Winter 2005/2006 Notes and Highlights for January 04 - January 31

• January's banding total (93 birds) didn't present much of a follow up to the record setting 447 birds recorded just a month earlier.  This month's total was also well below the long term annual January average of 193 birds, however, this average is dramatically skewed by the large numbers of Evening Grosbeaks banded during the the 70's and 80's.  Despite the seemingly low number of birds banded this month, it actually turned out to be our best January of the last five years.  American Goldfinch was, once again, the leader with 51 birds banded.  Dark-eyed Junco (14) and Black-capped Chickadee (9) were the other two leading species this month.  Two Golden-crowned Kinglets were banded on 8 January, becoming the 23rd species to be banded thus far this winter season.  With the mild winter weather we've been experiencing, though, who knows what February might bring...(stay tuned)!

• Activity at the feeders (and near the surrounding nets) diminished day-by-day with the mild winter weather throughout much of this month, making any noteworthy banding highlights hard to come by.  In fact, the weather itself has been more noteworthy than the birds.  Far from living up to its reputation as the coldest month in southwestern Pennsylvania, January has seemed more like late March or April at Powdermill, with  average daily high temperatures being 12 degrees warmer than the long-term monthly average of 35°F.  The sound of rumbling thunder accompanied snowfall on the evening of Tuesday, January 24, but there was much more wet than frozen precipitation during the month.  After one of the rainshowers that contributed to the month's total of 3.8 inches of rain, this brilliant photo opportunity appeared!

The barn and weather station just outside the banding lab and PARC offices.

• It's hard to believe this picture was taken from the banding lab parking lot on Sunday, January 29th.  The next photo shows a companion rainbow that faded in and out of view.

• Our only avian highlight this month was a recaptured adult female White-breasted Nuthatch with an interesting tumor-like growth on her left cheek.  While avian pox usually causes wart like growths on the feet and legs, it can spread to the mouth and nasal passages where it can become much more of a life threatening concern.  The growth, however, didn't exactly look like the hardened lesions we usually associate with pox, and we wondered if it might be an encysted parasite of some sort.  Whatever its cause, it seemed to not have affected the nuthatch too adversely.  Aside from the disarranged feathers growing around her left eye, she was responsive to movement, showing no loss of vision on that side, and was carrying a fat load of three (on a scale of 0-3).  For now, at least, it clearly has not affected her ability to eat!

Finally, as our hometown team heads to the Super Bowl, we wanted to wish the Pittsburgh Steelers a victory in their game this Sunday, February 5, 2006.

 

Even though we'd love to show our true colors by banding some black and gold Evening Grosbeaks this Sunday, we'll settle for black and Goldfinches!

Good Luck, Steelers, in Super Bowl XL!!

Last Updated on 02/03/06
By Adrienne Leppold and Robert S. Mulvihill