Banding at Presque Isle State Park
Northern Cardinal carefully being banded
Young Naturalist J and I joined Toni from A Spattering and Linda from Eries Argonaut over at the Presque Isle State Park banding station this morning to see some migrants up close. We had such a wonderful time together and saw many great birds being banded by Sarah S. from PA Audubon (Thanks for letting us join you Sarah)! Below are just a few pictures that we captured at the banding station:
White-throated Sparrow
House Wren
Yellow Warbler
Winter Wren
Young Naturalist J, Toni, Linda and Me
We left Presque Isle State Park just after seeing some baby Great Horned Owl chicks that Toni and Linda knew about. They were soo cute and I have those, along with some other pictures to post once I return home (on hotel internet right now)! We slowly birded towards Crane Creek in Northern Ohio to hear Kenn Kaufman speak at the Black Swamp Bird Observatory this evening. You have no idea what a wonderful day we had and our anticipating the amazing day that we have planned for tomorrow’s adventure! I promise to let everyone know more once we return!
Kenn Kaufman, Young Naturalist J and Me
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Great bird pictures. What wonderful experiences. Someone on the Monday trip had a butterfly book by Kenn Kaufman. I think I’ll get a copy.
8 May 2008 at 10:33 pm
Awesome pictures. That Winter Wren . . . yowza. They are so adorable! I love the experiences you get to have, and Young Naturalist J, too, of course!
8 May 2008 at 10:52 pm
I really had such a great time! It was so nice to meet you and Young Naturalist J and to meet Toni again. You guys are so fun! My first banding experience was awesome. To see these birds up close like that and to examine them will surely help me identify these birds out on the tree and bushes. The little Winter Wren was my favorite. I hope you enjoy your day tomorrow!
8 May 2008 at 11:18 pm
Like Linda said I also had a great time. It was so good to see you and ‘J’ again. We had so many wonderful visitors at the banding station. I am so glad it didn’t rain and the weather was great for catching birds.
Linda said the video by the newspaper is up so I will see if I can get it on my blog.
9 May 2008 at 12:23 am
@ NatureShutterbug – Thanks and I think the Kenn Kaufman Book is the best butterfly field guide ever done! You must get it for sure!
@ Liza – Thanks and I loved seeing both species of Wren!
@ Linda – It was great for sure and I am soo glad you were able to visit. It is great seeing all those birds up close and sure does hope seeing those details in the hand . . . then seeing them out in the field!
@ Toni – Thanks and I am so glad that you were there also! It was nice to see activity at the banding station and that our weather stayed good! Thanks and did see the video that you posted!
Later everyone . . . we are leaving the hotel and off to the banding station!
9 May 2008 at 6:27 am
Crane – Rocking – Creek !
Can’t wait for the report.
9 May 2008 at 6:43 am
Man, if I had only had a mentor like you when I was J’s age, I doubt I’d be a nurse! So glad you all had such a great time. Wonderful shots of the birdies as usual. :c)
9 May 2008 at 6:50 am
I have seen others band birds just once. Very interesting work. Great photos, like always!
9 May 2008 at 10:15 am
Cracking good photos! I especially like the puffy little Winter Wren – they’re such cuties. Hope the rest of your trip is as productive as this day was.
9 May 2008 at 10:39 am
Presque Isle… I was just there a two weeks ago shooting a cycling event, beautiful little area that is! Love the Cardinal, I cannot imagine what it feels like to actually hold one in your hands.
-Kaz
9 May 2008 at 1:54 pm
Oh man! Enjoy, enjoy. What a great trip. Lovely little birds. Thanks.
9 May 2008 at 2:04 pm
Awww, that Yellow Warbler picture is so cute!!
9 May 2008 at 5:11 pm
What an interesting article about you in the Erie Times News this morning.
Super pictures of the birds you were banding. I had helped band birds in the Saybrook, Pa area back in the 1960’s. What a wonderful experience.
9 May 2008 at 6:42 pm
Sorry I missed you today. I wish you could have hung around. I am worth meeting. Totally.
: )
9 May 2008 at 9:29 pm
I stumbled across your blog while googling Allegany State Park. I live in Erie and hit Presque Isle at least twice a week. I don’t know much about birding but I like to take pictures. Your photos are fantastic!
10 May 2008 at 12:32 am
Beautiful shots!
10 May 2008 at 1:50 am
I noticed the twig with the Cardinal! That is a Banders Trick to save their fingers as they have an extremely hard bite. I learned that the hard way as my Master Bander giggled about the incedent.
Meeting Ken Kaufman would be a highlight !
10 May 2008 at 9:46 am
I love the Yellow Warbler shot Tom, the color in this bird is so vivid, all these are really nice !!
10 May 2008 at 2:29 pm
@ Jochen – it was awesome and now I just need the time to upload the photos and write something up!
@ Jayne – even being a nurse you can go out to do these things! Thanks and wait till you see tomorrows pictures!
@ Dave – thanks and it is very fun to get out to band!
@ Adam – Thanks and tomorrows get better with many birds you would love to see~!
@ Kaz – really . . . actually I was there again today birding! Cardinals are not fun to band!
@ Trixie – Thanks and the next report I do tomorrow should be better!
@ Veronica – thanks
@ Becky – thanks it was just my picture, the article was about Sarah’s banding efforts! They were kidding me about the picture since it ended up in todays paper also!
@ Susan – No, sorry that we had be head out early! I had hoped things would have worked out to meet!
@ Amy – Thanks and did have a chance to check out your site! I would have loved to be closer to Presque Isle . . . that is such a wonderful place to bird! Was there today!
@ Moe – thanks
@ Garth – Sure is and you are not a bander if you don’t have those marks in your fingers!
@ Bernie – thanks and I have many more colors to come soon!
10 May 2008 at 8:20 pm
Wow fantastic pics! I can’t look at that first one without thinking “ouch”! An ungrateful one clamped onto my finger when I was trying to rescue him once. Ow….
10 May 2008 at 9:12 pm
Fantastic-a rotten cardinal and a cowbird got me yesterday! I’m glad you guys met up and had such fun!
11 May 2008 at 1:04 pm
@ Rurality – thanks and they sure can have a big bite if they get you!
@ Marg – thanks and we had a blast!
11 May 2008 at 10:10 pm
Great photos of the birds and nice to see some people pictures too! I am envious-you must be having a great time!
15 May 2008 at 8:27 pm