Golden-winged Warblers used to be fairly common in this area of Haldimand County in the mid-80’s but have since been pushed out by the Blue-winged Warbler. This is the first Golden-winged that I’ve seen in several years.
Yesterday was VERY hot but it cooled late in the night, dropping to 16 degrees in our area. This produced some heavy fog which I think was a factor in bringing migrants down to Ruthven. We got a great start to the Fall migration monitoring season: banding 59 birds of 27 species! Ten of these species were warblers.
Brewster’s Warbler (Golden-winged x Blue-winged Warbler cross) on the left and a Blue-winged Warbler (right).
The best bird of the day was a lovely male Golden-winged Warbler. These birds were relatively common back in the mid-80’s when I started to band in this area. But they quickly succumbed to an influx of Blue-winged Warblers and have been a rarity here for the past 15 years or so. In fact, I hadn’t even seen one in several years. There was a real irony in getting this bird today. Young Samuel started off the morning talking about Golden-winged x Blue-winged Warbler hybrids: Lawrence’s and Brewster’s Warblers. You know how it is…..some kids spend their time playing video games and some read about genetics of bird species….. Anyway, he was hoping to see a Brewster’s. Well, we caught one; then a Blue-winged; then….the Golden-winged!! I’ve asked him to go home and study up on Eskimo Curlews – who knows what might turn up.
Ironically, Samuel had been studying the Brewster’s Warbler genetics most of last week…..seriously.
Banded 59:
2 Hairy Woodpeckers
1 Black-capped Chickadee
2 White-breasted Nuthatches
4 House Wrens
1 Veery
2 Swainson’s Thrushes
1 American Robin
10 Gray Catbirds
2 Warbling Vireos
1 Philadelphia Vireo
2 Red-eyed Vireos
2 Blue-winged Warblers
1 Golden-winged Warbler
1 Brewster’s Warbler
1 Tennessee Warbler
8 Magnolia Warblers
1 Black-throated Green Warbler
4 Bay-breasted Warblers
1 American Redstart
1 Common Yellowthroat
1 Wilson’s Warbler
1 Northern Cardinal
1 Rose-breasted Grosbeak
1 Indigo Bunting
1 Field Sparrow
4 Song Sparrows
2 American Goldfinches
Gallery:
Alessandra with the Golden-winged Warbler (which she had banded).
Beautiful male Golden-winged Warbler
Alessandra with a Golden-winged Warbler (which she had drawn for me a year ago).
The red eye indicates that this Red-eyed Vireo is an adult (a juvenile would have a brown eye). -A. Wilcox
Beautiful underwing yellow of an adult female Rose-breasted Grosbeak. -A. Wilcox
A Magnolia Warbler “resting” on its back – a position that this bird has probably never been in before and therefore finds confusing. -A. Wilcox
An early Swainson’s Thrush.
A young Veery.
You can just see a hint of brown on the flanks of this Bay-breasted Warbler.
One of several Magnolia Warblers banded today.
Samuel’s mom, Wendy, picked up scribing VERY quickly.
A “Confusing Fall…….Sparrow” – a very young Field Sparrow.
Philadelphia Vireo – one of 4 vireo species encountered today.
Young male Wilson’s Warbler.
Black-throated Green Warbler.
Our Fall 2015 kickoff team: Wendy, Nathan, Faye, Bill, Alessandra, and Samuel.
Rick