Sad event

A window kill is always a sad event. This evening, much to my surprise, the victim was a male prothonotary warbler. There are some small swampy areas near our home. For the last couple of years I’ve heard a male sing from the swampy areas and occasionally I would spot a bird. A few weeks ago I banded one; not this bird. Now I know that there were at least two males in the area. Just wish I had not found out this way.

Mr. Bubbly

An unrecognized bird song outside your kitchen window is unexpected. After ten minutes of tracking the singer through windows I finally saw the bird. A slim brown wren like bird and it was not a Carolina Wren. After I’d grabbed binoculars and a bird book I had my id – a House Wren. Now I hear house wrens are very common but I’d never seen or heard one on ‘my patch’.

In a year or two I’ll know if the same phenomena has occurred with house wrens as has with song sparrows. In former years when I went birding in the western part of NC fellow birders looked at me a little strangely when I did not recognize a song sparrow’s song. Well song sparrows were not around my patch and I only heard them if I traveled. In the last two years the situation has changed. I now hear song sparrows and I certainly banded enough of them this winter.

So where did the name Mr. Bubbly come from? Most days I hear that enthusiastic bubbly song from the house wren as it moves around its territory. Mr. Bubbly is just ... appropriate.

There are two of them. Twice two birds have gone into a mist net together. Yesterday I confirmed that the birds are indeed a pair (brood patch and cp). I’ve not spotted a nest yet but I’m watching. As for next year ... I’ll have to wait and see if house wren is now part of our resident flock.

Butterfly ids

May 4th was a sunny day and I saw at least 4 species of butterflies out by the house. I feel confident of ids on 2 of them; not as positive on 2 others. Just as with birds I can look at a butterfly with a distinctive feature but the only entry I find in an id book doesn't quite match and the butterfly is rare to boot. That is what happened with me for the golden-banded skipper. Here are the 2 I'm sure about.

Common Buckeye

Variegated Fritillary

Blue Grosbeak returns

Today was my first banding session under the MAPS program for summer 2008. Rain cut short the session. The highlight was a Blue Grosbeak recapture. I banded this bird on August 4, 2007 shortly after opening this banding station. As my banding of summer only birds was limited I am very pleased with this returnee.

The first photo is of the bird today. Back in August the bird had a small extension (extrusion) on its beak but there is no sign of this now. I compared the photos of the bird's wing. Just look at how much the greater coverts lose edging color by August. The first photo is from today and the second is of the same bird last August.