Dipet Update

Ruthven 2011.10.04

We spent some time at Ruthven Park this morning. Things seemed to have picked up. There were a lot more birds in the nets than the last few times we went.

Male Red-bellied Woodpecker

This woodpecker is an unusual catch, although there are quite a few at the park. It’s a spectacular bird to see in the hand!

Red-bellied woodpecker in the mist net

I love this shot with the leaves in the background. Caleb took these pictures. He’s developing a real eye for composition.

The eastern race of the Yellow-rumped warbler used to be called a Myrtle Warbler

In the birding world, at the taxonomic level (name species), there are the lumpers and the splitters. The lumpers want to put many similar birds together and call them one species. The splitters want to take birds with slight differences and separate them, giving them different names. With these birds, the lumpers are currently winning and they are all called Yellow-rumped Warblers. Forty years ago they were separated into Myrtle and Audubon’s Warblers, the eastern and western races.

Eastern Tufted Titmouse

Certain birds can be quite aggressive while being extracted from the nets or while being banded. The Eastern Tufted Titmouse is one species that makes it quite clear that it doesn’t appreciate being handled. It bites and pecks vigorously, making banding one of these a memorable occasion.