SpruceHaven 26 May 2019

     Spring banding came to an end today, and it was not especially auspicious. The previous day had seen vicious storms with heavy rain, very strong winds and hail - perhaps that had something to do with it, but there seemed to be very little movement of birds.
     Several old friends visited, however, including the first visit of the season by Nicole, sister of one of our star biologists, Daina, with whom you are all familiar.
     Right before our eyes, Nicole is morphing into a young woman!

     Our first catch of the day was a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (Empidonax flaviventri), a particularly well marked individual, identifiable in the net even before removal, and this is a member of a group of birds which at times can be problematic to identify in the field.

     But back to Nicole, the luminary of the day; here she is with her big sister, Daina.

     I have absolutely no doubt that there is no finer big sister on the planet!
     Nicole was happy to release a female Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) that found its way into our nets.

     A Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) had a tick attached to it, too near its eye for us to attempt to remove it. Hopefully the bird will ultimately be able to shed this parasite. 
     Ross Dickson was able to take this remarkable closeup with his smart phone.

     Our short session of spring banding has come to an end, and even at that we lost a few days due to inclement weather, but we will look forward to resuming in mid August to cover the protracted passage of southbound migrants.

All birds banded 26 May: Grey Catbird (2), Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (1), Traill's Flycatcher (2), American Goldfinch (1), Common Yellowthroat (2), American Redstart (1), Baltimore Oriole (1). Total: 10 individuals of 7 species.

Bird Banding at SpruceHaven 18 and 19 May 2019

18 May 2019

     May has been unseasonably cold this year, and today was no exception. It was a mere 4 degrees when I left home to meet Kevin at the nets. As it turned out he was there a little ahead of me (as he often is) and was just returning with the first captures of the day.
     It seemed appropriate that at the peak of migration the first bird caught was a Chestnut-sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica).

     The second bird was also a warbler, a Myrtle Warbler (Setophaga coronata), a species sometimes referred to as a Yellow-rumped Warbler and shown as such in many field guides. Birds in the east have a yellow throat and birds in the west a white throat. Previously lumped together as Yellow-rumped Warbler, each form is now considered a distinct species, with the western bird called Audubon's Warbler (Setophaga auduboni).

     Flycatchers in the genus Empidonax are notoriously difficult to identify in the field (some species virtually impossible) but when the bird is subjected to the measurements normally taken at a bird banding station, the identification can be clinched based on biometrics, as was the case with this Least Flycatcher (Empidonax minimus).

     Baltimore Orioles (Icterus galbula) seem to be especially abundant this year and we captured this female.

     It was bent on letting Kevin know that it was not happy!

     The female of a Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga caerulescens) is quite drab as compared with the more colourful male.

     There is nothing dull about a Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia), however.

     I would be remiss if I did not mention that we were joined by Laura Lawlor and her daughter, Aberdeen, who thoroughly enjoyed the experience and were able to explore the wonders of SpruceHaven. Jonathan Wilhelm also visited for the first time and expressed a desire to return. 
     Unfortunately, I neglected to take a picture of these guests but I will rectify that omission when they visit for a second time.

All species banded 18 May: Traill's Flycatcher (1), Least Flycatcher (1), Baltimore Oriole (2), Common Yellowthroat (2), Chestnut-sided Warbler (1), American Redstart (2), Magnolia Warbler (1), Black-throated Blue Warbler (1), Myrtle Warbler (1). Total: 12 individuals of 9 species.

19 May 2019

     The forecast was for considerably warmer weather than we have been experiencing; early morning was still cool but it did start to warm up through the day. We were all glad to feel a little warmth in the sun's rays.
     An Alder Flycatcher (Empindonax alnorum) was one of our early catches, probably just passing through here on its way north.

     We do not encounter many Orchard Orioles (Icterus spurius) in our area, so to find three individuals, two males and a female, in the same net, along with a male and female Baltimore Oriole was quite remarkable.

Orchard Oriole male

Orchard Oriole female and male

     Kevin and Heather were sharing the banding duties so in each instance we were able to hold the female and male of the species together.

Baltimore Oriole male and female

     A Blackburnian Warbler (Setophaga fusca) is an exceptionally handsome species. Caught in the sunlight flitting around in a tree it can look as though its throat is aglow.

        Several visitors came to enjoy the morning's activities, including our old friend Vashti Latchman, with her children Roddy and Raya. 

     Roddy is a tremendously keen young bird enthusiast, with knowledge far beyond his years. We have been spotting a pair of Green Herons (Butorides virescens) on the pond and this morning Roddy located their nest. Well done, Roddy!

     Judy Wyatt made her first visit of the spring to observe the banding and displayed her usual keen interest, in addition to helping out whenever possible.

     As often happens, we need to consult "Pyle," the bander's bible, for finer points of sexing and aging.

     Questions about this Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens) occupied Heather's attention......

     .....until she found the answers she was looking for.

     We were fortunate in catching a couple of very nicely marked Magnolia Warblers.

          As has already been noted we have been catching several flycatchers, and this Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (Empidonax flaviventris) was our final member of this family, retrieved from the nets just before furling them for the day.

     If my memory serves me correctly, we have only ever caught one Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) so to trap this female was especially pleasing.

     This species breeds locally so it may be an indication that it is breeding at SpruceHaven.

     Next weekend will be our final session of the spring. I hope we will have exciting birds for you to see then.

All species banded 19 May: Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (1), Alder Flycatcher (2), Least Flycatcher (2), Common Yellowthroat (3), American Redstart (2), Magnolia Warbler (3), Blackburnian Warbler (2), Black-throated Blue Warbler (1), Black-throated Green Warbler (1), Baltimore Oriole (2), Orchard Oriole (3), Indigo Bunting (1). Total: 23 individuals of 12 species.

