I cringe every time I hear of a culture that enacts laws to severely curtail the human rights of its women. (And sadly, it’s always men that are driving it.) How can a culture grow and thrive when it negates half of its brain power!? I just don’t get it. I consider myself very fortunate to have grown up in a country where equality between the sexes has become the norm. I realize it’s been a long uphill struggle but we’re nearly there. And it’s been my great pleasure to have met and benefited from the wisdom of so many fine women. But…at the moment, two stand out:
I first met Elaine Serena over 25 years ago when she came out to my banding program. We hit if off right away – she appreciated my humour and I her orange muffins…and witty repartee….and her positive supportive way she dealt with people. She had been a long-practicing doctor in Burlington and, when retirement loomed, she formed a group of university-educated women, the Larks, to further their interest in the natural world. They would regularly come out to the banding station and it was great fun. But it was very clear that it was Elaine that made it happen…in her very quiet and positive way. [And I am proud to say that, when I pointed out to the group that its membership criteria was blatantly sexist, they voted me IN to become the only male Lark…and thus stave off the nagging criticism that I would have continued to level at them. Very prudent.]

Wendy was an educator and through her years of study and first-hand experience worked out the magic formula of what children’s education should consist of. I have spent many days at both the Burlington and Oakville campuses and have always come away with the thought: this is the way children should be taught. Innovative programs, highly trained teachers in their areas of expertise, a positive attitude toward and engagement of students and parents – and each other. When Joanne Fleet approached Wendy with her ideas about outdoor education, she recognized right away the merit of it….and “field studies”, which involve the hands-on study of birds as well, was born.

Although time and the vicissitudes of age are now taking their toll, the contributions of these two women have been enormous. They have touched thousands of lives and made the world a better place to be. Think of how many other women there are in this world that could do likewise if given support and encouragement…and education and opportunity.

Anyway….I spent yesterday banding at the Oakville campus of Fern Hill and got to help Wendy release a Blue Jay. And I spent today at the Farm where I got to eat orange muffins and help Elaine release the first Indigo Bunting of the year – a striking ASY male.

Both Fern Hill campuses consist of small slivers of good habitat sandwiched between quickly-growing patches of urban sprawl. They provide food and shelter for year-round residential birds and migrants that breed locally. As well, long-distance migrants on their way further north can find sustenance and safety to aid their journey. In sampling these birds we’ve come to recognize just how important these little protected areas are for them (as well as plants and pollinators). Interestingly, we observed a large diurnal (daytime) migration of over 250 Blue Jays. They were headed ENE – right toward the skyline of Mississauga!?
May 9th; Fern Hill Oakville; Banded 38:
1 Mourning Dove
8 Blue Jays
2 Red-breasted Nuthatches
1 American Goldfinch
2 Chipping Sparrows
1 White-throated Sparrow
9 Eastern White-crowned Sparrows
1 Savannah Sparrow
5 Red-winged Blackbirds
2 Brown-headed Cowbirds
3 Common Grackles
1 Western Palm Warbler
2 Northern Cardinals
Species Encountered: 27 spp.

May 10th; Hurkmans Farm; Banded 16:
2 Tree Swallows
1 Eastern Bluebird
2 Eastern White-crowned Sparrows
1 Song Sparrow
1 Lincoln’s Sparrow
1 Swamp Sparrow
1 Baltimore Oriole
1 Brown-headed Cowbird

1 Northern Waterthrush
2 Common Yellowthroats
1 Yellow Warbler

1 Indigo Bunting

Species Encountered: 45 spp.
Rick

The early morning started off rather slow and I was wondering if migrants had simply flown over during the night but when the temperature warmed there was a nice mix of birds moving (mostly) through the treetops. It’s so nice to see and hear long-distance migrants again. On the day we encountered 50 species, some of them firsts for our site for the year: Eastern Kingbird, Least Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, Nashville Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, and Black-throated Blue Warbler.

We were joined by the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club’s Pipits. This is always a fun time to be able to share banding and birding with this group of keen naturalists and to get some of them involved directly with the birds we’re experiencing. In these of times of Nature Deficit Disorder it’s nice to see folks that are aware of and care about the environment. They helped out by doing the census and a count on the river side of the wetland – always a big help.

There is bridge repair work being carried out on River Road necessitating a 4-km detour that runs through the village of Kohler. Although a bit of a pain the road leads by an extensive winter wheat field that has at least 1 pair of Upland Sandpipers hanging out in it. The numbers of these birds is dwindling so it’s always great to see them…making the detour well worthwhile.


Banded 25:
1 Mourning Dove
1 Blue Jay
1 American Goldfinch
2 Chipping Sparrow
1 Dark-eyed Junco

5 White-throated Sparrows
2 Song Sparrows
3 Swamp Sparrows
2 Red-winged blackbirds
1 Brown-headed Cowbird

1 Common Yellowthroat

2 Yellow Warblers
1 Black-throated Blue Warbler
2 Western Palm Warblers

Species Encountered: 50 spp.
Rick

Thursday the 4th…and finally…a break in the weather. I ventured early to Fern Hill School in Burlington to continue the banding program that Joanne Fleet had established way back in 2012. Now it is under the guidance of Alex Webb who is new to the game so to speak but keen to learn. We finished putting up the 4th of 4 nets and walked away to deal with the birds that were pouring into the nets already in play – and there were a lot of birds to deal with. When we returned to net #4 I was stunned to see this BIG mass of black and white feathers hanging in the 3rd panel and weighing down the whole net. I had never banded a Pileated Woodpecker and, to be frank, I never expected to catch one – especially at this site, in a row of scrub vegetation running the length of the property and separating it from a potential building site. It was a surprisingly easy extraction notwithstanding the vicious attack on my hands by its large, chisel-like bill – this bird was NOT happy with me. It was a handful for sure but we got ‘er done – and I tallied a new banding “tick” for my life list.


