198 new bands of 24 species, 32 recaps. New species: Orange-crowned Warbler and Eastern Towhee. White-throated Sparrow was bird of the day, with 68 new bands. It was another iffy-weather morning at BBBO. We checked the radar and opened the nets, then made our first net check. There were birds in the bushes, birds in the field, birds on the paths . . . but very few birds in the nets. On the second net check, I made it past 7 nets with only a bird or two to show for it. It was puzzling! The birds were out there, but they weren’t hitting the nets! I had just said to myself that it was going to be an unfortunately slow day . . . and then I saw net 40. Obviously, I had spoken too soon. Net 40 was full, net 60 was full, net 70 was full – there were birds everywhere.
Luckily, the staff worked like a well-oiled machine . . . and the oil was supplied by our teen banders, who willingly stepped in to roll bags, hang clothespins, scribe, band, and even capture hippoboscid flies for a research project. At the end of the morning, we were just shy of 200 birds. A young Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was a treat, and we all melted every time someone held up a junco.
A young Towhee gives us a little attitude!
One of the last warblers to come through in the fall – an Orange-crowned Warbler.
Update: I spoke too soon again. Our Research Assistant opened the nets late this afternoon. Today’s totals now stand at 221 new bands of 24 species, with 33 recaps. Bird of the day is still White-throated Sparrow with 83 new bands.
