Day 21: June 15, 2016

Wednesday, June 15:

We got to the study site at 0730 this morning.  Olivia and I went off to get the last four points on HETH 1.  Our goal was 35 points on HETH 1 and 3, and 40 points on HETH 2.  Yesterday we finished getting the necessary points on HETH 2 and 3, so now all that was left was HETH 1.  Edward went to 0.659’s territory to try to catch the thrush again.  The goal now was to recapture all of the transmitter birds to get their transmitters off.  Although the transmitters do not endanger the birds and the thread attaching them to the thrushes will eventually dissolve, it is nice to get the transmitter off once the waypoints have been recorded.  Between 0730 and 1100, Olivia and I got five points on 0.615.  We tried tracking him so that we could get a visual, but Olivia only got a glimpse of him.  We heard a thrush singing within 20 meters of the gap/Brown Creeper nest area, but it wasn’t HETH 1.  He sang from 0810 - 0856, then flew south and sang from 0901 - 0910.  Meanwhile, a distant HETH (too far to be 0.615), began to sing in response.  Their songs flowed, glimmering, out of their throats for the forest to hear.

Between 1000 and 1100, Olivia hopped onto a fallen tree that I had climbed up earlier.  We took turns with the antenna to try to lead the other toward seeing the elusive HETH 1.  The fallen tree offered high ground over the gap area, and when I had climbed on it earlier, I saw an adorable Canada Warbler and a pair of beautiful Blackburnians.  The Canada Warbler was chattering and foraging within 3-4 meters from me, while the Blackburnians got within 1-2 meters of me at eye level.

1300 - 1540:

Edward, Olivia, and I set up a net, once in 0.659’s territory and once in 0.615’s territory.  0.659 came in, flying high and circling far around the net.  He started singing and “vreeing” back.  A “vree” is a phonetic call made by Hermit Thrushes.

1540 - 1630:

At the overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway near the study site, many interesting things were seen:

• Two fighting male Indigo Buntings
• One female Indigo Bunting with an inchworm = a nest was nearby
• One highlighter-bright Chestnut-Sided Warbler carrying inchworms to its nest.  I saw him do this twice, but I was unable to see the nest’s exact location.  A nearby male CSWA \ was soon chased away.
• A turkey on the side of the road with beautiful wing coloration.