A new season! Wascana MAPS

We are just a few days away from starting our 6th season of banding at the Wascana MAPS station and our 3rd season at the Saw-whet MAPS station near Edenwold, Saskatchewan!  I am pumped to get started as it is so interesting to see who has survived to come back to each station for another year.

Will we see the Yellow Warbler (#2180-49826) who was the first Yellow Warbler we banded our first day of MAPS in 2010?  We have captured him in 2011, 2013, and 2014, making him at least 6 years old in 2014!

Will we see the American Robin (#922-79913) who we also banded in 2010, and recapped in 2012 and 2014.  Pretty amazing when you consider, based on MAPS results, adult American Robins have about a 50% probability of surviving 1 year!  She was also at least 6 years old in 2014.

Perhaps we will see some of the young Gray Catbirds or Yellow Warblers that have been raised in the park and are returning to breed in the area!

Who knows!  But what I do know is there are some birds carrying bands on their legs this summer in the Habitat Conservation Area.  We were in the area between May 28 and June 2, while our goats were grazing the caragana in the area and I was able to snap some photos of some of the birds around.  Of the 50 some species I saw in the HCA, 7 species had bands on their legs!  Here are those photos.  Who are they?  What are their stories?

We continue to learn about these amazing creatures this week!

American Robin

Red-winged Black Bird male 

American Goldfinch male (band just visible on the right leg)

This was a surprise to see this Tree Swallow with a band!  We have only banded 7 TRES in 2012 & 2013!

Another American Goldfinch male with a band.

Common Yellowthroat male 

Gray Catbird

Red-winged Blackbird female (this bird was already feeding young in her nest). 

Red-winged Blackbird male

Yellow Warbler male (is this 2180-49826??!!??!!)