RMBO Chatfield Banding Station, 5/4 and 5/4

[meredith]

Rainy weather does not seem to have brought in more birds, and those at the station seem to be hunkered down. We've been open briefly and early, before the mid-morning showers have started, and have supplemented our efforts at the station nets with the nets at the feeders at the Nature Center.

One very cool capture today - a lovely young female NORTHERN PARULA!  Oh, and a recapture of note - a male White-breasted Nuthatch, banded in 2007!

Here's the breakdown from the past 2 days:

Downy Woodpecker 1

White-breasted Nuthatch 2 (1 male - see note above - and 1 female in breeding condition.  Probable pair.)

House Wren 2

Northern Parula 1 (see note above; only second ever at station)

Spotted Towhee 1 (banded 2014)

Gambel's White-crowned Sparrow 7

Mountain White-crowned Sparrow 1

Red-winged Blackbird 1

Brown-headed Cowbird 1 (banded 2012)

House Finch 1

We will be open daily,weather permitting, through May 31, EXCEPT for May 8-9. We will be opening nets at 6:30, and should have the first birds back at the station by 7:30. We will close by noon most days; earlier if it is too hot. On most days, you will see more birds if you come early, and will be more likely to avoid crowds. On weekdays, we have school groups visiting every day, and they usually arrive at the station sometime between 9:30 and 10 a.m.

Meredith McBurney
Chatfield Banding Station
Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory