High pressure trickles in some birds

What a difference a night makes! Calm winds brought in some birds to the beach ridge. Fifty-five new birds and 3 recaptures is quite a difference from the past several days and I will take it! Highlights today were Wilson’s Warbler and a Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Eight warbler species were captured today plus a Yellow Warbler was observed on site. The warbler species captured were Magnolia, Black-throated Blue, Black-and-White, Ovenbird, Common Yellowthroat, Wilson’s, and Canada.

Quiz bird for you:

Top seven species:
Magnolia Warbler – 13
Ovenbird – 4
Red-eyed Vireo – 3
Gray Catbird – 3
Wilson’s Warbler – 2
Northern Waterthrush – 2
Common Yellowthroat -2
Warbling Vireo - 2

We also caught another bird wearing a wet suit! Here he is! It is a running joke at the banding station. A volunteer said Cedar Waxwings look like they are wearing a wet suit since they are so slick looking! This waxwing is a male with a very black throat patch. Here is a picture of the whole quiz bird. Does this help any? Notice no tail spots that is a hint (It is not a Yellow Warbler)!

You can see a faint shadow of a gray cap. Hmmm... The male would have a black cap. Are you getting closer to the correct identification of this bird? This is a female Wilson's Warbler! She is so tiny, yet she has traveled several hundred miles from the boreal forests of Canada and is headed for southern Mexico, Yucatan Peninsula, south to parts of Panama. We wish her a safe journey!