Chico Basin Ranch- Bird Conservancy of the Rockies

[Chicobander]

Today the crew cleared net lanes and set-up nets. We operated the nets for about 3 hours and caught 35 new birds. My favorite birds were captured in the net- Common Grackles! At least I had help with the big birds- They are not yellow- (Big Bird is yellow). :) Anyhow, the highlights for the day besides COGRs was an Olive-sided Flycatcher- such a large bill and it was great to compare size with the Western Wood-Pewee. A male MacGillivray's Warbler and a Northern Waterthrush graced us with their presence. An Ash-throated Flycatcher that was banded this spring is still hanging around the banding station. 

35 New Banded Birds

Western Wood-pewee-5

Dusky Flycatcher-1

Olive-sided Flycatcher-1

Wilson's Warbler-10

MacGillivray's Warbler-1

Northern Waterthrush-1

Northern House Wren-2

American Goldfinch-1

Lesser Goldfinch-1

Swainson's Thrush-1

Western Tanager-1

Brewer's Sparrow-1

Lazuli Bunting-1

Brown Thrasher-2

Common Grackle-6

1 Return

Ash-throated Flycatcher

The station will be open tomorrow around sunrise until noonish and closed on Sundays. If you wish to visit the banding station or bird the ranch you need to sign up on the Aiken Audubon website www.aikenaudubon.com . Note: I was told that after banding each day the goats from the ranch will have free run of the banding station. I imagine it won't interfere as it most likely will be after 1 PM when folks are to be off the ranch.

Have a good day and hope to see you out at the banding station.

Julie Shieldcastle

Chico Basin Ranch Bird Bander

Bird Conservancy of the Rockies