The Owls Have Arrived
Northern Saw-whet Owl
We caught our first of the year Northern Saw-whet Owl Saturday night! Been a slow start to their movement but I believe that is due to warmer temperatures and the bright moon shining down on the nets. Their numbers should be picking up in a week or two as soon as the moon starts rising later in the evening!
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Some Birdies
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Here are some cool birdies that I photographed and should have posted while bird banding the past month! Thanks for all your kind comments . . . . you guys are all wonderful!
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Birdfreak Visit
Birdfreak, Little Kingfisher, Ed’s Father and myself
Today I had a wonderful visit by the Birdfreak Blogging Team as they passed through the area while heading to a birding festival (for Swarovski) in Rhode Island. We only had a few hours to chat but we looked for a few birds . . . Little Kingfisher (Dakota’s All Natural Experience) had the opportunity to band some baby Bluebirds . . . . and then headed up to the Thunder Rocks area to climb on some “big” rocks!! I am sure you will see many of Ed’s and Dakota’s pictures on their own blogs within the next few days (so go visit their blogs). Little Kingfisher told me that if I didn’t go home and blog something . . . . that I would owe him $50 dollars!! I didn’t want to disappoint this great young birder (and owe him $50 bucks) . . . . so here is my blog post for the day!! 🙂
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Scarlet of a Day
Scarlet Tanager
Last Saturday we had a scarlet of a day banding at the CLDC station! We capture 10 different species and handled 36 individuals (18 newly banded birds and 18 recaptured birds)! Highlights were the Scarlet Tanager, Blue-winged Warblers, Chestnut-sided Warblers and Cedar Waxwing! Will turn this into an “almost” Wordless Wednesday! The pictures will tell you how exciting our day went!
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Half a morning of banding
House Wren (baby)
This Saturday morning we had a superb start at the CLDC MAPS banding station but then . . . . (to be continued)!!! We banded only 6 species, recaptured 9 individuals and placed new bands on 8 birdies (17 total captures). Species banded included Blue-winged Warbler, Gray Catbird, Song Sparrow, Field Sparrow, House Wren and a first for the year bird for me (also to be continued ).
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Other SWAT banding post!
American Goldfinch by Sarah (aka WheelieGirl)
Over the past few days we have had two blogger reports about their visit to the SWAT Banding Station last Monday. Many have already seen Jennifer’s post on her SWAT visit and the similarities of the Chestnut-sided Warbler and Yellow Warbler (if not go visit her blog now!!).
But I am 99.9% sure you have not had a chance to visit WheelieGirls blog??? Sarah is a wonderful young lady who I have known since she was a little girl and her family has been visiting my banding station since 1999. She’s becoming a stunning photographer (uses a Nikon, High Five) and I just learned last Monday that she has her own Blog! That Monday she did a post on her SWAT visit and you can see some of her pictures that she captured!! Another stunning post that you should check out is her American Robin post . . . . hmmm future nature photographer??? I think so!
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Family Day at SWAT
SWAT Group Photo
Today was Family Day at the SWAT MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) banding station with families from Michigan to local families who spent the first weekday of summer together! Of course the best part is that everyone here is a regular visitor to this website!!! {{{HIGH FIVE}}} It wasn’t until I was driving Young Naturalist J home that I realized that the whole “Mon@rch Nature Blog team” was together for the first time and I didn’t take a “team” picture together (big upset for the day)! But the whole team was in the group photo that I managed to get of all the families that visited in . . . . well minus one family who left early and a father who was the photographer.
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Trying for . . .
Habitat photo where we placed the mist net
This afternoon Young Naturalist J and I attempted to band a rare bird that has been reported in the area. About 3-4 years ago we had a singing male Worm-eating Warbler on territory and the bird hasn’t been relocated since that time. Last Sunday while banding at CLDC, I got a voice mail from Peter Y. that the Worm-eating Warbler had been located again in the same area. Habitat is “perfect” for the bird (Southern steep sloped hillside) with thick undergrowth for nesting birds like the Worm-eating Warbler, Hooded Warbler and Black-throated Blue Warbler! Only problem is that we are just over the northern range for this species and is almost like finding a needle in a haystack.
Another CLDC Banding Report
Photo of me photographing the Veery by Jen
Please take the time to visit Jennifer’s blog post on her visit to the CLDC banding station this weekend!!
My First Babies
Blue-winged Warbler
Today we banded our first babies at the CLDC MAPS banding station . . . . yep 3 baby chickadees decided to stop over for a visit. The morning started with some thick fog that got us more wet than helped us in capturing any morning birdies. Once the warm sun started evaporated the fog . . . . we finally began to capture our first birdies of the morning. Highlights included the Field Sparrow, Blue-winged Warbler, Veery, baby Chickadees and 2 Hairy Woodpeckers (although the woodpeckers were not the most cooperative visitors)!!
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Frustrated
Its Friday the 13th and my power at home isn’t working. Guess the thunderstorm fried something again!!!
I think I have let everyone know already but tomorrows CLDL banding has been canceled due to 80 percent chance of thunderstorms hitting in the morning. We have rescheduled the banding for Sunday morning instead. Call me or email me if anyone has any questions.
