spring today – a Traill’s Flycatcher.

Another view. The birds have been around for two days in a row now. -KMP


It’s been slow going the last two days at the Farm. One factor is that I’ve been getting a late start due to logistics I have to take care of in the morning. But the main thing is that the vanguard of the avian horde has passed through. Sure, there will be birds still moving but the main group is through. We’re getting into the usual “late” migrants now: flycatchers (Yellow-bellied, Easter Wood Pewee), cuckoos, some warblers, like Blackpolls. I’m hoping that a Sora will join the Virginia Rails that Karen discovered in the wetland yesterday (we figure there’s two…at least). A Marsh Wren would be nice too.

I’d love to know the gist of the conversation going on between this pair of Tree Swallows…. -KMP


This young (SY) male Orchard Oriole played around the west end of the pond most of yesterday but I couldn’t find it today. -KMP


This Canada Goose has taken over the turtle sunning platform for itself. It’s a great place for it to rest and relax. -KMP


This female Cap May Warbler kept to the tree tops. -KMP


May 18th; banded 12:
1 Mourning dove
1 American Robin
1 House Finch
1 American Goldfinch
1 Song Sparrow
1 Baltimore Oriole
1 Red-winged Blackbird
1 Common Grackle
4 Yellow Warblers

May 19th; Banded 3:
1 Traill’s Flycatcher
2 Eastern White-crowned Sparrows

A real good news story: Jake was a “Young Ornithologist” at Fern Hill Burlington over 7 years ago; now in 2nd year at Western. But still as enthusiastic about birds and banding as he was back then. Holding a female Northern Parula helps. -SAW


May 17th; Fern Hill Burlington:
I was at Fern Hill’s Burlington campus on Wednesday. This little site is pretty exciting bird-wise as there isn’t a lot of habitat. When you look south all you see is an urban landscape – Burlington and then Hamilton. So it must be a relief for birds to find this oasis.

Helping Aanya band her first bird. -SAW


There are a good number of students there that you can tell are keen to learn about birds and the natural world around them. Environmental Studies teach Alex Webb and I are already planning to restart the Young Ornithologists’ Club….so that 7 years from now alumni like Jakob will drop in…

I like to get students involved as quickly as possible – scribing is a great entry point. -SAW


Banded 42:
1 Blue Jay
1 Black-capped Chickadee
1 White-breasted Nuthatch
5 Gray Catbirds
1 House Sparrow
2 American Goldfinches
1 Chipping Sparrow
2 Eastern White-crowned Sparrows
3 White-throated Sparrows
1 Song Sparrow
4 Baltimore Orioles
13 Red-winged Blackbirds
4 Brown-headed Cowbirds
1 American Redstart
1 Northern Parula
1 Yellow Warbler

A bird in the hand can be a transformative thing. -SAW

May 13-14th – Big Weekend

Posted on by
2

A BIG surprise: our first capture of a Solitary Sandpiper! -KMP


The middle of May; traditionally the time when the migration of long-distance migrants gets into full gear….and so it is. Both yesterday and today, the willows in front of the Banding Hut provided a highway for passing warblers. All you had to do was sit at the picnic table and watch. There was a slight difference between the two days though: yesterday there was much more variety. We spotted 14 species of warblers and our species count for the day was a whopping 75. Today we counted only 6 warbler species and our overall species count was a much lower (but respectable) 54. The banding numbers were comparable however – 37 (yesterday) vs 33. I’m not sure how to explain the difference; still lots of birds just not as great a variety. I don’t know if it had anything to do with the strengthening of the NE wind in the early morning. Today the nets were billowing and we ended up closing a little earlier.

Sam got to band the Solitary Sandpiper – a great banding “tick” to have under one’s belt. -KMP


The highlight of the weekend was the capture and subsequent banding of a Solitary Sandpiper – a first for HBO. The honour of banding it went to one of the Young Ornithologists, Sam Lewis. I have never banded one and would have loved to do so but Sam’s efforts to get to the bird in the net, which saw him plough through knee-deep boot-sucking mud and water, earned him the right. Especially when we learned that the mud had succeeded in wrestling a boot from him and he finished the dash with one boot and one sock. Solitary Sandpipers are birds that are found around streams or ponds but I’ve never seen them in wetland sloughs like we have at the Farm. A real treat.

Wing and tail detail of the Solitary Sandpiper. -KMP


May 13th, Banded 37:
1 Solitary Sandpiper
1 Least flycatcher
1 Warbling Vireo
2 House Wrens
3 Gray Catbirds
2 American Goldfinches
3 White-throated Sparrows
2 Song Sparrows
1 Lincoln’s Sparrow
4 Swamp Sparrows
1 Baltimore Oriole
2 Common Grackles
3 Common Yellowthroats

ASY male American Redstart. -KMP


1 American Redstart
2 Magnolia Warblers

4 Yellow Warblers
2 Western Palm Warblers
2 Myrtle Warblers

Species Encountered: 75 spp.
Of note were a passing Common Raven and a singing Clay-coloured Sparrow.

One of several singing Bay-breasted Warblers that flew around just above the nets – teasers. -KMP


May 14th; Banded 33:
1 Least Flycatcher
1 Barn Swallow
1 European Starling
2 Gray Catbirds
1 American Goldfinches
2 White-throated Sparrows
1 Song Sparrow
1 Lincoln’s Sparrow
3 Swamp Sparrow
1 Savannah Sparrow

Male Baltimore Oriole. -KMP


1 Northern Waterthrush
4 Common Yellowthroats
1 Yellow Warbler

Western Palm Warbler. -ECK


2 Western Palm Warblers
7 Myrtle Warblers
1 Rose-breasted Grosbeak
1 Indigo Bunting

Species Encountered: 54 spp.
Including this male (check out the black “eyebrow”) Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Male Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. -ECK

Check out this sequence of a hunting Myrtle Warbler taken by Karen Petrie on Saturday. The bird is searching low above the pond; spots a tasty morsel; and, when successful, flies off with a mouthful.

