Howdy all,
Today was not quite the busiest day and then it just died and got warm, so I
closed early.
The morning started off seeing my first CHUCK-WILL'S-WIDOW sitting on one of
the net poles this season. And then the on the first run of the morning, there
was one in our brushpile nets! Been interesting to look back on the data to
see how those (CWWI) have increased in recent years (either due to the trees
getting taller and thicker or that the population is getting bigger--or both).
Between 1963 and 2003 only 10 CHUCK'S have been banded at Kiptopeke. Since the
2004 season, we have banded 6. Interesting.
Also today we caught our first LEAST FLYCATCHER of the season.
But that was about it. Pretty dead, with few migrants around the park this
morning.
On a different note, I was sitting in the front yard yesterday evening (on
the Eastern Shore of VA NWR) and had a pretty good number of birds around. Best
bird was probably a WORM-EATING WARBLER. Which I was surprised to see 50 feet
up at the top of a tree. Other birds of note included 20+ BALTIMORE ORIOLES,
15+ ORCHARD ORIOLES, a few AMERICAN REDSTARTS, one BLACK-&-WHITE WARBLER, and a
SUMMER TANAGER.
Hummingbirds at the house are chasing each other all over the place. At best
count only four, however. All Ruby-throated.
Here are the totals for the banding station 8/19:
Prairie Warbler 1
Black-&-white Warbler 1
Least Flycatcher 1
Field Sparrow 1
Carolina Wren 1
Northern Cardinal 1
Northern Mockingbird 1
Chuck-will's-widow 1
TOTAL ---------------------- 8
Looks to be south winds tomorrow. So I am not expecting too much. Maybe that
Brown Booby will get up here! I missed it by about 24 hours. Oh well.
Cheers,
Jethro Runco
