At last….the dam seems to have burst. The NE winds blew Summer away and pushed bunches of migrants south in doing so. It’s still fairly mild (20+ C.) during the afternoon but cooling somewhat over night. We really noticed the change for the first time on Friday (the 27th): sparrows were plentiful and bouncing back and forth between the prairie meadow and the wetland edge. There were a few warblers but they were staying high. The skies on the 27th started off clear but cloud began to move in later and you could sense change in the wind. You can have your sunny, clear, rain-free days. When I’m banding I want “unsettled” conditions!! Hurricane Helene moving up from the Gulf is having an impact.
Joyce with her first Farm-banded bird: Marsh Wren. -DOL
Rain moved in Friday night but had stopped by morning. The NE wind continued to blow – which is a good direction for us as the nets are relatively protected from billowing when it’s from NE. Interestingly, my opening comment for the morning was that the “edges are quiet”. Ha! That didn’t last long. As soon as it became light there was LOTS of activity – especially sparrows. We were run off our feet and ended up banding 101 birds! Thanks goodness I had a couple of capable assistants in Sam and Joyce.
This morning, the conditions were similar: NE winds and overcast. Interestingly, the horde of White-throated Sparrows that we encountered yesterday seemed to have moved on, only to be replaced by Swamp Sparrows. (I wonder how far south those White-throats got..?)
So it’s been a busy but very productive weekend. Thank goodness for unsettled weather!
September 27th; Banded 52:
1 Black-capped Chickadee
1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Male Ruby-crowned Kinglet; the first of, hopefully, many. -AN
1 Marsh Wren
1 Dark-eyed Junco
An early Dark-eyed Junco. -AN
6 White-throated Sparrows
20 Song Sparrows
3 Lincoln’s Sparrows
13 Swamp Sparrows
1 Red-winged Blackbird
2 Common Yellowthroats
2 Myrtle Warblers
1 Indigo Bunting
ET’s: 37 spp.
September 28th; Banded 101:
3 Eastern Phoebes
One of the three Eastern Phoebes we banded today. -JL
1 Marsh Wren
1 Hermit Thrush
1 American Goldfinch
1 Dark-eyed Junco
31 White-throated Sparrows
6 Song Sparrows
4 Lincoln’s Sparrows
11 Swamp Sparrows
1 Savannah Sparrow
13 Red-winged Blackbirds
2 Common Yellowthroats
1 Western Palm Warbler
21 Myrtle Warblers
1 Black-throated Green Warbler
1 Northern Cardinal
2 Indigo Buntings
Young male Indigo Bunting moulting into its adult plumage. -JL
ET’s: 45 spp.
Today’s team – Sam and Joyce – with their chauffeurs, Christine and Simon, the ones who really make it happen. -DOL
September 29th; Banded 57:
1 Eastern Phoebe
1 Red-eyed Vireo
3 Ruby-crowned Kinglets
1 Golden-crowned Kinglet
1 House Wren
2 Eastern White-crowned Sparrows
2 White-throated Sparrows
12 Song Sparrows
3 Lincoln’s Sparrows
19 Swamp Sparrows
1 Common Yellowthroat
7 Western Palm Warblers
2 Myrtle Warblers
1 Black-throated Green Warbler
1 Indigo Bunting
ET’s: 35 spp.
Rick