Thick with Birds and People

I am pretty, oh so pretty
Originally uploaded by makeupanid

We worked at Thickson Woods on the holiday Monday of the Victoria Day weekend and were visited by many people who came to us through Project CHIRP a songbird habitat initiative. Lots of people participated in putting up the nets, going on net runs and mainly observing the banding process. We had a fairly steady stream of birds but we caught our best birds in the last net run of the day (or should I say night?) it was getting pretty late, but we still hadn't heard the owl ;)

This Northern Waterthrush was the last bird we caught in the net-good looking isn't it?



The second last bird that we caught was the one that caused us the most trouble it was a Flycatcher......an Empidonax but what kind? It wouldn't honour us with a song while in hand. And it had a very, very green back-see



But after much measuring of the primaries, and using formulas to figure it out P10-P6, etc...., it was decided it was a Willow Flycatcher.

A birder came along to watch and we held it up and said what is it? And he laughed and said a flycatcher? Make it sing!