[va-richmond-general] MAPS OPENING DAY DGAP-27 May 2012

Great day at Dutch Gap last Sunday. Temperatures were probably the warmest we have seen so far this year but weren't too hot till closing time. Nets were open at 5:30 am and closed at 11:30. We netted 33 birds, 3 were released or escaped at the nets (Carolina Wren's aka Houdini's and a Ruby-throated Hummingbird). Our MAPS' program dove-tails right into the DGAP Prothonotary program, we netted 5 Prothontary's on Sunday; 2 unbanded males and 3 recaptures. During net set-up earlier in the week we had a great show by a Black Rat snake that was not at all timid and was quite the climber. Many birds singing in the canopy that we would like to see come down to the nets i.e. Yellow-throated Warbler, Summer Tanager, Yellow-Billed Cuckoo, Acadian Flycatcher and Orchard Oriole.

Here's the tally of our day:

Brown Thrasher (2)

Indigo Bunting

Carolina Chickadee

Northern Cardinal (7) 2 recaps

Prothonotary Warbler 5 (3 recaps)

Carolina Wren 14 (3 recaps)

Here's a few images from set-up and opening day. 

Julie Kacmarcik and the MAPS team