And the winds bring birds...

It was another beautiful morning at River Point.  Cool morning temperatures and clear skies brought a swath of birds to the property. We enjoyed banding a suite of sparrows including Lincoln's (2), Swamp (6), White-throated (6), and Song (8 plus 2 already banded). One highlight was a Brown Thrasher, only our 8th at the station but our second of the season.

We also shared our work with students of the Chebeague Island School. What a flock of interested and capable young people. It was a true pleasure to meet the students, teachers, and chaperones. Thanks to Beverly Johnson for coordinating this visit. The nets did not produce a kinglet but they did produce a timely male Sharp-shinned Hawk, our third of the season but the first male.

Brown Thrasher, 9/25/2015, Photo by Dana Palm

More tomorrow, I guess.  Oh and here is the tally of the 84 birds in the nets for the day thanks to Stella Walsh:

2 Ruby-crowned Kinglets

1 Magnolia Warbler

1 Blackpoll Warbler

5 Common Yellowthroats

2 American Goldfinch

17 Black-capped Chickadees (many already banded)

1 Dark-eyed junco

6 Swamp Sparrows

2 Lincoln's Sparrows

6 White-throated Sparrow

10 Song Sparrows

2 Red-eyed Vireos

11 Swainson's Thrushes

1 Veery

13 Gray Catbirds

1Brown Thrasher

1 Sharp-Shinned Hawk

1 White-breasted Nuthatch

2 Downy Woodpeckers

We were all third graders once

Tomorrow we look forward to hosting a group of elementary students from Chebeague Island, Maine at River Point Bird Observatory. As a banding crew we always find a great deal of enjoyment in sharing our activities and observations with guests even if things can get a bit hectic at the banding station. Among our favorite guests are third graders. Third graders generate some amazing questions about the birds that we are examining at the station. They also possess a growing competence and raw curiosity that serves as a great reminder of what it is to be a human.

With a cold front passing through this evening we hope for a good diversity of birds to share with students so they can form these questions, experience new birds, and develop a passion for the natural world. Tonight we'll brush up to be ready for the tough questions and reflect on our own third grade experiences. If all goes well perhaps we can show them the kinglet of the birds.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet 

Three Flickers, Two Days, One Migration

Three Flickers, Two Days, One Migration

This past Tuesday and Wednesday (9/22 and 9/23) were busy banding days at River Point as Fall migration continues to bring many wonderful birds our way. White-throated Sparrow, Swainson's Thrush, Red-eyed Vireo, and many varieties of warblers were among the species we are now beginning to see at River Point. To our surprise, it was the northern flicker, which attempted to steal the spotlight from the fall arrivals. In two days, three Yellow-shafted Flickers managed to find their way into our nets. Having banded 15 individuals in the last 5 years at River Point, seeing three in two days is representative of the big push that many species are making this time of year. We look forward to seeing what is in the nets tomorrow!

                                                     

Note the black "mustache" or "malar streak" indicating that this flicker is a male!

Photographs and post by Drew Fortin, 2015 BRI Banding and Education Intern.