Chico Banding Station Update 9/30

[Amanda Ziegelbauer]

This morning started out so slow we were worried that we wouldn't hit double digits! Several birds were caught at 830am, however, and there continued to be a steady trickle of birds throughout the later morning, thanks mostly to flocks of Juncos.

Also caught today was the first pileolata subspecies of the Wilson's Warbler. This season has brought hundreds of the chryseola subspecies, which are the first group of Wilson's Warblers to migrate, and have recently been discovered to be on the decline. The pileolata subspecies, which are a less yellow-orangey version of the Wilson's Warbler we've been seeing, was a great catch for the morning, and an interesting bird to show the 2nd graders that visited today from Pikes Peak School of Expeditionary Learning. The group also enjoyed seeing the noisy after hatch-year robin caught at the end of the day.

The tally for today:

1 Hermit Thrush

1 American Robin

2 Orange-crowned Warbler

4 Wilson's Warbler

1 Lincoln's Sparrow

1 Gambel's White-crowned Sparrow

13 Oregon Dark-eyed Junco

Amanda Ziegelbauer

Bander

Chico Basin Ranch Banding Station

Bird Conservancy of the Rockies