A dry calm morning but the nets sat empty for the majority of the time with only 11 new birds caught with the last being a Sharp-shinned Hawk. But the non standard nets were more productive with a total of 28 Bobolinks, 15 Cedar Waxwings and a Great Crested Flycatcher. The Waxwings were part of a 150 strong flock that had appeared this morning including many streaky juvenile birds. 
Cedar Waxwing
A walk in traverse found just a Wild Turkey of note. Its hatched!!!!!!!! You guessed it the first Giant Swallowtail egg has hatched and this little fellow has appeared. 
Giant Swallowtail larvae
20th August
Mid morning and a thunderstorm rushed through resulting in closer of the nets. The nets were only closed for an hour but we ended up with a poor catch of 20 birds but the southerly wind did mean that we caught many leaves (it must be autumn!). First for the autumn though was a female Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and a male Mourning Warbler was nice along with a Black and White.
Mourning Warbler
As the afternoon brightened up a walk around the harbour was very fruitless, back at the obs whilst there are very few birds around our time is being spent searching for caterpillars. The most exciting ones just happen to be beside the building on some virgina creeper, there are two species of Sphinx (hawkmoth), Hog and the big colourful Pandora!
Pandora Sphinx
19th August
A much cooler start to the day resulting from a slight shower in the night but the trapping remained similar with a total of 32 new birds of which 17 were Bobolinks. Among the selection today were 2 Canada and 2 Blackburnian Warblers, 2 Yellow-bellied Flycatchers and a Red-eyed Vireo. By lunch the sun was out again warming things up. A walk around in the evening only produced a flock containing Black and White, Blackburnian, Warbling Vireo, 4 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and a few Eastern Wood-pewee.
18th August
Banding brought 2 new birds for the fall list in the form of a young female Mourning Warbler and a young Brown Thrasher. The tally was low once again with a single Traill’s Flycatcher, 3 American Redstarts, Black and White Warbler and 6 Bobolinks being the only obvious migrants being caught.
During the morning I also found 4 Giant Swallowtail eggs to and to one from the 15th, you ask how? well it’s the obvious answer the female butterfly was laying them on the Prickly Ash. Over the next few weeks I’ll try and follow their progress, this large impressive butterfly has only just colonised the area in the last two years as we are at its northern range limit. Also around are many Monarch Butterfies and Darner Dragonflies. The afternoon was spent in Bellevile.
Giant Swallowtail
17th August
Yet again a rather unpleasant hot day starting at 22 degrees rising towards 30 degrees Celsius. Today was a very quiet day with the nets as only 28 new birds were caught. Best of the bunch were two Canada Warblers, 2 Eastern Wood Pewee, Yellow-bellied and Least Flycatcher and who can forget those lovely 3 Black-capped Chickadees. (Yes they bit as much as Blue Tits if not more!) The biggest surprise came with a slight increase and change in wind as it swung from southerly to westerly just for a short period. Straight away raptors were circling overhead with American Kestrel, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Northern Harrier, 4 Turkey Vultures and then 3 Bald Eagles! A 1st cy and a 2nd cy that have been seen sporadically over the past few days along with a adult.
Canada Warbler
16th August
Much the same as yesterday but the numbers were boosted with a catch of 31 Bobolinks that were once again attracted by tape. A good bird to get for the fall list was a juvenile male Northern Cardinal, followed by a Downy Woodpecker and the only obvious migrant warbler was an adult female Black and White. A second calendar year Bald Eagle spent the morning flying back and forth over the area.
15th August
Today was the start of the autumn/fall season so the nets were opened at 6:15am through until 12:15. As expected it was rather quiet but signs were present that birds were starting to move with a single Blackburnian, American Redstart and Magnolia Warbler being caught. All the resident breeding birds are busy going through moult at the moment including Grey Catbird, Common Yellowthroat, Purple Finch, Song and Chipping Sparrows.
Blackburnian Warbler
The Afternoon was spent erecting more mist nets, a further five, this time some hawk nets with the hope of catching a few migrating through. The heat finally got to me by mid-afternoon as I jumped into the lake, VERY NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (This may become a daily event!).
14th August
After spending a few hours catching a few Bobolinks the main task of the day was the erecting of the 19 standard mist nets that were used during the spring. The day ended with a fantastic cool swim in the lake.
Bobolink
13th August
In the morning I managed to catch a Red-eyed and Warbling Vireo, Traill’s Flycatcher along with 8 Bobolinks. It was again another sweltering hot and humid day so very little was done later in the day except for the arrival of David back for the autumn season.
Yesterday evening after Margaret, Brian and Nicola headed back home to Lancashire an evening walk around the harbour produced a single beaver. As I made my way back to the obs I got the most amazingly close views of a Northern Harrier as it drifted by. There is now a trip report for the last three weeks at breaksbirdphotography.
