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Archived Postings

July 9, 2007 – July 15, 2007

This past week we’ve had a mid-July heat wave that has sent people either to the beach or to find some air-conditioning. It truly felt like summer. Although the 30 degree weather was hitting the bird banding station, our thoughts were not on summer at all; in fact they were on fall. We have started fall migration monitoring. No matter how early in the summer it seems, the birds are getting ready to migrate. So on July 12th we opened the mistnets and started our counts. There was some migratory activity as a small number of yellow-rumped warblers, Tennessee warblers, and yellow warblers were observed flying in a southerly direction. 83 birds were banded during the opening days of fall banding with yellow-rumped warblers, Tennessee warblers, and yellow warblers being the top banded species. Most of the birds we caught were juveniles; we will see more adults a little later in the season since it takes them a little longer to prepare for migration. In the first four days of fall banding we captured five new species for the year: a hairy woodpecker, downy woodpecker, pine siskin, cedar waxwing, and a brown creeper. Brown creepers are neat little birds. The LSLBO only catches one or two each fall, making them a good bird to band. They are a member of the tree creeper family and are the only species of that family in North America. Brown creepers are very distinct in their physical features, plumage, and behaviour. Overall they are a small bird, smaller than a chickadee. Usually found in deciduous habitats during breeding, they will spread out into different habitats over the winter – some have a limited migration, while some are year round residents. They live up to their name as a creeper as they will creep up the trunk of a tree to forage for insects in the bark. Their long slender bill helps grab those bugs in hard to reach places. To help with foraging, creepers have stiff tail feathers which they use as a prop. Woodpeckers have the same tail feather feature, which they use to support their bodies as they hammer away on trees. Brown creepers are difficult to find because they have an amazing camouflaged pattern. Their plumage is simply mottled brown, black, and white, but it is very effective. One of their defensive strategies is to flatten themselves on a tree, spread out their wings, and remain motionless. They’ll blend in with the bark and you’ll never see it. Although abundant, they are still one of those birds that people will make a special note of by saying “hey, I just saw a creeper.” The last half of July is a busy time of year for us at the bird observatory. Not only has fall migration started, but we are continuing with the MAPS breeding grounds banding. On some days we are banding at two locations at the same time. With the number of young birds around, things can unexpectedly turn very busy. It does not take long before 50 birds hit a single net without warning. To make matters more interesting, many of the birds captured are still in juvenile plumage, which makes identification a challenge. At times we have to pull out every trick in the book to figure out which species we’re trying to band. Thankfully, there is a book. This is another reason why brown creepers are great to catch. Not only do they provide some refreshing relief from banding 50 Tennessee warblers in a row, but it is an easy bird to identify.

2010