Date: 4/27/25 2:10 pm From: Barbara Volkle <barb620...> Subject: [MASSBIRD] West Hill Dam - Banding
Thanks to Strickland Wheelock for this report.
Barbara Volkle Northborough, MA <barb620...>
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Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2025 18:46:20 +0000 (UTC) From: Strickland Wheelock <skwheelock...> Subject: West Hill Dam - Banding
It has been a long painful wait since last fall not banding but opened up the nets this Sunday [4/27] under very windy conditions at West Hill Park in Uxbridge. To our surprise, the 1st net check of our 8 nets opened captured 9 birds - the highlight was 2 Brown Creepers plus 3 Wht-thr Sparrows [1 ASY + 2 SY], 1 Cardinal, 1 Chickadee, Robin, 1 Song Sparrow. Additional birds captured later were more Wht-thr Sparrows, Swamp & Chipping Sparrows, Robins, Chickadees, Red-w Blackbirds plus 2 birds banded last year as HY by us - Blue Jay & Am Goldfinch. [now SY] -However around the nets just returning overnight were Baltimore Orioles, Warbling Vireos plus Ovenbirds, Towhees, Field Sparrows, Ruby-cr Kinglets, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Bluebirds - overhead were Broad-winged Hawks plus 2 D-c Cormorants [surprise] & in the marsh a Green Heron & Wood Ducks.The combination of the gusty cool winds blowing the nets, lack of leafy foliage still to come, we were pleased to capture 20 birds as this point - during the week with warmer temperatures, hopefully less winds, more migrants, our research at this site over the past several years will continue to provide additional data.Near the peak of spring migration at West Hill Dam, we are going to have a bird banding demonstration [very detailed info] through Drumlin Farm in the morning, have lunch, then bird 2 other Uxbridge birding locations for a variety of other species. Up to that point, many weekdays my banding team will join me as we continue banding, maybe adding some net lanes - just enjoying the fresh morning air and all the bird song surrounding us as we as we admire all the striking spring plumages of these migrants, https://www.massaudubon.org/programs/drumlin-farm/97066-bird-banding-in-uxbridge
