Date: 5/18/25 4:59 pm From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] Bird Banding field trip result
Thanks to Strickland Wheelock for this report.
Barbara Volkle Northborough, MA <barb620...>
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Date: Sun, 18 May 2025 12:50:41 +0000 (UTC) From: Strickland Wheelock <skwheelock...> Subject: Bird Banding field trip results
All week I feared a major storm to hit this past Sat [5/17] and what did we get at West Hill Dam in Uxbridge, nothing thanks goodness but excellent conditions [cloudy, mild, no wind or rain].What was a challenge also is not taking the time to stop and look at all the birds surrounding us singing away as we had to make our net runs on a timely fashion, extract all the birds, return back to the banding table to process them in detail, letting the participants see & enjoy all the fine features normally not seen in the field - then time for another net run to check the 10 nets.A few of the many species singing close around us Sat were several Prairie & Pine Warblers, Indigo Buntings, Baltimore Orioles, Scarlet Tanagers, Gt Crested Flycatchers, Brown Creepers, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks & many many more - was a Birding by Ear class as we walked between the nets.However we all were treated to several special captures - 1 male Magnolia Warber [stunning!!], pair of Northern Waterthrushes, 2 male Common Yellowthroats, 1 Willow Flycatcher, a 1st yr male Am Redstart next to a F Am Redstart [what a comparison side by side in the hand], 2 male Robins, 1 M Red-winged Blackbird, several Gray Catbirds & a female Hummingbird [just released at the net but everyone could see how small but beautiful this species is].We made only 3 net runs & closed by noon, had lunch and drove to Smithfield RI to have close looks at this male Prothonotary Warbler non-stop singing away off this trail.Nearby in the trees were a variety of warblers, vireos and other woodland birds for us to also enjoy.Back to Uxbridge to River Bend Farm to explore several of the excellent birding trails - highlights were the Blue-winged Warblers, Yellow & Blk-thr Green Warblers, m&f Orchard & Baltimore Orioles, m&f Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, many Common Yellowthroats, Cedar Waxwings, Am. Redstarts, Red-eyed Vireos - a wonderful ending to a productive day.This coming Sept 27th, we are going to do a fall Bird Banding class where we will have to deal with capturing, IDing & banding all the many fall migrants that descend on West Hill Dam - normally large numbers and a great variety of species.Next trip is this coming Sat 24th as we head to the Quabbin area [Woman's Federation Forest] & Skinner SP doing a Birding by Ear class in the field - goal is to hear & ID all the songs, then see the birds vocalizing in their habitats- the many species we should find would include Cerulean & Worm-eating & Blk-thr Blue Warblers [plus many others], several flycatchers [last trip we had Olive-sided Fly.], several thrushes, vireos, etc, etcAs always, great thanks to Leslie Bostrom, Dan Fournier and my excellent banding team to make this banding experience so successful for all the participants.
