I have to start by apologizing for not having an photos for today's blog. I forgot my camera and I was kicking myself all morning. Here's why: today set the summer banding record for the highest total number of birds caught and number of different species. We had 64 total individuals of 19 species of which 57 were new, five were recaptures and two were unbanded. That's five more new birds banded and two more species than the previous high day on 27, July, 2005.
It was a day of juvenile birds just off the nest, one hit wonders and families that stayed together by being banded together. Of the downy woodpeckers, hairy woodpecker, northern flicker, eastern phoebe, black-capped chickadees, brown creeper, brown thrasher, northern cardinal, rose-breasted grosbeak, and Baltimore orioles, all captures were HY birds. Of the five new wood thrush four were HYs. Of the 12(!) American robins, nine were HYs.
We had a family of scarlet tanagers in the same net on successive rounds. First we caught mom and dad and next round we caught their two kids. They, along with many others, including the Baltimore orioles were in the bog foraging on the abundant blueberry crop.
It was just one of those perfect storms that sent us a boat load of birds. We actually ran out of clean bags towards the end of the morning!
Here’s the tally:
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1 U
Hairy Woodpecker 1 N
Downy Woodpecker 5 N
Northern Flicker 1 N
Eastern Phoebe 1 N
Blue Jay 1 N
Black-capped Chickadee 9 N
Brown Creeper 1 N
Wood Thrush 6 N, 4 R, 1 U
American Robin 12 N
Gray Catbird 6 N
Brown Thrasher 1 N
Cedar Waxwing 1 N
Ovenbird 3 N
Scarlet Tanager 4 N
Northern Cardinal 1 N, 1 R
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1 N
Indigo Bunting 1 N
Baltimore Oriole 3 N
Our next banding date at the ACBO Vestaburg Station will be Monday 7/26 or Tuesday 7/27. I will email the list to confirm later this weekend.
Hope to see you out there.
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