an amazing week to review

Sometimes you just need a weather event to help you catch up and today afforded us exactly that.  We had to shut down early due to high winds which has allowed me to get some  much needed time  to catch up on the blog and let folks who are interested a chance to see what we have been banding at the marsh. So without much fuss here we go with numbers and photo's

first  warbling vireo since 2008 5th record for station

may 26th

3 ruby throated hummingbirds
1 least flycatcher
3 chestnut sided warbler

comparing Philadelphia vireo on leftt with warbling vireo on right 

7 magnolia warbler
1 Nashville warbler
2 mourning warbler
8 common yellow throat
2 northern water thrush
4 yellow warbler
2 Canada warbler
2 black and white warbler
1 blackpoll warbler
16 american redstart
19 Wilson's warblers
8 alder flycatchers
2 Philadelphia vireo's
1 warbling vireo
3 red eyed vireo
1 chipping sparrow
2 Savannah sparrow
2 swamp sparrow
2 Lincoln sparrow

Canada warbler sadly an Ontario species at risk

5 veery
1 swainson's thrush
1 eastern king bird
2 gray catbird
3 red-winged blackbird
2 common grackle
1 rose breasted grosbeak
1 yellow shafted flicker
9 american goldfinch


116 birds
29 species

Siddd with a blackpoll warbler 

May 27th

first yellow bellied flycatcher a true denizen of the boreal forest

2 ruby throated hummingbirds
10 magnolia warblers
10 chestnut sided warblers
1  yellow rumped warbler

female  blackpoll warber 

23 wilsons warblers
40 american redstarts
1 northern parula
1 Tennessee warbler
1 Nashville warbler
12 yellow warblers
17 common yellow throats
3 least flycatcher
2 yellow bellied flycatcher
14 alder flycatcher
6 blackpoll warbler
3 Canada warbler
2 mourning warbler
1 ruby crowned kinglet
3 Philadelphia vireo
1 bay breasted warbler
1 red breasted nuthatch
1  swamp sparrow
1 Lincoln sparrow

ovenbird

1 song sparrow
1 Savannah sparrow
1 white throated sparrow
2 ovenbird
5 red eyed vireo
3 veery
2 swainson's thrush
1 downy woodpecker
2 american robin
3 gray catbird
4 red-winged blackbird
1 common grackle
1 blue jay
7 american goldfinch
2 white crowned sparrow

192 birds
38 species

Sidney with a female blackpoll warbler

May 28th

find the three species

3 ruby throated hummingbirds
1 magnolia warbler
2 chestnut sided warbler
7 yellow warbler
1 mourning warbler
7 common yellow throats
2 blackpoll warbler
1 Canada warbler
1 northern waterthrush
1 ovenbird
13 american redstart
18 Wilson's warbler
3 least flycatcher
12 alder flycatcher
1 Philadelphia vireo
1 swamp sparrow
1 Savannah sparrow
1 white throated sparrow

male northern shoveller in flight note motus tower in background to the right of the shoveller

2 veery
2 swainson's thrush
1 downy woodpecker
1 red-winged blackbird
1 american goldfinch

83 birds
23 species




May 29th  data at banding  shed

first cedar waxing
 32 birds




May 30th


3 ruby throated hummingbirds
8 chestnut sided warblers
1 Tennessee warbler
4 mourning warbler
7 common yellow throats
1 northern waterthrush
1 blackpoll warbler
2 Wilson's warbler
22 american redstarts

it's a goose!!!

1 least flycatcher
13 alder flycatcher1 ruby crowned kinglet
3 Philadelphia vireo
3 red eyed vireo
1 swamp sparrow
1 white crowned sparrow
2 veery
1 cedar waxwing
1 grey catbird
6 red-winged  blackbird
1 blue jay
6 american goldfinch

91 birds
22 species

may 31


1   Tennessee warbler
3   chestnut sided warbler
2   common yellow throats
1   yellow warbler
1   yellow rumped warbler
10  alder flycatcher
1    chipping sparrow
1    nelson sparrow

Chris Sukha with our 4th nelson's sparrow for the marsh. They must like when chris is at the marsh because he has banded 3 of the 4 we have captured  and banded so far . Hopefully chris is here next spring !!!

