This week's VCE banding session on Mansfield was notable for how quiet the
ridgeline has become, much more so from even a week ago. Although cool
weather may have been partly responsible (temps in mid-40sF early on
Thursday), very few songs and calls were heard, with little evidence of the
expected family groups or roaming juveniles. Our total capture of 46 birds
was our lowest of the season. Several adults of various species were in
early stages of flight feather molt, so there may be less local movement
occurring now. No siskins or crossbills were observed, and I did not hear a
single Purple Finch. One red squirrel was noted, only the third this season.

Our highlight was an adult female Tennessee Warbler, the day's final
capture. This species is well known to be unusual among long-distance
migratory songbirds in undergoing a molt-migration, in which some adults
actively molt their flight feathers while migrating. It is thought that
many failed or non-breeders depart their boreal breeding grounds early and
begin molting at stopover sites, some actually continuing to migrate while
in active molt. The female we captured had not yet begun molt, but it's
likely that she will soon, possibly after continuing further south.

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher  1 adult female with regressing brood patch
Black-capped Chickadee  1 hatching-year bird
Red-breasted Nuthatch  6 -- adult male in mid primary molt, 5 free-flying
juveniles
Bicknell's Thrush  6 -- 1 new SY male, 1 return female from 2017, 4
within-season retraps
American Robin  1 new adult female
Tennessee Warbler  1 adult female with regressing brood patch; not yet in
flight feather molt. Photos
Blackpoll Warbler  11 -- 4  new adults in early primary molt (2 males, 2
females), 2 free-flying juveniles, 5 within-season retraps
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)  7 -- 4 new adults (3 males, 1 female), 3
free-flying juveniles
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)  7 -- 1 new female, 3 free-flying
juveniles, 1 return female from 2017, 2 within-season retraps
White-throated Sparrow  3 -- all new: adult male and female, free-flying
juvenile
Pine Siskin 1 new free-flying juvenile
Purple Finch  1 -- new adult female with regressing brood patch

With two additional banding sessions to come between now and early August,
we expect a resurgence of activity via local hatching-year birds and the
appearance of more non-local, post-breeding dispersers. There is bound to
be a surprise or two.

________________________

Chris Rimmer
Vermont Center for Ecostudies
PO Box 420 | Norwich, Vermont 05055
802.649.1431 x202
http://vtecostudies.org/

<http://vtecostudies.org/>


To post messages, send e-mail to:  [log in to unmask]
Set your e-mail application to PLAIN TEXT ONLY to post messages.
To contact the list owner:  [log in to unmask]
To unsubscribe:  E-mail this command to [log in to unmask]  UNSUBSCRIBE UV-Birders
To change your e-mail address:  E-mail this command from your old address to: [log in to unmask]  CHANGE UV-Birders [new e-mail address]

Web based archives and subscription management are available at:
http://listserv.dartmouth.edu/Archives/uv-birders.html