August 31, 2012

Manomet Visit

We visited Patrick over at Manomet this morning where he's interning as a bird bander for the fall season. Though it has been fairly slow recently, we lucked out with some great birds today, including a couple of life birds for me. It was great to have caught more than a few birds while there because it was our sister's and his girlfriend's first time seeing a banding operation and it's always disappointing to have visitors, but no birds!

Black-and-white Warbler
IMG_0679

Brown Thrasher
IMG_0683

Chestnut-sided and Blue-winged Warbler
IMG_0677

Blue-winged Warlber. Check out that massive bill!
IMG_0676

Patrick, performing under pressure.
IMG_0669

Chestnut-sided release

August 27, 2012

A release

Saw this first year female Kestrel released yesterday at the East Leverett Meadow. It flew off very well after being reared in captivity from a chick, but we didn't get any release photos, as it was suddenly tossed into the air with no warning. But I'll be getting a lot of chances at those types of photos this fall I suppose...
IMG_2257

August 26, 2012

REVI

A resident Rey-eyed Vireo in the yard.
IMG_2229

IMG_2219

August 24, 2012

Orchard Hill

Checked out Orchard Hill over at UMass this morning after seeing couple of new yard birds, including Chestnut-sided Warbler and Chimney Swift.

Baltimore Oriole
IMG_2174

Least Flycatcher considering this bee
IMG_2195

But it escaped
IMG_2196

IMG_2179

August 23, 2012

Montague Plains

Checked out the Montague Plains today, the site of my very first field job back in '09.

Field Sparrow
IMG_2121

Found a few color banded PRWAs there.
IMG_2137

Pine Warblers around, looking confusing, and nice, like this guy.
IMG_2151

And a young boy COYE.
IMG_2144

August 22, 2012

Wickett Pond

Amanda, my dad and I paddled around Wickett Pond in Wendell, MA today.

The common Common Yellowthroat
IMG_2070

A quiet, distance Prairie Warbler, my first of the year
IMG_2099

Lots of Barn Swallows, though I was expecting Tree based on all the cavities surrounding the pond.
IMG_2097

Eastern Kingbird. I really haven't seen many of these, ever.
IMG_2040

The best bird for me was this Northern Harrier, which seemed to be hunting around the edges of the pond, catching frogs?
IMG_1988

IMG_1989

IMG_1990

IMG_1993

August 17, 2012

CO->MN->MA->VT

A Marmot, surrounded by hidden, chirping Pika near Crested Butte, CO!
IMG_1941

A depressed House Sparrow at a Minneapolis light rail station
IMG_1949

Red-eyed Vireo in Leverett, MA in July
IMG_1864

August 15, 2012

Balloons

We made it to Boston A O K.

We woke up to a hot air balloon convention outside of our tents near South Lake Tahoe a few weeks ago!
IMG_0627

IMG_0624

August 13, 2012

MN

In MN for a few days, then off to MA for a couple weeks and then up to Duluth for more birds!

PRBO[2012-08-01]DSC_5488

Very young Warbling Vireo
PRBO[2012-07-29]DSC_5442

Accidental photo on my worst day of the summer, Storrie 12
IMG_0571

Western Tanager laaaauuuunches



Audubon's Warbler

August 6, 2012

More released

A different view of the Sapsucker release


A Nashville release

August 5, 2012

Going back home to the EAST coast

PRBO[2012-07-29]DSC_5422

Orange-crowned Warbler taking off


A birthday creation and a creepy shirt.
The one and only field biologist & gourmet chef, Amanda Gallinat.  There are no words that describe the amazingness of those cupcakes.

Brent with his first hummingbird
PRBO[2012-08-01]DSC_5503

Steller's Jay release


Birds in bags. After taking them out of the nets we keep the birds in these bags until we are ready to process them.
PRBO[2012-07-29]DSC_5425

Rufous Hummingbird finally taking off



Photos by Alicia Arcidiacono

August 4, 2012

Meadow Banding

After a frantic week of camping, banding and packing, Amanda and I are out of the Sierras and prepping for our big trip east. High Sierra meadows are hot spots for dispersing juvenile songbirds this time of year, resulting in around 800 captures in four days, it was awesome.

Something I did not discover until this week was that my point and shoot has a super slow-motion video mode, result in what I think are quite sick videos of birds being released.

Black-headed Grosbeak launching



Red-breasted Sapsucker



Cassin's Vireo


Photos by Alicia Arcidiacono:

PRBO[2012-08-01]DSC_5505

Lindsey at our last meadow site
PRBO[2012-08-01]DSC_5475

PRBO[2012-08-01]DSC_5471

This is how I always look while taking birds out
PRBO[2012-08-01]DSC_5461