3    red eyed vireo
4    cedar waxwings
1    american robin
2     red-winged blackbird
12    american redstart
1      Wilson's warbler
1      american goldfinch


47 birds
16 species

sunrise at the marsh sure beats winter !!!!

blog or sleep??? Sleep always wins!!!

Without  an internet connection at the marsh and rising so early in the morning  to band while trying to maintain a fairly sane life with family and  and getting basic things done while ignoring a lot of other important tasks sometimes life just gets in the way. i guess the advantage that some banding stations have is that people are  at a remote station and the only thing that happens at these stations is  the operations of the station. washing bid bags fixing walk ways,  doing retrap data, entering banding data etc. So the challenge for us is we have a life away from banding as well so  that is my juicy rationalization for not keeping up on the blog. So here we go with another three days of  banding.  One of the reasons i want to keep people with an interest in what we are banding  up to date is that some researchers are scratching their heads about this migration and wondering where all the birds are so perhaps these updates will shed some light for other researchers. Or at the very least a friend who checks out the blog told me she just likes seeing the pictures of new birds we have been getting at the marsh and she would never waste he time reading  the blog. The best part is that it is safe to write that because I know she wont read it .  Time to catch up ,here is what we have been up to. .

amigo " represent" the bird  nerds 

Monday may 23rd

1 ruby throated hummingbird
1 Nashville warbler
1 chestnut sided warbler
2 least flycatchers
1 northern parula
1 magnolia warbler
1 yellow warbler
7 common yellow throats
1 mourning warbler
1 yellow rumped warbler      

oven bird 

3 american redstart
2 wilson's warbler
2 swamp sparrow
1 song sparrow
1 purple finch
1 Savannah sparrow
4 veery
1 swainsons thrush
1 white throated sparrow

2 downy woodpeckers
3 gray catbirds
5 red-winged blackbirds
1 white crowned sparrow
11 american goldfinch
26 pine siskin


26 species
84 birds

eastern king bird 

Tuesday may 24th

1 ruby throated hummingbird
3 chestnut sided warbler
2 Tennessee warbler
2 least flycatchers
1 magnolia warbler
3 yellow warbler
2 black and white warbler
1 palm warbler
9 common yellow throats
1 mourning warbler
10 american redstart
5 wilson warbler
2 yellow rumped warblers
1 chipping sparrow                                      

Sidney with her first eastern king bird  I told her i was only taking photo of bird !!!!

2 Philadelphia vireo
4 american gold finch
2 white crowned sparrow
3 Savannah sparrow
2 Lincoln sparrow
1 swamp sparrow
1 white throated sparrow
3 veery
1 swainsons thrush
1 eastern king bird
1 gray catbird
1 rose breasted grosbeak
2 red-winged blackbird
2 american robin
1 common grackle

29 species
70 birds

clay colored sparrow 

Wednesday  May 25th

2 ruby throated hummingbirds
1 least flycatcher
7 alder flycatchers
11 magnolia warblers
5 Nashville warblers
1 northern parula  ( which is a warbler in case anyone is looking it up)
8 chestnut sided warblers
1 Tennessee warbler
5 yellow warbler
8 common yellow throats
2 mourning warbler
2 palm warbler
1 northern water thrush
1 black and white warbler
15 american redstart
4 yellow rumped warbler
1 clay coloured sparrow  ***** only the 5th ever for the banding station ******
1 song sparrow
1 Savannah sparrow
1 Lincoln sparrow
3 swamp sparrow
9 american gold finch
1 pine siskin
2 purple finch
2 veery
1 downy woodpecker
1 rose breasted grosbeak
1 gray catbird
8 red-winged blackbirds
2 american robin

33 species
129 birds

Reed with clay coloured sparrow 

Now i can go to bed !!!! Soon we will talk about the photo below  to tired ....zzzzzzzz

very exciting development  for the hilliardton marsh stay tuned for more to come .....

time to catch up and relish the migration

We have had a great three days  as the numbers will show  warbler numbers overall are still quite low for season averages but we are getting a lot of  siskins and goldfinches. We had a couple of school groups and we have had a lot of great people coming out to help. All we can do to encourage these folks is show them some great birds  and promise them some weariness after getting up so early. The weariness is often replaced with adrenaline as they get to see some very beautiful boreal birds  up close and personal. They also get to help out in the research we are doing and help steer kids away from nature deficit disorder which can be a challenge to say the least. Here are the totals for the last three days  some pretty neat results for sure . We also managed to retrap a catbird from 2010 which was quite exciting !!

