May 1997:

23 May: Two more Yellow-breasted Chats have been banded, one each of the last two days. This brings our spring total to four...pretty unusual. Wednesday's (21 May) bird was also seen yesterday. Two Solitary Vireos banded yesterday were late, as was an American Black Duck being harrassed by Mallards. A Prothonotary Warbler was singing by the north end of the lake. Also on Wednesday was a late cormorant, a late Rusty Blackbird, a Northern Mockingbird gathering nest materials, and a possible Kentucky Warbler. Tuesday (20 May) we saw two Golden-winged Warblers, two Whippoorwills, a Cerulean Warbler, and a Black Tern.

19 May: The face of migration changed a bit today, with most of the Yellow-rumps and Palms moved out but higher numbers of redstarts, waterthrushes, and Wilson's Warblers. Highlights today included another Yellow-breasted Chat banded, and a Hooded Warbler.

18 May: After waking up to a Bay-breasted Warbler, Scarlet Tanager, and Northern Parula in my backyard, I decided to head up to work to see what was around. It was an excellent day, with the highlight being a male Blue Grosbeak in the old field near Henry Ford Community College. I was alerted to an unfamiliar call note and saw the bird as it flew in and teed up on the top of a sapling. It sat for 6 - 8 seconds, then took off. I tried to follow it, but was unable to relocate it.

The bizarre migration continues, with Ruby-crowned Kinglets staring at Mourning Warblers and asking, "Who the heck are you?" Yesterday (17 May) we also had our first Blackpoll Warblers and Eastern Kingbirds. A late Common Loon flew over, and still lots of White-throated and White-crowned Sparrows and a few towhees. Recaptured 13 warblers banded earlier in the week...very unusual!

Friday (16 May) we had our first Tennesee Warbler, overshadowed by a morning of banding that shattered all previous records with 120 birds. Nothing odd, except we netted a Barn Swallow. It was just hectic beyond belief.

Finally, from 15 to 17 May, we had an albino Yellow-rumped Warbler. All the yellow was present, as well as some black smudges, but it was mostly white. It kept close to the ground, and the yellow-rumps with it were not too friendly. Allen Chartier managed to get some pictures.

14 May: A singing male Worm-eating Warbler was found today, we've had one three of the last four years. Other new arrivals were Eastern Wood-pewee and Cape May Warbler. Two Whippoorwills calling this morning. Nice injection of Black-throated Blues today (even had 3 in my yard); another Golden-winged and two Blue-winged Warblers, but we still seem to be at least a week behind.

13 May: We seemed to have gotten a bird shipment last night, with high numbers of Yellow-rumps, B&Ws, and Palms in particular. The only new arrival was a Yellow-throated Vireo, but we did have a living Whippoorwill calling at dawn, remembering his dead comrade in my yard.

Productive day banding with several warblers banded the last few days recaptured today, all gaining weight. Especially nice was the Northern Waterthrush banded 7 may that has gained nearly 4 grams. As other researchers have discovered, some migrant species (NOWA was mentioned specifically) are territorial on migration stopovers. Our data seem to be bearing this out, as we release birds about .25 mile from where we net them, and they have 300 acres to disperse to. It's a wonder we recap any at all.

As for returns, both a Song Sparrow and Gray Catbird returned for their third year; the catbird was born here.

12 May: Scarlet Tanager, Golden-winged Warbler. The Yellow-breasted Chat banded 7 May is still hanging around. We also recaptured a color-banded Wood Thrush from last year, a male banded as part of our study, he's back on the same territory. On the same run, we got back a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak that is at least 7 years old, we've gotten him the second week in May for the last 4 years. Congrats to these two Neotropical migrants for making successful journeys!

10 May: Grey-cheeked Thrush (where are the thrushes?!), Red-eyed Vireo, Blue-winged Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, one Orange-crowned Warbler banded. In the good news/bad news department, the best migration count bird was a Whippoorwill in my yard. Unfortunately, I found it post-mortem, courtesy of the neighbor's cat.

9 May: Indigo Bunting (banded), Warbling Vireo, Black-throated Blue Warbler

8 May: Two Cerulean Warblers, Prothonotary Warbler.

7 May: Treat of the day was banding a Yellow-breasted Chat. Other new arrivals were Northern Waterthrush, Common Yellowthroat, Chestnut-sided Warbler, and Lincoln's Sparrow. Had a Rose-breasted Grosbeak at my feeder yesterday.

6 May: Yesterday's Cerulean Warbler was still present today. Notably increased numbers of Yellow-rumps, B&Ws, and more White-crowned Sparrows than I've seen in years. New arrivals were Wood Thrush, Green Heron, Great Crested Flycatcher, Blackburnian Warbler, and Ovenbird. A Blue-winged Teal was on the lake, and Allen Chartier spotted a female Northern Harrier over the meadow, our 5th record. Our token Red-headed Woodpecker of the year few over as well.

5 May: Cerulean Warbler, Gray Catbird, Nashville Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Least Flycatcher, Yellow Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, maybe that darn Northern Goshawk again, Spotted Sandpiper
 
 

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