Neighborhood Nestwatch 2018

House Wren being banded, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jun 7, 2018

House Wren, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jun 7, 2018

Eastern Phoebe with bands, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jun 7, 2018

Eastern Phoebe, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jun 7, 2018

Black capped Chickadees in net, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jun 7, 2018

Black capped Chickadee, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jun 7, 2018

The Neighborhood Nestwatch Program returned to the yard for the fourth year today to band a variety of target birds.  The banders arrived at 7AM and after a quick point count they started setting up the nets.  The first two birds to get captured were the nesting pair of House Wrens (including the female that was banded last year).  The next bird to fly into the nets was a Tufted Titmouse which was quickly released as it was not a target species and then there was a bit of a lull before another House Wren and an Eastern Phoebe eventually made their way to the nets.  There were a number of Gray Catbirds and American Robins (both target species) that just would not fly into the nets.  The most productive single net check turned up four Black capped Chickadees (a male and three females) all captured at the same time.  Overall the morning produced nine birds captured with eight of those target species (three House Wrens, an Eastern Phoebe and four Black capped Chickadees).  The previous three years have each produced eight new birds to be banded so this year was just one below with seven (plus the recapture of the House Wren banded last year).  The nets got closed for the morning around 10 so they could then wander the area around the house in search of previously banded birds for a couple hours. Their effort turned up a Black capped Chickadee and a Gray Catbird with bands in yards nearby.  No luck finding any of the three American Robins with the GPS packs that were captured and outfitted last year.  More about the program and previous years of banding can be found at the following links: 2017, 2016, 2015.

American Robin fledgling, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jun 7, 2018

Pine Warbler, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jun 6, 2018

White tailed Deer, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jun 5, 2018

Red Fox, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jun 3, 2018

The cameras around the yard continue to capture a variety of creatures including my first fledgling American Robin of the season and occasionally the Red Fox family plus other stuff.