Sunday 28 April 2013

[cobirds] Ridgway Banding Wk 1

We have concluded our first week of bird banding and training at Ridgway State Park in Ouray County.  The purpose of this pilot project is to determine the best timing for spring banding at the park and to introduce key techniques to prospective volunteers and technicians.

Though migration is well under way in many parts of the country, the capture rate this week was very low, suggesting that future spring banding should be initiated later in the season.  Over the course of five days of banding, we caught 15 new birds and 2 that already had bands.  The weather was mostly mild, and there is no snow on the ground in the park.  However, nights are cold and plants around the station have yet to leaf out.  My guess is that the capture rate will pick up once the food source (insects) and shelter (leaves) increase.

The new birds caught were:

Western Scrub-Jay: 2
Mountain Chickadee: 4
Ruby-crowned Kinglet: 2
American Robin: 4
Song Sparrow: 1
Lincoln's Sparrow: 1
Dark-eyed Junco (Gray-headed): 1

The previously-banded birds were:
. A Song Sparrow originally banded by Meredith McBurney in 2008
. A Song Sparrow banded by me last fall

Noteworthy species observed in the area include Osprey, Violet-green Swallow, and Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's).
--
Amber Carver
Black Canyon Audubon Society
Montrose, CO
(310)483-5721

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