8 year old catbird  a veteran of many gulf of mexico crossings 

May 19th

Magnolia warbler 2
Nashville warbler          2
common yellow throat     2
black and white warbler      1
black throated blue warbler    1
palm warbler        2
yellow rumped warbler         8
Wilson warbler               2
american redstart            1
american gold finch             10
purple finch                            1

swamp sparrow             6
Savannah sparrow 1
song sparrow                    3
Lincoln sparrow           1
white crowned sparrow    8
white throated  sparrow   6
chipping sparrow              1
least flycatcher                        2
red-winged blackbird         6
american robin        1
veery         2
grey catbird           1
tree swallow           1

71 birds
24 species

female and male rose breasted grosbeaks . We discovered the male was much more eager to bite than the female 

May 20th    a very big day



Nashville warbler      7
Tennessee  warbler    1
chestnut sided warbler       4
magnolia warbler 4
orange crowned warbler      5
palm warbler      8
common yellow throat    8
yellow warbler      2
yellow rumped warbler     7
american redstart    4
wilsons warbler   10
ruby crowned kinglet   2
Lincoln sparrow      5
song sparrow      2
white throated sparrow      12
white crowned sparrow    9

kerns public kids enjoying  the grosbeaks 

swamp sparrow   12
Savannah sparrow  1
purple finch  1
american gold finch    30
pine siskin 46
blue jay 1
rose breasted grosbeak   3
veery     3
red-winged blackbird     6
downy wood pecker  1
tree swallow    1

196 birds
27 species

interesting tail colour on this after second year male redstart Chris and I have never seen this before 

May 21st


magnolia warbler   1
Nashville warbler    4
yellow warbler       3
common yellow throat   8
palm warbler       3
yellow rumped warbler    6
american redstart     5
Wilson warbler     6
 winter wren  1     ***** first one banded since 2009
least flycatcher   4
alder flycatcher   1
Savannah sparrow       1
swamp sparrow 3
Lincoln sparrow 3
white crowned sparrow  4

Gabe Neill learning to band  with help from Chris Sukha

song sparrow    1
white throated sparrow  1
pine siskin    18
american gold finch 24
tree swallow    1
brown head cowbird     1
grey catbird          5
rose breasted grosbeak  1
yellow bellied sapsucker   1
American robin     1

108 birds
26 species

first winter  since 2009

visitors from the Kirkland ;lake  horticultural club

Waiting for the lilacs to bloom

everyday we check the weather and look for any signs that the push will be on. So far any interpretation we have done has failed and now we are left with all sorts of  denial and rationalizations  explaining why we our nets are not full of warblers.  Well we are still catching orange crowns  and palms warblers. Well we have not had much rain. Well they have not been getting much down south and on it goes.

Sidney is always thumbs up fr a challenge 

     




We did get our first  Wilson's warbler  and Sid  did get bit very hard by  rose breasted grosbeak so that must have been to get her attention that the wave will be here very soon.

Sidney still with a smile 

Having said that we are catching a fair number of birds  and we are getting a lot of interesting retraps  but we are waiting for the wave .  maybe as soon as the lilac blooms  yes that is it when the lilac blooms  we will have more birds!

Lilacs not in bloom!!!

May 17th totals


yellow rumped  warbler               4
Nashville warbler                        6
Wilson's warbler                         1
common yellow throat                2
palm warbler                               4
blackburnian  warbler                 1
orange crowned warbler             3
northern water thrush                 1
least flycatcher                           2
ruby crowned kinglet                 3
swamp sparrow                          3
Savannah sparrow                      4
song sparrow                              3

white crowned sparrow            17
white throated sparrow              6
slate coloured junco                   1
american goldfinch                    7
 downy woodpecker                   2
rose breasted grosbeak               1
red-winged blackbird                11
common grackle                          1
american robin                             1
hermit thrush                                1

22 species
85 birds

'

Gee  and Chris with our second blackburnian of the spring 

May 18th  

Reed with our 3rd  rose breasted grosbeak of the year early signs  are that we might have another good spring for these beautiful birds when we first started banding at the marsh these were cause for great excitement . While they still create a buzz due to their beauty and attention deserving bill. They have become an expected capture for the season. Perhaps another indicator of a changing climate.