Since my power is out, I am testing my blackberry with my first BB post. Hope it works. . . . BTW that photo is from young naturalist j last month when he was camping in the park.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
By the way Tom’s BlackBerry did not get this on the web but it did get on flickr so this is YOUNG NATURALIST J doing this post!!!
SWAT and the Thunderstorm
Blackburnian Warbler
Yesterday (Tuesday) was our second banding session for the SWAT MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) banding station. Yesterday was one of the most beautiful mornings with perfect temperatures, little wind and a sunny sky. About 2 hours into banding and I started to hear some grumbling in the background . . . nope not my stomach. That was thunder rumbling in the distance.
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Chestnut-sided Warbler
One of my banded Chestnut-sided Warblers
Had a SWAT banding session scheduled this morning and after 3 hours of banding (with sunshine). . . . the thunderstorms quickly surround me and forced me to close everything up. The final 3 hours of banding will be done tomorrow and I will then do my banding report. Until then . . . . I will share these Chestnut-sided Warbler pictures that I captured on Monday.
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Dragonflies by a Mist Net
Beaver Pond Clubtail
Not only were we able to catch birds during the Great Outdoors Program but we were also able to catch 3 different species of dragonflies. I felt bad that the insect station was able to catch 1 Common Baskettail with all those kids running around with butterfly nets . . . I was innocently catching a few of each species without trying.
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Outdoor Program
Me with the kids from last years program
For the past two days (Thursday and Friday) I have been busy helping the Allegany State Park recreation department with the Great Outdoors program for almost 350 kids from 5 different school districts.
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First Day at CLDC
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Last Sunday we started banding over at the CLDC MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) banding station and placed bands on 15 species (43 individuals). The highlight was the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (first for the station and a year bird for me CHECK), Veery and Eastern Towhees. The Yellow-bellied Flycatcher was a late migrant passing through the area and just encourages me start doing spring/fall banding. Warblers banded included the Blue-winged Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Yellow Warbler, and Common Yellowthroat. Other commonly captured birds included the Gray Catbird, House Wren, Red-eyed Vireo, and Indigo Bunting.
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SWAT Banding Day 1
Magnolia Warbler – photo by Young Naturalist J
Friday morning we had our first day of banding at the SWAT MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) banding station. We were able to band 24 species of birds and 47 newly banded individuals (with 8 recaptured birds). We had many banding assistants helping this session which were very much needed with all these great birds! Thanks again for their help everyone! (more…)
Wrap up to an amazing trip
Red-headed Woodpecker
We had such a wonderful time visiting the Magee Marsh Wildlife Area (aka Crane Creek) with seeing so many great birds and having the opportunity of meeting such great birders. I noticed that the Black Snake Bird Observatory’s Banders Blog reported (Friday 9 May) “We also had the pleasure of a few banders from New York and surrounding states. It is always a pleasure to have visiting researchers see our operation and share ideas and talk shop.” and then said . . . “For the day we had a total of 190 new birds including 30 species and 38 recaptures.” Can you believe they had 20 species of warblers that day??? I knew we should have stayed till they closed up nets! Anyways . . . . I would like to thank Kim Kaufman and the many staff members of the Black Swamp Bird Observatory who helped in making our visit so spectacular.
THANKS!
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More Warblers from Ohio
American Redstart
And you thought I posted all my good warbler pictures!!! All I can say is that these pictures can tell the rest of the warbler story!
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Our Banding Adventure
Common Yellowthroat
Young Naturalist J and I take these trips to the different banding stations for helping us explore how these organizations conduct their studies. Each project is different and they always have a way of showing us something that we had never seen before. The Navarre Marsh Banding Station in Ohio and the Presque Isle Banding Station in Erie PA were no exception and both stations were different in many ways. The truth is that we take these trips to enjoy the many wonderful birds that are not normally caught at our banding station (and for us to capture a few photos)!!
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Banding in the Magee Marsh Wildlife Area
Bay-breasted Warbler (CHECK)
Friday morning Young Naturalist J and I were invited to join the Black Swamp Bird Observatory’s “Navarre Marsh Migration Monitoring Banding Station” in Oak Harbor, Ohio. Last Sunday when we made the first plans to visit . . . . we never realized that this station was located on a National Wildlife Refuge and the hoops that we needed to go through to visit the banding station. I guess driving behind a Nuclear Power Plant to band birds requires some security issues to contend with. Without a doubt this adventure was well worth the hoopla because I ended up with 10 year birds (1 being a lifer) and Young Naturalist J ended up with 3 lifers on this trip!
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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:
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Visit with friends!
Bonapart’s Gull
Friday evening Marg spend the night at my house and we had some laughs catching up since our last visit. I left extra early on Saturday morning to pick up Young Naturalist J for the 85th annual Eastern Bird Banding Association meeting at Presque Isle State Park. Young Naturalist J was excited to hear that Marg and Richard would be joining us at this conference. He didn’t expect to see many other banding friends of ours and make a few new friends.
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