Today is the day for Diversity!

As I have said before, a day I am not at the banding station is one of the best dayssss… Oh well, here it is Saturday and I was at the Observatory's Diversity Conference and Mark is at the banding station getting bird diversity! One hundred twenty-seven new banded birds including 29 recaptures. Thirty-five species captured with these highlights for the day: Hairy Woodpecker, Kentucky Warbler, Red-breasted Nuthatch, four species of vireos, and a Lincoln Sparrow. What a day! This is the second fall season for us to catch a Kentucky Warbler. A nice male don’t you agree?!

Beach top species:
Blue-headed Vireo -9
Nashville Warbler – 6
Swainson’s Thrush – 5
Gray Catbird -5

Blackpoll Warbler -4

Main Inside top species:

Swainson's Thrush -15

Gray-cheeked Thrush -14

Blackpoll Warbler -10

Winter Wren - 7

Common Yellowthroat -5

House Wren -5

How about a quiz bird from the back?

What about this for a foursome! There are two vireos with wingbars and two without. Can you name them? There is the accented yellow spectacle on the White-eyed Vireo. Because it is a hatching year bird with dark eyes, the yellow stands out more. It is such a beautiful sight to see the vibrant yellow on the Philadelphia Vireo’s throat and breast. To catch nine Blue-headed Vireos is a prize for the day. The Red-eyed Vireo is also a hatching year bird with a dark eye.

And here is the front view. I am sure you all figured it out! It is a Black-capped Chickadee. It lacks the whiter tertial feathers (possess less gray than the Black-capped) of the Carolina Chickadee. Tomorrow may be a good day too! I am hoping!