Sid entering retrap data

A huge job of every banding station is entering not only current banding data but looking up retrapped birds . We have been getting some very interesting  retraps which I will expand upon on another blog. It is a huge job and we are lucky to have someone who can embrace the challenge with a smile a celebrate birds that have migrated only to have rediscovered the marsh. Thanks and well done Sid. Between her and Chris we have almost caught up on retraps and birds we have banded this year.  Thanks for all of the fine work I really like the feeling of being caught up. It is really new to me !!!


Totals for May 18th  another good day and more palm warblers  another sign that the wave is yet to come !!!!!


Nashville warbler                           4
palm warbler                                  10
orange crowned warbler                 4
common yellow throat                    3
yellow rumped warbler                   7
northern water thrush                      1
american redstart                             2
Wilson warbler                                2
ruby crowned kinglet                      3
least flycatcher                                4
Savannah sparrow                           3
swamp sparrow                               2
Lincoln sparrow                              4
song sparrow                                   1
white throated sparrow                  10
white crowned sparrow                  25
red-winged blackbird                       6
common grackle                               1
american goldfinch                           9
purple finch                                      3
rose breasted grosbeak                     1



94 birds
21 species



bird is the word

The banding century club

The birds were active under windy conditions  again at the marsh. We have wind again forecast for tomorrow but conditions are improving  and Wednesday could be ideal conditions.

we were able to band 109 birds today representing  23 species   and welcomed some new arrivals and were able to band a few birds that have been back but had not wandered into the nets. New arrivals included  common yellow throats , northern parula, Savannah sparrow, and yellow bellied sapsucker . We were also very happy to host our first school group of the year form Englehart public school. If teachers or parents would like more information about booking a class to come to the marsh  for fall banding they can visit the marsh website  at www,thehilliardtonmarsh.com to find out more information.

first common yellowthroat of the year

The bring rush of warblers is just around the corner the next birds we are looking for are wilson's warblers  and swainsons thrush and the vireo's and alder flycatchers are just days away then we will be very busy indeed. As it was banding  109 birds and over 20 retraps kept us hopping . While the majority of birds were banded last year we did have three birds banded in 2014 and 3 from 2013. the 2013 birds were  an american goldfinch banded  may 17th  (missed its anniversary by 1 day!)  a female red-winged blackbird banded  may 11th  and a swamp sparrow banded on may 14th another 1 day miss!!  Retraps are such an outstanding way to view the impact that a home in the boreal has for these hardy migrants  it screams  the importance of habitat in a landscape the is becoming more fragmented all the time.  Thankfully there are so many that value places like the hilliardton marsh and continue to help support us in this important research and education we are doing . We appreciate your support   and we thank all of the volunteers that help us every day.

Sid with a yellow bellied sapsucker 

Today's totals

Nashville warbler                        5
northern parula                           1
common yellowthroat                2
black and white warbler             3
palm warbler                              5
yellow warbler                           2
orange crowned warbler             1
yellow rumped warbler             19
american redstart                         2
least flycatcher                            2
song sparrow                               1
Savannah sparrow                        1
Lincoln sparrow                             2
white crowned sparrow                  9
gambles white crowned sparrow    1
white throated sparrow                   3
yellow bellied sapsucker                 1
red-winged blackbird                      11
European starling                              1
common grackle                               2
american robin                                  2

Reed  with the first  common yellow throat of the year the next two had bands  one was banded may 26th 2015 and the other  September 25th 2015. They we all caught in the same net check which made the discovery even cooler 

109 birds

23 species

our bander in charge Chris Sukha banding his first hummingbird of the season

bird is the word

The boreal forest welcomes it babies back but the boreal is cold!!!

