Veery and Yellowthroats Return on Time

The morning started well enough and then fell flat right at 9 AM. No real good explanation. There was a circling Cooper's Hawk near the end of the lanes but birds just went silent all along the river. Weird.

However, right on schedule, we caught our first Veery of the season right after dawn.



Also arriving in numbers were the Common Yellowthroats. We caught many this morning and others were seen and heard along the river.



Among the birds that we captured, we also netted a Green Darner dragonfly. Dragonflies and beetles are often caught up in the nets this time of year and we do our best to release them unharmed.



Down in the Morning Glory area near Net 14, the insects were showing up in large numbers. Some of the prettier finds were Tiger Swallowtail...



...Long-tailed Skippers on the Spanish Needles...



...another skipper...



...and a Scarlet-bodied Hawk Moth which we first found last year and is seen this time of year feeding on certain plants along the lanes.



We are still capturing Northern Waterthrushes at the end of the lanes like this one.



Got another Northern Cardinal and a new juvenile Carolina Wren to round out the day.



Our final photo is of a fern we found just beyond the net lanes. If anyone knows the species, please let us know!



Next up on the schedule should be buntings. Last year we were sighting and capturing Painted Buntings during the week of the 25th. Plenty of food waiting for them!!
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, September 25th.

All nets will be opened by 6:45 A.M.