Kentucky Warbler.  Photo by Cory DeStein

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Tonight while you lay in bed before falling into the arms of Morpheus, picture an unrelenting stream of thousands of tiny wings beating feverishly in the moonlight, flowing steadily northward with thousands of wild eyes and hearts set on the stars and mysterious Earth forces to which we could only dream of being attuned.  Migration is now on, full speed ahead, and our nets are finally averaging 40 birds a day as of this week, which is much more satisfying than the 10-bird days we were having previously this spring.  Better come see the rainbow before it disappears!

Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Photo by Dustin Welch.

Banding Schedule

Our last bird banding days for this spring are tomorrow May 16, Saturday May 18 and next Tuesday May 21.  Visit anytime between the hours of 6am and 11am.  Rushton Woods Preserve and Farm is located just across the street from 912 Delchester Road in Newtown Square, PA.

Before you come, check out this cool Birdcast website for the regional migration forecast.  It uses new computer models to determine real-time migration intensity in our area and where fallouts are possible on any given day during migration.

Female Common Yellowthroat before release. Photo by Blake Goll.

Family Day Open House This Saturday May 18

Willistown Conservation Trust’s Youth Birding Program Honored By Delaware Valley Ornithological Club (DVOC)

Great news!  This spring, we were awarded the annual Conservation Fund by DVOC, one of the oldest and most prestigious birding clubs in the nation.  Most of these funds are raised as part of DVOC’s participation in NJ Audubon’s World Series of Birding, but other donations towards this award come from people like YOU who care about building the next generation of conservationists by getting youth outside learning about birds, science and nature.  Please consider contributing to the Trust’s life-changing youth educational programs by clicking here for DVOC’s  Conservation Fund donation form.  Every little bit helps us connect more kids to nature.

Win Schafer banding a Black-and-white Warbler for school group. Photo by Blake Goll

Rushton Spring Migration at a Glance

The number of birds we are banding is just now starting to catch up to the number of young students we have been serving this spring!  School groups who have come to learn about the science of bird banding, see our feathered beauties up close and understand the importance of land conservation have included: Agnes Irwin 2nd grade, Goshen Friends Elementary, Saint James School of Philadelphia, Westtown-Thornbury 2nd grade,  Westtown 1st grade, and Harriton High School.

Ageing a Common Yellowthroat by primary covert feathers. Photo by Blake Goll.

High School intern with Tufted Titmouse before release. Photo by Blake Goll.

As for birds, this week we were thrilled to have spectacular Magnolia Warblers, Canada Warblers, Black-and-white Warblers, a breeding Yellow Warbler, and Wood Thrush  join our bread and butter catch of Song Sparrow, Gray Catbirds, White-throated Sparrows, Veery,  Common Yellowthroats, Ovenbirds and House Wrens.

Other banding highlights so far these past few weeks have included a Prairie Warbler, a White-eyed Vireo, a couple of Hermit Thrush, generous servings of Field and Swamp Sparrows, Eastern Towhee and a few Yellow-rumped Warblers.

The here-to-stay Indigo Buntings’ bright emphatic songs and Orchard and Baltimore Orioles’ flamboyant whistles monopolize the air at Rushton now so that we must strain our ears to hear the songs of the other migrants including Northern Parula, Black-throated Green Warblers, Kentucky Warbler, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Blue-winged warblers, Red-eyed Vireos, Warbling Vireos, Swainson’s Thrush and even a Prothonotary Warbler deep in the riparian woodland.  However, all of these tricky songsters have evaded our nets so far this season.

Prothonotary Warbler. Photo by Mike Rosengarten.

I’ll let these pictures do the rest of the talking so I can start thinking about heading to bed.  The 4:30am rise time comes awfully soon, even for us banders who live for the spellbinding migratory procession of moonlit wings and golden feathers…It’s the stuff of dreams.

Prairie Warbler preening. Photo by Mike Rosengarten

Female Black-throated Blue Warbler. Photo by Mimi Davis.

Saint James student with White-eyed Vireo. Photo by Nat Hamilton

Saint James students observe Northern Cardinal. Photo by Nat Hamilton

Veery being released. Photo by Nat Hamilton.

Field Sparrow. Photo by Justin Thompson

Child overcoming her fears to touch a Veery. Photo by Blake Goll.

Child sold on birds and conservation! Photo by Blake Goll.

Adult male Magnolia Warbler. Photo by Blake Goll.

Female Yellow Warbler. Photo by Blake Goll

Baltimore oriole. Photo by Dustin Welch

Spring beauty. Photo by Mike Rosengarten

There’s a lot going on in the woods,

Blake

Saint James students with Box Turtle shell in Rushton woods. Photo by Kelsey Lingle.

Snowy Egret. Photo by Mike Rosengarten.

Join John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge friends and supporters on Saturday, May 11, 2013, to celebrate INTERNATIONAL MIGRATORY BIRD DAY! Activities highlight the spectacle of bird migration and the life cycles that guide our feathered friends across multiple countries, diverse habitats, and perilous migratory journeys.

American Redstart. Photo by Mike Rosengarten.

It’s been an unusually cold, sluggish spring and with all the rain these past few days, our total banded bird count for the week is just four so far!  In anticipation of a great migration tonight, with  southerly winds finally persisting and small fallouts occurring across the state, we will open the banding station tomorrow May 10.

Feel free to visit us anytime tomorrow at Rushton Woods Preserve during normal business hours, 5:30AM-11AM, to  get your back-ordered shipment of birds!

Blake

Ruby-crowned Kinglet derriere. Photo by Mike Rosengarten.