By Samantha Bean
A rain-soaked weekend forecast led to something unusual for Wild Bird Research Group at the first MAPS session for 2026 at Fiddler’s Creek. There’s Warbler Wednesday and Sparrow Saturday. But apparently there are First Fridays now, too. Due to the rain, we met on Friday for banding instead of our usual weekend day. That began a series of firsts for the crew on hand. Some of the highlights included: the station’s very first hooded warbler, followed by our first male rose-breasted grosbeak. (We’ve caught females before.)
Other notables for the day included an impossibly handsome red-winged blackbird and a female indigo bunting. We also had another ruby-throated hummingbird as well. A cedar waxwing caught our attention with its yellowish and orange tail tips. A color dictated by the variation in honeysuckle berries that the bird was fed last year when it was younger.
The female hooded warbler not only wore the mark of a new-to-the-station bird, but it also marked our eightyith species at the station! A milestone that speaks to the changing landscape as we enter our 13th season here. As the habitat matures, the birds we encounter shift as well. Another first for us today was the snapping turtle we came across. Stuck on the wrong side of the fence, Sean was able to safely place the large creature on the other side, in the direction he was headed.
Highlights from Friday, 5/22
- New to the Station: HOWA & first male RBGR
- Total Birds Captured: 49
- Total Species Captured: 19
- New Banded Individuals: 33
- Recaptures: 16
- Ruby-throated hummingbirds: 1
We’ll be sharing stories from Fiddler’s throughout the season, so keep an eye out!
