No banding this year

The chicks are now between 21 and 25 days old and this is the age they would be banded.  However, due to COVID-19 and the need for physical distancing, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources will not be banding this year.  Rebecca would have done the happy dance when I shared the news, but that is far beneath her dignity. Unfortunately, we will not learn from the banders what sex they are, and we won’t know anything about the birds once they leave Kalamazoo.  I am not sure that we can name them, since we will not be able to easily tell them apart, unless they have distinct field markings.

Some of the chicks may fledge before the end of the month. This is always a treacherous time and a watch patrol is needed to make sure the chicks land safely.  They always lose altitude since they need practice to get the muscle tone and coordination to soar like an adult.  It is common for the first flights of some birds to end up on the ground.  And, a chick on the ground needs to be brought to safety. Extra eyes are always needed, so send a message if you might want to spend some quality time watching (outdoors and socially distant, of course).   You can email gailwalter@att.net for more information.