Banded Peregrine Falcon
Here is a recent flashback story for everyone on this lovely Friday. October is always a terrific month to find all sorts of raptors making their way south for a prolonged migration or dispersing from their nesting area to find acceptable wintering grounds. Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus) continue to rebound from their demise due to pesticides in our region in the last century, taking up breeding sites on skyscrapers in major cities, under bridges on interstates, and even nest box platforms at locations like Dunkirk’s power plant on Lake Erie in our own Chautauqua County. Some of...
Read MoreRuby-throated Hummingbird Migration
Here’s RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser’s photo of a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird caught last winter in Costa Rica on migration, banded in the hopes of catching him again the next year. He notes that you can see that the hummingbird bands are so small and delicate, a stark contrast to these notoriously feisty birds. The tropical work season is coming up again in only a few months! Right now you can find these hummingbirds passing through your yard on the way there.
Read MoreBanded Peregrine Falcon Devouring Pigeon
One of the most outrageously spectacular and breath-taking winter bird sightings you can have is, in my opinion, the Peregrine Falcon. As the fastest animal on the Earth the Peregrine is already in a class of its own, and if you have never seen one stooping on shorebirds, waterfowl or other coastal and open-country birds you are missing out on one of the most unbelievable happenings on the planet. The raw power and sheer speed these birds display is literally unmatched. After recovering from decimation via DDT the Peregrine Falcon has begun to reconquer our landscape, moving into cities and...
Read MoreLong-tailed Manakin (Chiroxiphia linearis)
This adult male Long-tailed Manakin (Chiroxiphia linearis) felt like hanging out with RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser a little longer after he completed putting it through the banding process, sitting in his hand being friendly. You can see the band on its leg in the lower left and a calm, inquisitive look in its eyes.
Read MoreBanded Blue-throated Goldentail (Hylocharis eliciae)
While editing images from this weekend I noticed something on this Blue-throated Goldentail (Hylocharis eliciae). It was banded, and you can see the metal band we used last year. We haven’t started banding Hummingbirds yet this year – thus it must be at least two years old. It’s one of the smaller of the eleven species that visits the feeders here at Finca. Sean Graesser RTPI Affiliate
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