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