Banding at the CNC station 7/29 and 8/11

I'm playing catch-up posting banding results from the second to last and last summer banding days at Chippewa Nature Center.  Neither day was particularly busy and both produced lots of HY birds as one would expect.

For 29 July we had a total of 19 captures of nine species of which 13 were new and six were recaps.

Here's the catch:

Black-capped Chickadee  1 N
House Wren  1 N
Wood Thrush  1 N
American Robin  2 N
Gray Catbird  5 N,  2 R
Ovenbird  1 R
Song Sparrow  1 N,  1 R
Northern Cardinal  2 R
American Goldfinch  2 N

For 11 August we had a total of 20 captures of nine species of which 17 were new, two were recaptrues and one was unbanded.  This was our last banding day of the summer breeding study.  It was what one might expect in early August.  A lot of young birds and a few early migrants.  Neither of the recaptures (a Common Yellowthroat and a Song Sparrow) were unusual, both being banded earlier this summer.

A Willow Flycather was a pleasant surprise as they occasionally nest here but we don't often catch them.

Willow Flycatchers were heard infrequently this summer and never enough to verify they were on territory much less mated.  So, this is probably a wandering individual from another nearby location.

A molting adult male Blue-winged Warbler was the second for the summer, the first being caught way back on the 15th of May.  The earlier bird was probably a returning migrant but probably not returning here as we didn't hear any Blue-wings singing this summer.  This bird was probably also an individual from another location wandering around as it completed its molt before migrating south.

In this image you can see that the flight feather molt is completed as well as the body molt.  So, he's all set for the journey south.

Finally, a definite migrant was this AHY female Canada Warbler.

                                     

They definitely do not nest locally and are coming from further up-state.  We have often caught Canadas during our final banding session in August.

Here's the catch:

Downy Woodpecker  1 N
Willow Flycathcer  1 N
Black-capped Chickadee  6 N
Gray Catbird  2 N
Blue-winged Warbler  1 N
Common Yellowthroat  1 R
Canada Warbler  1 N
Song Sparrow  3 N,  1 R,  1 U
Northern Cardinal  1 N

Pay attention to announcements from Chippewa Nature Center about the fall migration banding weekend we will have Friday and Saturday September 17th and 18th.  Hope to see you out there.