28 September 2024
As I discussed in Meet the Baypoll, I visited Chicken Lab’s Hays Woods banding station on Tuesday the place I had up shut seems to be at warblers and thrushes. Stars of the display have been a bay-breasted warbler and a blackpoll captured in the similar mist web. I were given excellent footage of the bay-breasted warbler (Setophaga castanea) each back and front. I feel he’s extra complicated from the again.
Right here he’s along with his blackpoll pal.
Tuesday used to be a large day for Tennessee warblers (Leiothlypis peregrina). A minimum of six have been banded whilst I used to be there. They’re arduous to spot in autumn as a result of such a lot of of them are unremarkable immature birds with out the vintage darkish olive again and grey head of breeding men. For instance …
… and some other instance, although this one has a dismal olive again.
Throughout the banding procedure the bander lovers the chicken’s wings to search for its wing molt level, a technique for ageing the chicken. Right here’s an in depth have a look at a Tennessee warbler’s wing.
And in the end, Tuesday used to be additionally a large day for Swainson’s thrushes (Catharus ustulatus). Within the hand you’ll simply see the chicken’s figuring out characteristic, its buffy eye ring, however I used to be shocked by way of two issues I’d by no means spotted earlier than:
- Swainson’s thrushes have a two-tone beak. The decrease mandible isn’t as darkish on the face as it’s on the tip.
- Swainson’s thrushes are small birds, although better than warblers.
As I mentioned earlier than, in the event you’d like to peer birds up shut throughout fall migration, consult with Nick Liadis’ Chicken Lab web site and scroll right down to the record of 3 banding places — Hays Woods, Higher St. Clair and Dual Stupas in Butler County — with directions for contacting him to arrange an appointment.
Be told extra about Chicken Lab on Wednesday 2 October when Nick Liadis gifts Finding out Migration Throughout a Panorama Gradient: Chicken Banding in City, Suburban, and Rural Habitats on the 3 Rivers Birding Membership assembly at Beechwood Farms (and on Zoom).
Don’t omit to reinforce Nick’s efforts with a donation at Chicken Lab’s GoFundMe web site.