Kentucky Warbler graces us with her presence today!

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Winds were light out of the southeast when entering the marsh. However, soon thereafter the winds came off the lake as predicted. This brought another day of banded White-throated Sparrows. Regardless it was a sunny beautiful day to take it easy and enjoy what birds were here. Some days the birds are so numerous that we cannot enjoy the birds and admire what colored feathers make up a bird. Let’s say for example this Rose-breasted Grosbeak where it has tiny black feathers surrounding the eye. If it were a Nashville Warbler the feathers around the eye would be white. Most field marks are feathers arranged in a certain way. I find that fascinating! Note the brown primary coverts signifying a second-year male. He will look sooo much better next year!

We netted 61 new birds and 25 recaptures including 10 species of warbler ( Nashville, Yellow, Myrtle, Black-throated Green, Western Palm, Prothonotary, Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush, Kentucky, and Common Yellowthroat). Twenty-two species captured with 76 species observed at the site.

Kentucky Warbler-female

Top 5 species:
White-throated Sparrow -11
Myrtle Warbler – 8
Yellow Warbler – 7
Gray Catbird -7
Ruby-crowned Kinglet -4

This male Prothonotary Warbler is another returning bird to the site! Notice that their breast feathers are not totally yellow but white with yellow tips.

Winds are to shift to the southeast tomorrow and then to the southwest on Thursday so I would say call off work on Thursday and Friday and go birding! However, do not tell the boss I said so!