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The Manomet Banders
The leaves are falling and changing color vigorously this week. The colors on the Holmes farm especially reflect the current changes of the season. Delicate seeds on small white tufts peek out of the Little Bluestem, contrasting with the other grasses in soft shades of brown and against the trees in shades of red and yellow.
This week we banded 117 new birds and 65 recaptures, a refreshing change from our slow week last week. This brings our totals up to 756 new birds banded and 597 repeats processed. Our new species for the week included Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Swamp Sparrow, Lincoln’s Sparrow, and Yellow-throated Vireo!
Monday was cloudy with intermittent drizzle but we had a successful day banding, catching several Blue-headed and Red-eyed Vireos and the Yellow-throated Vireo. The Holmes Farm was full of birds as well, with Lincoln’s Sparrow, Field Sparrow, and an Eastern Meadowlark all spotted. Also on the farm, the milkweed seedpods have burst open in earnest. When the wind blows, small seeds whirl by on their white pappi, the feather-like hairs that are attached to the seeds. Most of the goldenrods have finished blooming as well, while the Flax-leaved Aster’s purples are still brightly covering the slopes of the farm.