For the Love of Birds

On the morning before Halloween, the hedgerows and meadows of Rushton were teeming with migratory birds that had descended on the preserve in the pre-dawn chill.  Banders skillfully processed a rush of 60 birds in just the first two hours of opening; the sun was high by the time Alison and I finally had the…

Banders Seeing Purple

This is the time of the season when banders are beginning to grow weary as a result of having been up with the birds since the end of August, faithfully following the fall songbird migration—now coupled with the double duty of studying Northern Saw-whet Owls by night.  Though we are tired, I think we’ll all…

When it’s Cold Outside, I’ve Got the Month of May

As if we weren’t already a motley crew, banders donned their mismatch layers of winter coats, thrifted fleeces, alpaca fingerless gloves, and garish hats this week.  Mornings dipped into the 30’s, and although the sun was (actually) shining bright, the brisk autumnal wind kept the temps suppressed.   Banders and birders live for this  kind of…