Andrew’s Posting for Aug. 28th to Sept. 12th

The beginning of September was a slow period of migration with the local breeders already gone it is an interim period between the locals and the boreal breeders coming from further north. The weather was also not ideal with a few thunderstorms and some east winds slowing things down. The first Baltimore oriole f the fall was observed on the 29th as well as northern goshawk that was seen sitting a net when a volunteer checked net 3 but as the eager volunteer approached to remove this magnificent bird it flapped long wings and quickly freed itself and promptly flew south across Wingfield basin. A northern harrier and turkey vultures were also seen. The station’s second whip-poor-will was banded on the 30th. A Group of juvenile hooded mergansers have been hanging around the basin for the past weeks and the occasional mallard flies by but overall waterfowl have been almost absent. Red-necked grebes have begun to arrive on Dyer’s Bay in decent numbers as observed by volunteers Don Douma and Bill Hansen, with 60 the biggest number yet. Warbler diversity continued to be average with the usual early migrants banded including American redstart, Wilson’s warbler, black-throated green warbler, myrtle warbler and ovenbird among others. The first blackpoll warbler was banded on the 1st and good numbers were banded and observed on the 6th, 9th, 10th and 12th. On the 12th a flock of bay-breasted warblers and blackpolls was found in net 9 with 8 and 6 of each respectively. A scarlet tanager was banded on the 11th and a early slate-coloured junco was observed on the 9th. More than 100 cedar waxwings were seen flying on the 12th but only 2 were banded along with the first eastern-wood pewee of the season.

Andrew

Standard-to-date banding total 2013: 490

Standard-to-date banding total 2012: 556

1 Comment on “Andrew’s Posting for Aug. 28th to Sept. 12th

  1. Thanks for the hard work to you and the volunteers!

    It was wonderful to see the Yellow Billed Cuckoo at the open House!