[cobirds] RMBO Fall Banding at Barr Lake

Hi CoBirders,

The Barr Banding Season starts officially this Saturday, August 30.  We will be open 5 days per week, closed Sunday and Monday, through Saturday, October 11.  (There will be some exceptions to this, the first exception being this first week, when, in addition to Sunday and Monday, we will be closed on Wednesday, 8/8).  We will be opening nets at 6:30 a.m., making our first net run at 7 a.m., and should have our first birds at the station by 7:15 or so.  We will close up most days between 11:30-12:00; somewhat earlier if it is really hot, cold, windy, etc. Come early for the best opportunities to see cool birds.  Most weekdays, there will be school groups arriving around 9, so if you come early you will also get a closer, more personal experience!

As many of you are aware, the water was very high very late into the summer this year.  As a consequence, the banding station area looks very different. (I've spent some time at Barr every year since 1998, and I've never seen this much change in the habitat in one year.) The net area up front near the road, where the grasses usually grow so tall that it's like a maze to walk through, is bare until the short willows start, and the willows in many locations are not as full as usual. The net array out closer to the water is much changed from previous years because trees and bushes have been uprooted and moved due to the water.  The smart weed is low and sparse.  

What difference will this make in terms of birds?  Nancy Gobris has been out training our seasonal banders this week, and we did training for RMBO Naturalist volunteers today.  Yesterday, they caught a grand total of 9 birds.  But today, we banded 81.  Half of them were Yellow Warblers plus lots of House Wrens (most if not all probably summer residents).  A few Chipping Sparrows, a Willow Flycatcher, Western Wood-pewee, several Bullocks Orioles, a Black and White Warbler.  Seem to be plenty of insects - we've needed our mosquito repellant!  Birds carrying nice amounts of fat, indicating good energy for their flights south.

So, we look forward to an interesting season, and invite you to come visit!

Meredith

Meredith McBurney

Biologist/Bander

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory

303-329-8091

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