Another important first was Alex banding her first bird. There’s nothing like a bird in the hand to generate enthusiasm for studying them even more. And Alex got to experience this first hand…so to speak. She’s going to be good.

One of the reasons for banding at Fern Hill in Burlington is to get a sense of how migrating birds use the site to make their way north. When you look off to the south you take in the skyline of a big city. The birds must traverse this barrier and, wherever possible, find food to replenish the energy it’s taken to get here. These areas are getting fewer and fewer and smaller and smaller. The grounds around the school provide a welcome oasis for these avian travelers. As well, they provide nesting sites for many. We ended up being quite busy:
Banded 40:
1 Pileated Woodpecker
2 Blue Jays
2 Black-capped Chickadees
2 Tree Swallows
1 House Wren
1 European Starling
1 American Robin
1 House Sparrow
2 House finches
1 American Goldfinch
5 Chipping Sparrows
2 Field Sparrows
2 Dark-eyed Juncos
2 Song Sparrows
1 Savannah Sparrow

1 Eastern Towhee
7 Red-winged Blackbirds
4 Brown-headed Cowbirds
2 Northern Cardinals

Species Encountered: 34 spp.

Yesterday, the 5th, at the Farm was something of a disappointment. I was expecting some action as conditions were improving quickly since the spate of bad weather we had just gone through. There was VERY little action and I ended up closing early as I had better things to do…like have a nap.
Banded 8:
1 Black-capped Chickadee
1 Dark-eyed junco
3 White-throated Sparrows
1 Swamp Sparrow
1 Red-winged Blackbird
1 Northern Cardinal

Today was more like it. We had a good mix of birds….and people….and baked goods. it doesn’t get much better than that!

Banded 30:
1 Mourning Dove

1 Red-bellied Woodpecker
1 Downy Woodpecker
2 Eastern Phoebes

1 Blue-headed Vireo
3 Ruby-crowned Kinglets (all females)
1 House Wren
1 American Robin
2 American Goldfinches
1 Eastern White-crowned Sparrow

5 White-throated Sparrows
2 Lincoln’s Sparrows

3 Swamp Sparrows
3 Common Grackles

2 Northern Cardinals

Species Encountered: 55 spp.
Rick

The first half of April kind of spoiled us and made this cold, wet weather harder to take. It was quite an adjustment for me when I got back from Arizona on the 28th where it was around 90 each day with cloudless skies. Ironically, the 28th was the last “good” day weather-wise we had here; Joanne and Dave were covering at the Farm and banded 11 birds but one of them, a male Red-breasted Nuthatch, was the first for the station. At least it wasn’t raining….They also had a nice retrap: a female Red-winged Blackbird that had been banded exactly 2 years before to the day.


On the 29th I could manage only a census as the weather had turned cold and wet.

On the 30th I opened for a couple of hours between showers and then packed it in when the showers became steady rain. But I banded 14 birds which pushed out April total to 274 of 29 species. This is our highest total since we started in 2021 and despite being able to band on only 15 days. In 2021 we banded 200 (in 21 days) and last year managed only 83. So, despite the weather (and remember we didn’t get started until the 7th). we did well.

You always look to May with uplifted heart – the month of the long-distance migrants. But lousy weather cut into the anticipation and Renessa and I banded only 8 birds; however, one of them was the first White-crowned Sparrow of the year and, while checking out the river, we came upon the first Yellow Warbler of the year mixed in with a small group of Myrtle Warblers.

Today I was at Fern Hill’s Oakville campus to start that program up again. We had a pretty good day considering the cold and rain that started mid-morning. We banded 16 – nothing “exciting” except for a White-crowned Sparrow but we did see the first Brown thrasher of the year (for us). We did have an exciting retrap: a female Black-capped Chickadee that had been banded as a young bird in October of 2017….it is approaching its 6 year birthday! Quite a feat for a little chickadee

April 28th; Farm; Banded 11:
1 Downy Woodpecker
1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
1 Red-breasted Nuthatch

1 Eastern Bluebird
1 Song Sparrow
5 Swamp Sparrows
1 Red-winged Blackbird

April 30th; Farm; Banded 14:
2 Mourning Doves
3 American Goldfinches
1 Field Sparrow
5 White-throated Sparrows
1 Savannah Sparrow
1 Red-winged Blackbird
1 Common Grackle

May 1st; Farm; Banded 8:
1 House Wren
1 House Finch
1 Eastern White-crowned Sparrow

2 White-throated Sparrows
1 Savannah Sparrow
2 Common Grackles

May 2nd; Fern Hill Oakville; Banded 16:

2 Mourning Doves
1 Downy Woodpeckers
1 Blue Jay
2 Black-capped Chickadees
1 American Robin
2 Song Sparrows
1 Eastern White-crowned Sparrow
2 Dark-eyed Juncos

1 Red-winged Blackbird
2 American Goldfinches
1 House Sparrow

Rick