Bird Banding at SpruceHaven

12 September 2018

     I met Ross dark and early, having driven through dense fog, but the conditions at SpruceHaven looked favourable for a good day at the nets. It was not long before we were joined by Judy and Merri-Lee and right from the get-go it was a productive session.

     One of our first captures was a Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus), an occasion to delve into the finer points of sexing and aging - an educational opportunity for all present.

     The picture below shows the tips of the greater coverts typical of a hatch year bird. The retained coverts often contain a cinnamon tip such as this example, sometimes more than one on each side of the bird. The tips in the first set of feathers wear rapidly so that it is very uncommon to find this feature in spring in a second year bird.

     This character is valid for all Catharus and other brown(ish) thrushes in North America, as well as for American Robin (Turdus migratorius). I wonder whether it is true for European species such as Turdus merula. Maybe Phil Slade might like to comment on this.
     A Chestnut-sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica) presents quite a difference in appearance once it has shed breeding attire for its definitive basic plumage.

     Alder Flycatcher (Empidonax alnorum) and Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii) are basically indistinguishable morphologically from each other, except at the extreme end of measurements, and are usually recorded as Traill's Flycatcher.

     Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens) retains enough of its breeding plumage into the fall, as to be quite easily recognized.

     Hints of morphology, but measurements primarily, enabled us to identify this bird as a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (Empidonax flaviventri).

     The rusty crissum of this Grey Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) is clearly visible on the bird below being held by Ross.

     I had to leave early, having other chores that had to be done, but after I left a hatch year Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) was captured, our first ever in the nets at SpruceHaven and I am indebted to Merri-Lee for the photograph below.

     Tomorrow will mark the annual visit of Waterloo Region Nature to our banding operation. We hope that we will have a range of interesting species to show the people coming out to enjoy a morning at SpruceHaven.

All species banded 12 September: Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (1), Traill's Flycatcher (1), House Wren (1), Grey Catbird (1), Swainson's Thrush (2), American Goldfinch (16), Nashville Warbler (3), Common Yellowthroat (2), Magnolia Warbler(2), Chestnut-sided Warbler (1), Black-throated Green Warbler (1), Song Sparrow (3), Rose-breasted Grosbeak (1), Indigo Bunting (1).  Total: 36 birds of 14 species.
Retraps: House Wren (1), Swainson's Thrush (1), American Goldfinch (1), Common Yellowthroat (1), Song Sparrow (1).

Quality not Quantity

01 September - 02 September 2018

     The pace of avian migration starts to really accelerate as we get into September and we detected this trend in some of the species we banded this past weekend. The number of birds we trapped was not huge, but we caught some consequential species that contribute to our knowledge of birds not seen at SpruceHaven during the breeding season, but moving through as they depart Ontario to spend the northern winter in Central and South America.

     Neotropical Warblers and Flycatchers (among others) are two distinct families that can provide identification challenges at times and our constant companion is "Pyle," the bird bander's indispensable guide. 

     As any bird bander will tell you, a bird in the hand can look quite different from the bird you observe flitting around in a tree, or in flight. And by having the bird in the hand and being able to take wing measurements, weight, and  examine other characteristics it is in most cases possible to identify the sex and age of the bird.

     Take for example, this Black-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus erythropthalmus). 

     Pyle tells us that the orbital ring in an after hatch year bird is red (as opposed to greenish or dusky in a hatch year bird) and that the the shape and pattern of the outer rectrices show a rounded tip with a white terminus. 

     The red orbital ring is shown in the picture above and the details of the rectrices are shown below.

     Putting all this information together we can confidently identify this bird as an adult (AHY) bird.

     You can see the mosquito bites on Ross' forearm above - the price bird banders pay for plying their craft at this time of the year. 
     We were able to identify this Wilson's Warbler (Cardellina pusilla) as a hatch year male based on the large, but mottled cap, and other plumage characters.

     It was very pleasing to be able to process a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (Empidonax flaviventri), a species we see infrequently. 

    Whether this species could have been identified in the field is open to question. Empidonax flycatchers are notoriously difficult when they are not singing and several species are very similar indeed. Compound this lack of vocalization once the breeding season has passed, with less than perfect light conditions, rapid movement high in treetops and the fact that the bird is smaller than most leaves, and identification sometimes verges on alchemy! One has to be content often with the designation Empidonax species.
     Take a look at these two pictures of Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga caerulescens) taken from my files.

Male

Female (picture from Internet Bird Collection)

     The minute white flash, along with other characters, enables us to confidently identify this bird as a hatch year female Black-throated Blue Warbler.
     In a female hatch year Nashville Warbler (Leiothlypis ruficapilla) the characteristic rufous patch on the head of this species is absent, as shown in the photograph below. The buffy eye ring is also diagnostic. 

     Bird banding is fascinating, challenging and very rewarding. Over time it contributes in no small measure to our understanding of the life histories of birds.
     Banders the world over are linked by a common passion and a dedication to helping the birds we love. For an excellent treatment of bird banding (ringing) in the UK see the excellent blog of my good friend Phil Slade  https://anotherbirdblog.blogspot.com

All species banded 1, 2 September: Black-billed Cuckoo (1), Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (1), Traill's Flycatcher (1), House Wren (1), Nashville Warbler (1), Magnolia Warbler (3), Black-throated Blue Warbler (1), Wilson's Warbler (1), Song Sparrow (3).  Total: 13 birds of 9 species.  
Retraps: Grey Catbird (1), Common Yellowthroat (1), Magnolia Warbler (1), Song Sparrow (1).