After not having any bird banding done in the yard last year due to the pandemic and the cancelling of any future banding due to funding issues with the neighborhood nestwatch I was pleasantly surprised to get a message from Sebastian a few weeks ago seeking permission to come by to band three target species in the yard for his research (Black capped Chickadee, House Wren and Northern Cardinal) being the three species). He and his intern arrived today at 6:15 with an assistant to set up the nets early to try to beat the heat from our ongoing heat wave. We set up a total of four nets and had them up before seven. The first half hour was slow with no birds and I was afraid the day was going to be a bust but the birds eventually showed. One net along the brook produced four Black capped Chickadees in one run with one recapture of a male originally banded in the yard in 2019 and seen on and off since (mainly in the winter coming to the feeders). No too long after we captured three House Wrens (with a few more still singing in the area). Over the next few hours we captured five more Black capped Chickadees. Unfortunately we had no luck with Northern Cardinals despite multiple individuals coming in close to the nets only to avoid them. Target species banded totaled three House Wrens and nine Black capped Chickadees which we all agreed was very respectable given the weather conditions. Sebastian will be returning again this summer for another round of banding and hopefully we will have good luck once again.
Beyond the three target species we captured a number of other non targets that were quickly extracted from the nets and released without being banded. I got photos of most of the non target species but not all. Non target captures included a Ruby throated Hummingbird, two Red eyed Vireos, two Tufted Titmouse, a Carolina Wren, two Gray Catbirds, an American Robin, a Chipping Sparrow and a Pine Warbler.
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