International help at the marsh Nicole arrives from England

Oh sweet  Canada! Canada Canada!!

Introducing Nicole Blackburn form just outside of Manchester England 

The song of the white throated sparrow is often represented phonetically as  "Oh sweet  Canada Canada Canada !" But a very zealous border guard left poor Nicole almost missing her connecting flight from Toronto to north bay. Some how the phone call from border security to me as I was en-route to North Bay to pick up Nicole had the correct bounce off lake, trees, and rock and found my cell phone as I was travelling through Temagami country, the Bermuda triangle of cell service in the North. The voice at the end of the line  asking me  if I knew Nicole and why she was coming to Canada to band birds!!! After a five minute call of reassurances and that yes banding birds is absolutely an international endeavor  and that we are so excited to have Nicole our first international volunteer come to the marsh. And why would she want to come all the way to Canada to do what to birds??!!?? I was then informed that the delay may have caused Nicole to miss her connecting flight.  Good thing Nicole's lasting impression of Canada will not the broadcasting of" last call for Nicole Blackburn" as she dashed down the halls of Pearson International trying to connect to her jazz flight to north Bay. Always learning who would have known we were supposed to alert border securities  that the marsh was expecting a migrant from across the pond. We now know for next time .

white throated sparrow 1 of 6 we banded today

Nicole's first day at the marsh was a good one we were able to band 179 birds and she was able to get right inside the j trap and help us catch american tree sparrows and red winged blackbirds. The marsh seemed to be welcoming her everywhere as V's of Canada geese honked there hello's sand hill cranes  swooped over and even a curious bittern did a welcoming display for her . It is great to have Nicole here. She brings with her a lot of experience and has clearly been reading up on her birds as she already knows a lot of our boreal birds by sight. We are lucky to have her here for 5 weeks  and if the  numbers we have had so far are any indication we will really need her.  Nicole is being joined by another volunteer intern this time from London Ontario Barb Baginski will be joining us on Friday
Today we managed to catch our 876th american tree sparrow  which is pretty outrageous . Protocol banding begins May first and our first public weekend of banding will be may 6th so hopefully we will be able to introduce you to barb and Nicole and the j trap.  So welcome Nicole hope the rest of your time in Canada  is easier then your first hour!!

Nicole and a red winged blackbird an  after second year male  Nicole is an after 22 year old Zoology graduate. She went to "Uni" in Wales 

Nicole being encouraged by Curtis to cross the beaver dam

Chris Sukha has been so busy banding these days that this is pretty much the only view we get of him

Today's totals

140 American tree sparrows
25 slate coloured junco's
6 white throated sparrows
7 red winged blackbirds
1 purple finch

179 birds banded

A beautiful male american kestrel I banded Sunday evening