Weather forecast for Monday night was rain with winds coming from the west. This can be ideal for seeing migrants at Possum Long. We banded on our regular Tuesday as well as Wednesday. Though winds stayed a little too strong for ideal capturing, we did manage to band 19 birds on Tuesday.
Very early on we caught a Swainson's Warbler - only our fifth. These are pretty secretive birds so it is always a pleasure to get one. This was our first during spring migration, the other four were banded in September or October.
Swainson's Warbler
Photo by Pete Grannis
We also banded a lot of Worm-eating Warblers - our highest day total of this species. Our highest year total was 5 and we tied that this day. Although these two species are similar in appearance, in hand one can readily see the different crowns and the much larger bill of the Swainson's.
Worm-eating Warbler
Photo by Jan Stanard
Twelve species of warblers were seen and 8 of those we banded. The others banded were 2 Northern Parula, 1 American Redstart, 2 Black-and-white Warblers, 1 Black-throated Blue Warbler, 2 Ovenbirds, and 1 Palm Warbler. Others seen were Black-throated Green, Cape May, Prairie and Yellow-throated.
American Redstart
Photo by Jan Stanard
Northern Parula
Photo by Jan Stanard
Black-and-white Warbler
Photo by Pete Grannis
Pretty much it was a warbler day with the other species banded being 2 Painted Buntings and 2 Gray Catbirds. We also recaptured 2 Blue Jays, 2 Painted Buntings, and a House Wren.
Wednesday was less of a warbler day but we did add another species. We banded a Northern Waterthrush. We added 3 more Worm-eating Warblers to break the year total. We banded a total of 11 birds - the above and 1 Painted Bunting, 1 American Redstart, 1 Northern Parula, 1 Black-throated Blue Warbler, 2 Ovenbirds, and a Blue-headed Vireo. Thirty birds in two sessions - a really good two day total.
Northern Waterthrush
Photos by Bill LaFramboise
Blue-headed Vireo
Photo by Bill LaFramboise
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