That’s what Punxsutawney Phil said anyway. I say 6 weeks and 4 days, since the official first day of spring (the vernal equinox) is March 20th. In early March after we’ve had a few pleasant days and folks start remarking that “spring is here” I’m always the first one to chime in and remind them that winter (i.e., cold, snow, nor’easters, etc.) is not over yet. In fact, sometimes it refuses to go away even after the official first day…
On a recent trip to Parker River National Wildlife Refuge yesterday, my friend and I saw a number of new-to-me birds, including a Barred Owl (Strix varia) and an American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea). However, those sightings were often fleeting and from a great distance. The Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus), on the other hand, were bold and curious and often perched only a few feet from us to search for food amongst the branches and reeds. Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) –…
It is pretty general knowledge that many species of birds migrate as the weather starts to get cold. But the details about which species migrate, when they migrate, where they go, and which populations stay as year-round residents are best answered through long-term research projects such as bird banding. Although there are a variety of methods employed by researchers to capture birds for banding, the most common method is mist netting. Mist nets are made of practically invisible thin nylon…