Chico Basin Ranch Bird Banding Station Report- 5/30/2025

[Chicobander]

Interesting day with birds few and far between for most of the morning. The last net check produced 50% of our birds for the day. I did notice the winds had shifted to the SSE during the last round. No Wood Thrush singing or any other warblers than Yellows and a couple MacGillivray's around the Olive Grove.

Resident birds are defending territories and mates this time of the season; resulting in  some Yellow Warblers, Lazuli Buntings, House Wrens, and Bullock's Orioles getting caught in the net several times a week.

Most of the breeding bird recaptures and returns had maintained or increased weight from last capture. The Swainson's Thrush recapture did lose a couple tenths of a gram from its banding weight yesterday. It is probably why it was still hanging around the banding station today.

22 New Banded Birds

Yellow Warbler-1

MacGillivray's Warbler-2

Northern House Wren-1

Warbling Vireo-1

Western Wood-pewee-2

Lazuli Bunting-2

Lark Sparrow-1

Swainson's Thrush-12

4 Recaptures

Yellow Warbler-1

Swainson's Thrush-1

Indigo Bunting-1

Bullock's Oriole-1

2 Returning Birds- banded in previous seasons

Yellow Warbler-2

(one was a new return for the year and was originally banded last year. It as well as the other return today was at last 4 years old and flying).

Tomorrow is the last banding day of the spring season. We will open at Sunrise until @ 11 AM. Stop by and share your sightings with us. Remember to register on the Aiken Audubon website (https://www.aikenaudubon.com) for ranch access through June 2nd. Have a good day!

Julie Shieldcastle

Chico Basin Ranch bird bander

Bird Conservancy of the Rockies