I spent a couple of hours yesterday morning at the beginning of the Mystery
Trail, hoping to add some birds to VCE's sample of color-banded Gray
Catbirds (GRCA) and Song Sparrows (SOSP) for our pilot citizen science
project. I managed to mist net and mark one male SOSP, but an unbanded male
of each species eluded me. We have now marked 18 birds at the site - 8 GRCA
and 10 SOSP. I observed 5 color band combinations without trying especially
hard (VCE's observations don't "count" for the project). SOSP were singing
actively, as most probably have nestlings or fledglings, while GRCA were
less vocal than 1 or 2 weeks ago.

There are plenty of birds there with color band combinations waiting to be
read! It's a fun challenge, and the data (entered on eBird
<http://ebird.org/content/vt/>) will be invaluable. Reports are beginning
to accumulate, and we're grateful to those who have taken the time and
effort to contribute. Read John Lloyd's detailed blog
<http://vtecostudies.org/blog/reports-of-color-banded-birds-are-rolling-in/>
about our results to date, and find out who has reported sightings to eBird.

We hope to hold another field workshop sometime during the next couple of
weeks, but in the meantime, get out there and find some bands! All birds
color-banded so far were netted in the first 2-250 yards of the site on
both sides of the small wooden bridge that drains the wetland.

Thanks from all of us at VCE.

Chris

P.S. I neither saw or heard any winged warblers out there yesterday, but
they could reappear anytime.

________________________

Chris Rimmer
Vermont Center for Ecostudies
PO Box 420 | Norwich, Vermont 05055
802.649.1431 x1
http://vtecostudies.org/

<http://vtecostudies.org/>


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