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Archived Postings

May 8, 2008 – May 14, 2008

Migration through the second week of May was less than spectacular. Migration passage was slow and banding was even slower. A few migrant songbirds passed over each day, which consisted of blackbirds, yellow-rumped warblers, tree swallows, American pipits, and chipping sparrows. These flocks were infrequent and in small numbers. However, chipping sparrows began to move in larger numbers as the week progressed. Daily banding totals averaged about 10 birds a day, which is disappointing because we would like to be at about 30 birds each day at this time of year. White-throated sparrows were the top species captured through the week. For a few days white-throated sparrows were everywhere. Wherever you looked there was a white-throated sparrow foraging in the leaf litter. We also witnessed some lively skirmishes between white-throated sparrows as males began to defend breeding territories. On one of these little battles, the two sparrows managed to bite each others wing. Neither was willing to let the other go and all they could do was roll around on the ground as they grappled. It was rather fascinating because it just seems fundamentally wrong to have birds rolling around on the ground. This is a fun time of year at the banding lab because new migrant species are arriving on almost a daily basis. We have seen our first least flycatchers, yellow warblers, black-throated green warblers, northern waterthrush, ovenbirds, blue-headed vireos, clay-coloured sparrows, and rose-breasted grosbeaks. The males of many of the wood-warbler species are dressed up in their breeding plumages; you almost forget just how brilliant these plumages are. We were fortunate to catch one palm warbler. Although male and female palm warblers have identical plumages in the spring, they are good looking birds and always a pleasure to be able to appreciate them up close while they are banded. Migration this spring seems to be a little delayed as compared with previous years. This is based on strictly on observations because it is still too early in the spring to compare any hard numbers. I remember days just before mid-May that were hectic trying to keep up with the birds that needed to be banded while trying to count the thousands of migrants flying overhead. That has just not happened yet this year. There has been speculation on why migration could be a little delayed this year. At the mid-point in May the leaves have not begun to emerge and Lesser Slave Lake is still frozen solid. A late spring could mean that the insects are slow to hatch, which would indicate a slow movement of insectivores, like wood-warblers. Southern portions of the province were hit with a major snow storm. That would be enough to delay some of the migrants. But, as mentioned, these reasons are just speculation as to why we are having a slow season up to this point. We are nearing the half way point of the spring migration season. Although the first half was less than exceptional, there is plenty of time for birds to migrate and plenty of more species expected to start arriving.

2010