Whimbrel Capture: May 2 - May 8

On May 2, we set up shop at Box Tree Marsh again.  As in the past few days, birds were in the area-at least 200 whimbrel.  We managed to flush a few into the air, and three landed near our trap, in the catch zone.  Unfortunately they managed to fly out as we took the shot, and instead we caught two laughing gulls, which are typical "bi-catch." 

Highlights of the day were many diamond back terrapins floating by the dock, and two solitary sandpipers in a nearby high marsh, which were year birds for us.  Back at the refuge, we got our FOY summer tanager, which was also a new bird for me.  We also found a merlin in a tree on the refuge.  This tree is famous on the refuge, since many migrants and residents have landed in a few dead branches at the top.  There is a entire bird list dedicated to this tree!  It gets all of the tired fall migrants, and all of the local resident birds at one point or another throughout the year.

On May 3, Alex and I woke up early to go birding on the refuge.  Unfortunately I forgot the memory card in my camera!  The refuge is managed as a shrub-scrub habitat, and attracts many colorful birds typicall found in shrub-scrub.  We saw many blue-grosbeaks, indigo buntings, orchard oriolses, and yellow-breasted chats, in addition to summer tanagers, and a very colorful northern parula.  On the butterfly trail, we found a pair of blackpoll warblers.  The butterfly trail was appropriately full of butterflies, and also dragonflies.

Box Tree Marsh was again full of whimbrel, but they focused their activity out on the mud flats away from our boxes.  High tide can push them inland, but usually to what we call "the elbow" which is an untrappable spot due to the "pudding" mud that will suck you in and quickly make you a temporary part of the marsh.    May 4th was similar at Box Tree.

On another birding walk on the refuge on May 5th, we found more blackpoll warblers and our FOY yellow-billed cuckoo.

On May 7th, we went to a birding area known as Savage Neck.  We found the typical birds we've been seeing lately, including a yellow-throated warbler, indigo bunting, and summer tanager.  We did get two new FOY birds, which were red-eyed vireo and grasshopper sparrow. 

red-admiral at Savage Neck

yellow-breasted chat at Savage Neck

unidentified skipper at Savage Neck

American snout at Savage Neck

wing of a luna moth

Through May 8th, Box Tree was still quite similar and we had no trapping succes, with the tides not getting high enough to push the birds into our trap areas. The marsh also was not getting replenished by the tides, and the fiddlers were not as active as normal.  Box Tree was literally high and dry, so the whimbrel left and foraged elsewhere.

Meanwhile, here are a few regulars back at our house on the refuge:

eastern box turtle

black swallow-tail