Friday, 20 May 2022

[cobirds] Bird Conservancy of the Rockies - Chico Basin Ranch banding station 5/20/22

Let me say if no one has ever seen a Swainson's Thrush. Today was the day to be near the banding station at Chico Basin Ranch. They were everywhere. m
Most of them were in good fat condition. I was very happy to see that especially since the storm is already dumping precipitation in parts of CO as I write this post. Let me just add that one of the values of bird banding is to mark a sample of the population in order that we can monitor it. It is true that these small birds with the bands on their legs do not get recovered very often away from where they have been banded. However, there are many things we can learn from the banded birds while they are in the area they were banded. How long they stay, what is their condition when they arrive and during their stay, are there more than one Black-throated Green Warblers in the grove by the banding station? or is there more than one White-eyed Vireo in the same area? Hmmmm.... if we did not mark the birds, how would birders or anyone know that the same White-eyed vireo they saw last week is the same one this week? And we caught the first White-eyed Vireo two more times and it increased its fat and weight each time! This information would not be gathered with a tiny transmitter that records its movements which is used for monitoring migratory movements in birds? It depends on the questions we researchers ask as to what method or equipment is to be utilized to gather the information (It also depends on the funding/expense of the equipment and budget). 
Today we banded a second Black-throated Green Warbler at the station. It was a female. Last week we caught a male. Eighteen species of birds were captured this morning.
Eastern Kingbird was the new species for the season.

124 New Birds Banded
American Redstart -1
Yellow Warbler -8
Black-throated Green Warbler -1
Western Wood-pewee -1
Willow Flycatcher -1
Lincoln Sparrow -2
Plumbeous Vireo -1
Western Tanager -2
Swainson's Thrush -99
Eastern Kingbird -2
Lark Sparrow -1
Bullock's Oriole -2
Gray Catbird -2
Spotted Towhee -1

4 Recaptures (Repeats- banded in previous days)
MacGillivray's Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
American Goldfinch
Brown Thrasher

Due to the weather the banding station will be closed tomorrow. Too wet and cold for birds to be netted. Sunday we will be out banding to see what the weather brought in.
Stop by and see us! First net check will be around 0630. The CFO convention is going on so enjoy the weekend!

Julie Shieldcastle
Spring?- is this spring...
Bird Bander
Chico Basin Ranch
Bird Conservancy of the Rockies

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