House Wren Pair
Singing House Wren
The local house wren has been singing up a storm recently. I think it has something to do with the female teasing the male with her busyness in filling the multiple neighboring bluebird boxes with sticks!
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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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Please Smile
Please Smile Mr. Toad
Sometimes we need a reminder that it’s ok to smile! Found this sad American Toad during an evening hike last night and I just thought he looked soo sad (cute but sad)!!
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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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Traveling with cats
My Mum’s Cat
It is amazing what some people with do for their pets or as in today’s case what my mother will do for someone else’s cat. Around 3pm I got a frantic message on my cell asking me to call my mother back ASAP. Here I am thinking she was in a car accident or something. . . . she had found a lady who was at a truck-stop/gas-station and her cat somehow jumped out of her vehicle when she exited the car. You guessed it . . . the cat b-lined under a storage shed and couldn’t be convinced to climb out since almost 11am. I think my mothers exact words were “I am not leaving until this poor girls gets her cat back”.
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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…)
Allegany Bloggers
On Saturday there will be a Blogger/Flickr get-together during the Allegany Nature Pilgrimage. Many of us local bloggers like Jen from a Passion for Nature, Toni from a Spattering, Linda from Erie Argonaut and maybe Nick from a Biological Rambling will be able to make it. If you are a blogger . . . flickr person and would like to join the get-together . . . . meet on Saturday at the tent at 5pm during the Chicken BBQ (If you don’t have a ticket for the BBQ, make sure you bring your dinner with you). We will probably have a group photo and chat about blogging, photography and just getting to know each other. Hope you can make it!
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The crow and blowflies
American Crow on the Bluebird Box
Yes the crow could hear the baby nestlings inside the box! What do you think happened next?
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Prairie Warbler
Prairie Warbler
While driving through Allegany State Park today, I encountered my first of the year Prairie Warbler (CHECK) singing in one of the abandoned fields near the Red House entrance. I slowly worked my way closer to the bird and hit the jackpot in finding a non-camera shy bird! I did see the female once but she wasn’t as cooperative as the male was! But I do feel that the female was close because I had suspected the male was following her around and singing his trilled song (reason he was ignoring me)! Other first for the year birds that I had today included the Alder Flycatcher (CHECK) and Willow Flycatcher (CHECK)!
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Chestnut-sided Warbler
Female Chestnut-sided Warbler
Last Saturday Jeremy and I followed a male Chestnut-sided Warbler over to this female gathering some nesting material. It was interesting watching her “carefully” selecting . . . . then reaching into the Tent Caterpillar nest without getting herself entangled. I am “assuming” that this material was being gathered for a nest that she is building!!
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Allenburg Bog
I was in Allenburg Bog today with Dragonfly Eye who was searching for a bog Dragonfly species that has never been observed in this bog before! Obviously we didn’t locate the “Boghaunter” but we did manage to find a few Darner species and a few damselfly species.
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Butterflies at the Birdathon
American Lady
Most people think that birdathons are just for the birds! Well this year team T-bird also kept track of the butterflies that were flying while helping with the Jamestown Audubon fundraiser. We ended up with 15 species of butterflies and I had 2 first of the year butterflies. OK, I guess at this point I have become too much of a lister!!!
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Northern Mockingbird in Allegany
Northern Mockingbird
Last Friday (16 May 2008), I found this Northern Mockingbird in Allegany State Park while traveling through the Quaker area. You might wonder “what’s the big deal in finding a mockingbird” ?? The truth is that these guys are not commonly found within Cattaraugus County and I would assume it is because of our hilly terrain. I will watch to see if this bird sticks around the area for a while but I assume the bird was just passing through the area!!
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Moms Doves
Mourning Dove
I received a phone call from my mother the other day about this brown bird who was nesting in her old bird feeder!! She explained how these Blue Jays were bothering the mother but she appeared to be holding her own. I never expected from her description that the bird would turn out to be a Mourning Dove!!!
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International Migratory Bird Day
Northern Mockingbird
Ya, Ya . . . I am about a week late with this report but it has been a busy few days for me. I have been trying to getting ready for the Allegany State Park Geobash Event that we are having this weekend.
On May 10th 2008 the Cattaraugus County Bird Club headed out for our annual Presque Isle State Park field trip for International Migratory Bird Day. (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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Mon@rch's Nature Blog 