So here is the thing, a neo-tropical migrant which means a bird from central or south America has no idea what is happening in the boreal forest when they feel the urge to migrate. The trigger to migrate  researchers agree is the length of daylight, also known as photo period.  When the photo period first pushes  the migrants to move there is snow or at least frost in the ground in the boreal. They forsake the bounty and warmth in the south for the promise of  bugs, black flies and mosquitoes in the north. Today instead of finding  easy pickings for insects they found  snow !!! When one considers the  risk of migrating the fact that we get birds returning  back to the marsh each year with numbered  bracelets proving their were banded here  is truly incredible. So welcome back boreal babies  and hopefully your timing is right and you see easier days ahead to glean all the protein you can get from black flies and mosquitoes, we have lots to share!! We insist!!

male blackburnian warbler  also known as the firethroat

Today we welcomed back some beautiful boreal breeders.  I imagine that every banding site has a few nets that banders just have to shake their heads about. For us it is three nets we call the back corner but I want to rename the boreal corner as the nets are situated in a corner not to far from our banding lab that we fondly refer to as the bird house. The boreal corner is incredibly inconsistent  and sometimes can go most of the day without catching anything then suddenly yields  a bird of huge interest and excitement. Often extractors do not even want to go back there as it is often seems  fruitless. I love going to those nets because  they often reward me with rarities. Today  was no exception and I returned to the birdhouse with a big grin . These nets only had birds on  2 checks but on the first check it had 2 cape may warblers and a blackburnian warbler all within a towel length of each other!! We never catch these 2 species in big numbers so anytime we can band these boreal beauties we are always excited. Love the nets in the  boreal corner!!!

male and female cape may warbler 

Despite high winds we managed to have a good morning and only opened nets that are sheltered from the wind . We did not have enough people power to run the river nets as well so  our numbers could have been  a little better. Tomorrow is  still supposed to be windy but Tuesday is looking good . We are still waiting for a lot of migrants to arrive so we can be patient but we know we have some big days ahead of us . Here are today's totals

male blackburnian warbler could not resist a second photo

american goldfinch                  11
pine siskin                                 1
red winged blackbird               18
common grackle                        2
white crowned sparrow             7
swamp sparrow                         1
chipping sparrow                      2
white throated sparrow             1
Nashville warbler                      3
cape may warbler                     2
blackburnian warbler               1
orange crowned warbler          1
palm warbler                            3
yellow rumped warbler         14
ruby crowned kinglet                 1



15 species
68 birds

Giselle  and Ron  with a male and female Cape may Warbler

Thanks to volunteers Ron Judd and welcome back Giselle Bradley !!

Past Terra student Taylor showing his friend  Stephanie how to hold her first bird 

In addition to the banding at the marsh Joanne  was able to band our first ruby throat of the year at our Dawson point site I think she has plans to band at kerns tomorrow ....lucky kids . Well done Joanne.

Bird is the word!!

banding at the marsh on the global big day

Today is a big day for birders around the planet.  Today is the day that birders  get out and count as many birds as they can and submit their checklists to ebird. Ebird is a data base portal that compiles checklists from birders around the world  and in time will allow researchers  to gain great insight into the patterns and general health of bird populations. Anyone can  participate in this data base  all that is needed is a computer or an ebird phone app and you are ebirding.

rusty blackbird species at risk for Ontario nice catch on global big day

Today at the marsh we were excited to have the chance to band before the rains hit and we  were rewarded with a nice parade of warblers  and the arrival of some birds from the tropics. Perhaps the most beautiful bird of the day was also the most painful. A beautiful rose breasted grosbeak that had an appetite for my fingers. Well worth the pain.

beautiful after second year  male  rose breasted grosbeak

here are our totals for the day

white crowned sparrow                13
white throated sparrow                 2
veery                                             1
pine siskin                                    1
american goldfinch                       1
purple finch                                   1
american robin                              1
red-winged blackbird                    15
rusty blackbird                              2
northern waterthrush                     1
yellow warbler                             1
orange crowned warbler               1
Nashville warbler                          11
black and white warbler               1
palm warbler                                6
yellow rumped warbler                10
rose breasted grosbeak                 1

total birds 78
total species  17


this was our highest species total for the year but we could have banded more birds but dd not have enough extractors to run all of our nets

second northern water thrush of the season

good movement of nashville warblers today in french they call them grey cheeked warblers

comparing  second and after second year female  red winged blackbirds 

first  black and white of the year

Emilie with the first yellow warbler of the year

this chipping sparrow was banded last year on may 10th almost exactly a year ago







Bird is the word!!!