Broadwinged Hawk Banded At Springbrook Nature Center

 For the first time in 26 years of banding birds at Springbrook Nature Center a Broadwinged Hawk flew into one of our mist nets and was captured immediatly and then banded and released.

This was pretty exciting for all the volunteers, most of whom don't get to see a hawk up this close.  Fortunately, volunteer Amber Burnete, who works at the Raptor Center, was present and very familiar with handling birds of prey. 

This turned out to be a Broad Winged Hawk that was only one year old, so a little inexperienced and may be why we captured it..  The eye color helps to determine the age, and has not turned to the brighter yellow af an older adult.

This hawk was very calm through the banding process, but wary of so many hands measuring and looking at feathers to determine its age.

 Here the band is being closed on the hawk's leg.  Now if this hawk is ever captured again we will be able to learn where it has traveled and how long it lives.

Here is the hawk being released.  the band can be clearly seen on its right leg.  If the hawk stays around Springbrook we will be able to see the band on his leg and know that this is the one we captured on Sunday, May 10, 2014.

The hawk was ready to go, and flew immediately into a tree nearby.  It shook its feathers out, and then flew back in the direction of the area where we captured it a little earlier.

Hope we see it again.

Bird Migration In Full Swing At Springbrook Nature Center

 At Sunday's bird banding activity at Springbrook Nature Center migrating birds were everywhere.  The early migrants have been held back by the wet weather and late migrants have arrived from the south, making a great opportunity to see them all at one time.

This male Northern Shoveler duck was swimming just off the boardwalk.

 This Yellow Rumped Warbler was also on the cattails seen from the boardwalk, along with many others.  The yellow feathers on his rump show where his name comes from. 

These little warblers are early migrants, and have usually flown further north by now, but are still very common in the park.  they will be gone soon

 This Olive Sided Flycatcher is one of only four caught in our nets for banding in the past 26 years.  His hooked beak is very normal for flycatchers.

He is posing here after he was banded and ready for release.  He seems to be less "olive" colored than others I remember.

 Here with his wings open there is just a hint of the olive color that gives him his name.

Being captured, banded, and released did not seem to frighten himt too much, as I saw him again back in the same area at Springbrook yesterday, two days after his release.

The Black and White Warbler below was just one of the 22 species and 73 individual birds banded on Sunday at Springbrook.