Last Week of Spring Banding!

Swainson's Thrush wants to
know what you're doing.
Photo by Barbara Logan.

(Tuesday 31 May) Banding Summary: 19 birds, 7 species


(Wednesday 1 June) Banding Summary: 12 birds, 5 species

On Wednesday, nets 27 and 28 were closed down with trammel issues, so I fixed those on Thursday. Net 18 was closed on Wednesday as well for a possible predation. I left it closed for both Thursday and Friday just so Mister Squirrel doesn't get any more ideas.

American Robin.
Photo by Barbara Logan.

It rained briefly and lightly around 7:00, and other than the clouds of mosquitoes, the day ran pretty smoothly.

(Thursday 2 June) Banding Summary: 15 birds, 7 species

On Friday, Aunt Judy was back at the station, and it was good to catch up with her! It got pretty windy later in the day, so we closed down nets 7 and 11.

Baby Gray Jay!

Cool/awesome/amazing bird of the day: BABY GRAY JAY. 'nuff said. We also had a male Rusty Blackbird and a Solitary Sandpiper at closing while a visitor was at the station. I love having awesome birds for visitors! ...when it's slow, I love having any birds for visitors, actually... ;)

*GLARE* Photo by Barbara Logan.

We age corvids (the family that includes jays, crows, ravens, and magpies) by the color of the inside of their mouths. Adults are the same slate-gray on the inside as on the outside. Babies' (and young-of-the-year that are out of their distinctive juvenal plumage) mouths are varying degrees of Barbie-pink on the inside. This guy was in full-on juvenal plumage (the solid dark gray), and his mouth was an embarrassing color of bright pink. In response to a texted photo, Virginia said he looked like a shoe-brush. I can only assume that this was in reference to his uber-fluffiness, not an actual resemblance.

Pink mouth!

Biting Cheyanna.

My volunteers bring me the best presents! ^____^

(Friday 3 June) Banding Summary: 14 birds, 12 species

Dayna wasn't feeling well and it looked like rain was imminent (it did rain about an hour later), so we cancelled banding on Saturday.

And now she doesn't want to leave!
Photo by Barbara Logan

During the summer, we operate on 5-day periods so we don't bug the brooding females and babies more than is necessary. This means that we'll band once within each of our 5-day periods, but not necessarily every 5 days. Our schedule will depend on Dayna's and my schedules for various other projects.

And so begins Summer banding... and Summer office work and net repair and various preparations for the craziness that is Fall banding!