more warblers!

As eagerly expected by all birders in eastern North America, the ever-so-striking warblers are back from their tropical winter haunts, brightening the fresh new green of our woods with their multiple colours! Every spring brings the same excitment and awe as our northern latitudes are being filled by feathered jewels like the warblers. I could not imagine being ever blase by the sight of a Blackburnian on a pine bough or a Magnolia in a sun ray or even the common and probably looked-over Yellow-rumped Warbler! They are all beautiful in their own way!

Now, 23 species of warblers have been detected at Cabot Head! The most unusual for the station was the Prairie Warbler, but the most striking was the very high number of Palm Warblers seen and banded!

It seems this year that the earliest warblers (like Yellow-rumped and Palm) move through the area a little later than usual, with huge movements in early May instead of late April. But the rest of the migration appears more normal, with the second week of May being very good for all warblers. Weather was particularly cooperative during this week for us, banders, more than for birds: we had a few days with some rain, fog, or overcast conditions, which are always good to ground migrants. And thus to observe and catch them! As a consequence, banding was very good for 3 days in a row when birds were forced to spend more time on the grounds.

But spring is not all about warblers. Many, many other species are fascinating and provide a quickening of the pulse. One great excitment, followed by a sudden disapointment, was the capture of a Broad-winged Hawk! However, being the first and only ever caught at Cabot Head, there was no band for it!! It was heart-broken for all the banders present (the Volunteer British Force and myself) to let go this magnificent bird without a mark of some sort!

Among new species for the season were Baltimore Oriole (date of first sighting: May 9), Rose-breasted Grosbeak (May 11), Ruby-throated Hummingbird (May 9), whip-poor-will (May 8), Clay-coloured Sparrow (May 8), Veery (May 7), Swainson's Thrush (may 8).

The highlight of the last few days was certainly an AMERICAN MAGPIE! It is a first and new species for the station and was happily seen by the group participating in BPBO's birding workshop, as well as by the Brits (who band them back at home). Unfortunately, the only one to have missed this special bird is your humble bander-in-charge, busy doing census at the other end of the area...

But it proves that the unexpected is always to be expected in migration time! Have wings, will fly (almost anywhere!).

So long for now!