Finally - Migrants!

I have been looking forward to this weekends banding since last weekend. I figured a week of cold fronts moving through should shake things up a bit and I was happy to see new species showing up finally.


The first bird of the day was a Lincoln's Sparrow and we took that as a good sign for the rest of the morning. I really like native sparrows and this species is a real gem. A skulker who is not seen as often as some sparrows we do catch a few every year as they pass through.


Another surprise was this Northern Waterthrush. A larger member of the warbler group and a bird usually seen around water, this individual was nice to examine in the hand.


Our smallest catch of the day was this Ruby crowned Kinglet. Manipulating this little female with my thick fingers was an adventure. We should have kinglets around for most of the fall and once in a while we'll have a few overwinter. Kinglets act as if they've had too much coffee. Getting them to sit still long enough for a good look is not easy.


The most colorful catch of the weekend was a male Nashville Warbler. The yellow almost glowed in the sunlight. We have not seen many of the later warblers like Yellow-rumps and only a couple of Palms but the Nashville Warblers and the Tennessee Warblers have been around in numbers for a while.


Dull fall Tennessee Warblers can be tricky sometimes. This species can show a lot of variability especially at this time of year and it often takes a second look to know exactly what you have in your hand. Young fall warblers are a test of every banders skills.