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.

Waterloo Region Nature Walk along the Mill Race Trail, St. Jacobs, ON

22 May 2019

     I was privileged on Wednesday to lead a walk for Waterloo Region Nature, surely the best little nature club in the world!

     A good-sized group of participants gathered to enjoy a couple of hours'  birding with the promise of coffee and goodies at the half way point.

     The morning was decidedly cool, as it has been most of the spring this year, but we set out along the trail in high spirits to see what we could find.

     It is a modest 1.5 km hike to the village of St. Jacobs, with the Mill Race on one side of the trail and the Conestogo River on the other.

     Everywhere is leafed out now and pleasantly green.

     But it was pretty quiet and there was not a great deal of bird life in evidence. It was about as devoid of activity as I have ever found it to be on the Mill Race Trail.
     This bench was new to both Miriam and me, obviously donated by some citizen who has an attachment to this place. I am sure it is welcomed by many as a place to sit and take in nature for a while, but today was a little too fresh for lingering on a bench.

     One species that is predictable, in good weather or bad, is Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) and we were not far along in our peregrination before we were joined by these friendly little birds.

     Someone had brought some bird seed and was willing to share with others; to feed a chickadee is a moment of happiness whatever one's age.

     A Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) was perched on a branch over the Mill Race.

     Our merry group ambled along the trail, enjoying the outdoors despite the paucity of birds.

      
     Don Thomas managed to capture an image of an Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) which for the most part remained partially hidden, but Don was quick on the shutter finger when it perched briefly in the open.

     Wildflowers were in abundance and Marsh Marigolds (Caltha palustris) formed carpets of yellow in some of the wet areas.

     If I am not mistaken this flower is Wooly Blue Violet (Viola sororia).

     There is no mistaking Large-flowered Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum), a flower familiar to every Ontarian; since 1937 it has been the provincial flower.

     We spotted an Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) but quite far away and unwilling to come a little closer.

     Ground Hogs (Marmota monax) are fattening up on the newly emerged vegetation and are no doubt finding the succulent green shoots much to their liking.

     The familiar American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) showed itself periodically, but even this common species was not as ubiquitous as one might expect.

     By the time we arrived at the end of the trail everyone was looking forward to a coffee and their choice of sweet snack. The Eco Café, always our favourite hangout, has interesting options for people to try.

     Miriam and I each had a coffee and split a delicious tea biscuit. For several it was their first visit to the Eco Café and all pronounced it very agreeable and worthy of a return visit.
     One of the first birds we saw on our way back along the trail was a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) stalking its prey in the Conestogo River.

     At this time of year most of the Mallards (Anas platyrynchos) one sees are males. The females are busy incubating eggs or taking care of recently hatched young. The males take no part in such activity as a general rule.

     Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) is guaranteed to please. The male especially is very handsome.

     But the female is not devoid of charm either.

     The vivid crimson of a male Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) was an  agreeable burst of colour on a cold and dreary day.

     We had been hearing Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) quite frequently as we walked along the trail, but until almost the end of the walk had been unsuccessful in spotting one. And even this one didn't do us the courtesy of coming in for a close shot!

     Despite the relative paucity of species we all had a great time and enjoyed each other's company, I know we will do it again.

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.