Bird Banding

So as part of my job I get to do some banding at a MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) station run by our office. Being new to the west coast a lot of the birds are new and exciting to me. Here are a few of the birds we captured and banded last week.

This is a little female Bell's Vireo - the focal species for the work that I'm currently doing. That's why she's being fitted with color bands in addition to the normal fish and wildlife service metal numbered bands. The color bands allow us to identify individuals from a distance without having to capture them.

This is a beautiful Ash-throated Flycatcher - the first one I've ever seen

A close up

A Lincoln's Sparrow

My favorite bird of the day: Lazuli Bunting (another first)

Isn't he handsome??

We also captured one woodpecker...a Nuttall's

Here's how to handle a wee warbler. This is a beautiful Wilson's Warbler

What a teeny little head

Vibrant little guy

And our parting shot is an Orange-crowned Warbler. He enjoyed his time with us so much that he wasn't in a hurry to fly off.


And since I can't have a post completely without mention of Quinny let me just add that the only reason that I'm able to sit here and edit/post bird photos is because our good little boy is taking a 2 hour nap! This after the 6th night in a row of sleeping 12-13 hours straight! I could get used to this...but probably shouldn't...