Searching. -KMP


Has spotted a target. -KMP


Flies off with a mouthful. -KMP


Rick

May 12th – Busy Day

Posted on by
Reply

The Field Studies building was a happening place. -SAW


I was at Fern Hill’s Burlington campus today. A good time to be there as we’re right into the heart of the migration, on the one hand, and into aggressive territorial defense on the other. So LOTS of bird activity…throughout the day. We are running just 4 mist nets and a couple of ground traps but, even so, we caught good numbers of birds. Faye Socholotiuk in Glancaster experienced the same thing. Before heading out in the morning to her teaching job she opened her 4 nets and was equally successful. [Results below]

Field Studies teacher, Alex Webb, with her first Baltimore Oriole. -DOL


I am very concerned with the proliferation of NDD in young people….well….most people. NDD, or Nature Deficit Disorder is a sad commentary on the disconnect between people and the natural world around them. MOST people can not identify 5 bird species, let alone insects and/or plants. How can we ask them to conserve the natural world if they don’t even know what it consists of!? I’m glad to be associated with a school program that takes this on as part of their curriculum – exposing students and staff to the small but bountiful ecology right around them. Bird studies and banding has become an important part of this.

Elsa, a Grade 7 student, has all the makings of a fine scribe – the first step in becoming a bander. -SAW


Programs that teachers take interest in are more readily endorsed by students. Keily O’Neil, SK teacher at Fern Hill lead her class by taking on (painlessly) a Northern Cardinal. -SAW


The school runs a number of nest boxes. Bluebirds are already emerging – this one (and its siblings) will be on the wing in just a few days. -SAW


Banded 49:
1 Least Flycatcher
5 Blue Jays
1 White-breasted Nuthatch
1 House Wren
4 Gray Catbirds
3 Eastern Bluebirds
1 Cedar Waxwing
1 House Sparrow
1 American Goldfinch
3 Eastern White-crowned Sparrows
3 White-throated Sparrows
1 Song Sparrow
1 Orchard Oriole

Male Baltimore Oriole. -SAW


3 Baltimore Orioles
7 Red-winged Blackbirds
3 Brown-headed Cowbirds
2 Common Yellowthroats
7 Yellow Warblers
1 Northern Cardinal
Species Encountered: 41 spp.

In Glancaster Faye runs 4 nets, 3 of which are located in shrubs bordering a small urban woodlot (fast becoming an endangered space under the relentless pressure of developers…and this provincial government). So it’s good that she’s monitoring what species are there and are using it. It begs the question: what will they do when it’s gone and there’s just houses?
Banded 22:
2 American Goldfinches
1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet

ASY male American Redstart. -FAS


1 American Redstart

Male Magnolia Warbler -FAS


3 Magnolia Warblers

Male Chestnut-sided Warbler -FAS


2 Chestnut-sided Warblers
2 Yellow Warblers
8 Swamp Sparrows
1 White-throated Sparrow
1 Baltimore Oriole
1 Common Grackle

Rick

May 11th – An Interesting Conversation

Posted on by
Reply

Renessa with the “jewel” of the bird world. -DOL


Ah the youth of today! Renessa has just finished college and is about to launch out into the world of full-time work. Despite being an English major, she has pursued a career in environmental sciences….maybe she plans to write about it. A while ago I got a kick out of her use of the phrase: “work/life balance”….the balancing of one’s personal activity so that one doesn’t get bogged down with work or, in the other direction, with personal interests. She used this in the context of arriving later at the banding site stating her need for sleep was part of “the balance” even if the nets had to be opened before sunrise. She said this with a playful smile and I knew that if push had come to shove she would have arrived in time to open. It was the concept that I enjoyed. And it struck me that when migration is going full bore there is no time for this “balance”; you do what you need to do and hope to strike the balance after 6 weeks of hard slogging. Some young people find this a difficult fact to get their heads around. The birds don’t care; they’re focused on getting to where they have to get to and a human’s “balance” or comfort simply doesn’t enter into their equation.

So this morning (and I should mention that Renessa bakes great muffins) I was querying why she hadn’t brought any muffins. Of course, this brought us back to “the balance” and her staying up late to pursue the non-work side of it. I thought her arguments were sort of flimsy knowing the importance of muffins in fueling migration studies. I learned more though about aspects of this “balance” thing: tied in with it is the concept of “personal administration”; in Renessa’s case answering emails and sending out “administrative texts”: essentially making plausible excuses to others for not doing or wanting to do unattractive things. Interesting and informative exchange but….the bottom line: no muffins but a happy person doing net rounds and banding. She was rewarded for her non-muffin “balance” with the arrival of a stunning ASY male Blackburnian Warbler – normally a bird of conifer tree tops. I guess it, too, had come down from the heights and, spying her, was looking for muffins.

ASY male Blackburnian Warbler – jewel of the migration. -DOL


We banded 23:
1 Downy Woodpecker
1 House Wren
1 Gray Catbird
1 House Finch
1 Eastern White-crowned Sparrow
3 White-throated Sparrows
1 Lincoln’s Sparrow
5 Swamp Sparrows
2 Red-winged Blackbirds
1 American Redstart

ASY male Magnolia Warbler. -RJV


1 Magnolia Warbler
1 Blackburnian Warbler
3 Yellow Warblers
1 Western Palm Warbler

Species Encountered: 46 spp.
Rick