This morning marked the second visit from Sebastian as he came by to band three target birds in the yard as part of his PhD project (the three target species being House Wrens, Black capped Chickadees and Northern Cardinals). The first day of banding occurred back on June 8th and we caught quite a few target birds with three House Wrens and nine Black capped Chickadees caught and banded as well as quite a few non target birds caught and released...we missed on Northern Cardinals but they were very close to the nets but just did not get caught. Sebastian arrived a little before 7am and we quickly got the nets set up. The conditions looked good with overcast conditions, light breezes and temperatures in the 60's to start with rain not forecast until later in the day (it stayed dry almost the entire time with nothing more than a few sprinkles. The last several yards had apparently been quiet for them and I was certainly concerned we would not get a lot but I had faith as I have had multiple examples of the target species around the yard recently. Given the date of late July most birds are done nesting and are not nearly as territorial as they are in spring and early summer and therefore less likely to be attracted to recorded calls and songs. The first species we got for the morning was a Common Yellowthroat which was only the third warbler ever caught at the house with both previous individuals being Pine Warblers (one in June this year and the other in 2019). Not too long after we caught a Tufted Titmouse as well as a single Black capped Chickadee and then a House Wren (unfortunately the House Wren managed to escape before the color bands got attached but the federal aluminum band did make it on him). It was looking like it might end up being a slow but at least somewhat productive day and then it really picked up with a check of the nets along the Jabish Brook producing another Black capped Chickadee, a Song Sparrow and three Gray Catbirds. It then got really busy with the net along the brook producing an impressive seven Black capped Chickadees and three Red eyed Vireo (this was the first time a net at the house produced a double digit count of species in a single net run). As the birds were being extricated out of the net I took a quick look at another net on the other side of the yard and this one had four more Black capped Chickadees in it! The next hour or so was very active with removing birds from the nets and then banding them (with some of the birds really tangled up badly in the nets). Our fear of the day being a slow one was thankfully proven wrong. Although we missed on Northern Cardinal again and the single House Wren escaped before getting color bands we did get to band 13 Black capped Chickadees. This now makes for four banded House Wrens and 21 Black capped Chickadees banded as part of his project (plus at least a couple more banded chickadees continuing from earlier banding days as part of the Neighborhood Nestwatch program). We first started banding birds in the yard as part of Neighborhood Nestwatch in 2015 and then continued in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. Last year got cancelled due to both the pandemic and lack of funding. Unfortunately the lack of funding for the Neighborhood Nestwatch continued this year and the project was stopped. Thankfully Sebastian needed a number of yards to conduct his research and banding was on again for this year.
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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| Bander about to release adult male Ruby throated Hummingbird, Whately, MA, August 4, 2012 |
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| Bander measuring bird Whately, MA, August 4, 2012 |
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| Bander measuring bird Whately, MA, August 4, 2012 |
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| Bander measuring bird Whately, MA, August 4, 2012 |
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| Hanging feeder trap, Whately, MA, August 4, 2012 |
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| Feeder trap, Whately, MA, August 4, 2012 |
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| Yard where banding took place, Whately, MA, August 4, 2012 |
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| Yard where banding took place, Whately, MA, August 4, 2012 |
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| Distant shot in haze of American Kestrel, |
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| Turkey Vulture, Silvio Conte NWR, Hadley, MA, August 4, 2012 |
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| Red-tailed Hawk, Arcadia meadows, August 4, 2012 |
