> Greetings!
> We finally got a chance to band at our Hueston Woods location yesterday. 
> Despite having to find and replace many poles from non-banding activities 
> that overran our research site in previous weeks, we are now back on 
> track!! We banded 17 individuals, recaptured 6 previously banded 
> individuals from 8 species, highlights included Winter Wren (1), Brown 
> Thrashers (2), Golden-crowned Kinglets (5), Field Sparrows (2, including 
> an individual first banded 5Nov2005),  Downy Woodpecker, and 
> White-throated Sparrows [WTSP] (2 plus 4 recaptures).  The White-throated 
> Sparrows are really cool!! Two individuals were recaptured from 2004! 305 
> and 312 were first banded 19April2004, both were banded on the same day. 
> Both individuals were recaptured 9April2005 and then again yesterday 
> 5April2006.  We have not recaptured either bird at any other time during 
> the year.  The other two WTSP's we recaptured were initially banded last 
> fall (3Nov2005 or 19Nov2005).  A possible scenario for this pattern is we 
> have our resident over-wintering WTSP's (the ones banded last year) and we 
> have birds pushing through as they migrate northward--the cool part is if 
> they are birds migrating northward A) they travel together (a pair?) year 
> after year, B) they follow the same pattern each year in areas they use 
> for refueling C) they roughly follow the same schedule each year at those 
> refueling locations--think about the implications from a conservation 
> perspective! It is these tantalizing bits of data that make all this work 
> so rewarding!!!
> Other interesting notes: N. Rough-winged Swallows are back at the dam (as 
> are hundreds of Tree Swallows), Brown Thrashers are actively signing 
> throughout the banding station. It looks like Golden-crowned Kinglets are 
> pushing northward--we banded 5 but flocks of 25-30 birds were frequently 
> seen around the station (couple Ruby-crowned mixed in) E. Phoebes singing 
> as were Winter Wrens (banded one).
> Cheers!!
> Dave