BANDING OF A FEMALE COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, PRESQU'ILE PROVINCIAL PARK, BRIGHTON, ON

   The first photo shows the female Common Yellowthroat just after it was taken off the mist net.  The next photos show the band being put on the warbler and its wing being measured.  Since this banding is being performed outdoors, the bird is not weighed, because of the sensitivity of the scale to wind, vibration, etc.  The bird is also checked for its storage of fat.  The last photo shows the bird after it has been banded.

COLONY OF CASPIAN TERNS, OWEN POINT, PRESQU'ILE PROVINCIAL PARK, BRIGHTON, ON

WILSON'S WARBLER ENSNEARED IN A MIST NET, PRESQU'ILE PROVINCIAL PARK, BRIGHTON, ON

   This Wilson's Warbler  became ensnared in one of the mist nets used to capture birds for banding.  After trying to free it from the net, the net was finally cut in order to free it.  Since the bird was so stressed, it was let go, rather than being banded.

TAGGING MONARCH BUTTERFLIES, PRESQU'ILE PROVINCIAL PARK, BRIGHTON, ON

   This past weekend we attended Monarchs & Migrants Weekend at Presqu'ile Provincial Park.  Expert Monarch Butterfly tagger Don Davis gave a demonstration of tagging the butterflies.  The first photo is of Monarch Butterfly that had been tagged and then released.  The second photo is of another Monarch Butterfly that doesn't seem to be tagged. 

   The photos after the first two show the tagging process.  The butterflies had been caught a few days before and each kept in an envelope and refrigerated.  In the third and fourth Don removed the envelope from the storage container and the butterfly from the envelope.  The last four photos show Don emplacing the tag on the Monarch Butterfly's wing.  After this it is released.

HERRING GULLS, BEACH, PRESQU'ILE PROVINCIAL PARK, BRIGHTON, ONz

   The Herring Gull in the first two photo is in breedin plumage.  The gull in the last two photos is a 1st Winter Herring Gull.

DOWNY WOODPECKERS FEEDING AT TREE & FEEDER, LIGHTHOUSE AREA, PRESQU'ILE PROVINCIAL PARK, BRIGHTON, ON

   The Downy Woodpecker in the first three photos is a female, it does not have the red on the rear of head.  The Downy Woodpecker at the feeder in the fourth photo is a male; you can see the red at the rear of the head.

NONBREEDING SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, OWEN POINT, PRESQU'ILE PROVINCIAL PARK, BRIGHTON, ON