Bander-in-charge:
Marcel Gahbauer
Assistants: Shawn Craik, Barbara Frei, Gay Gruner, Greg
Rand
Notes:
It was a bit milder this week, and we were able to band on both
Wednesday and Thursday. Numbers were not overwhelming, but we did
have several interesting birds all the same. Redpolls were again
dominant, and among the ten we banded were three "coppertops" - birds
with a predominantly copper-orange, rather than red, crown. Black-capped Chickadee
numbers have declined a bit from their winter peak, but remain numerous.
New arrivals this week
included a nice flock of 19 Cedar Waxwings on Wednesday, and a
snow-white Hoary Redpoll at the feeders (and flying easily over the net)
on Thursday. A few American Robins and the first couple of male
Red-winged Blackbirds have arrived, but overall signs of spring remain
quite limited, and with a good 20 cm of snow left over much of the site,
it's no surprise.
Let nobody say that we don't
treat our feathered visitors well! This Black-capped Chickadee,
originally banded at MBO on October 28, 2005, was recaptured this week.
An early season
fly was buzzing about inside, and on a whim we held the chickadee
nearby; it didn't
hesitate long before snapping up the fly. (Photo by Marcel
Gahbauer)
