Red-breasted Nuthatch at Susan Ferguson’s Feeder

On December 3 and 4, bird banding duo Tom and Paula Bartlett visited the Bass Islands for some feeder bird banding. On South Bass Island, they banded at the home of Russ and Lisa Brohl with the assistance of extractors Nancy Welter and Lisa Brohl. They also banded at the home of Susan Ferguson where they caught a red-breasted nuthatch. White breasted nuthatch, downy woodpecker, and black-capped chickadees were all recaptured from 2018 and 2019. It is no surprise that these year round resident birds would be recaptured at the same feeder. It was a surprise when a slate-colored junco was recaptured who had been banded at the Brohl’s  November 29, 2018! This means this bird that nests further north has came back to the same feeder for more than one winter. These birds made over 500 birds banded in 2020 on South Bass Island.

 In the evenings, they tried to call in northern saw-whet and eastern screech owls at The Vineyard owned by the Barnhill family. An eastern screech owl caught on the second night had been banded by Tom the previous year.

On the morning of December 4, the banding team visited the feeders of Theodora Keith-Morris on Middle Bass Island. There they recaptured a black-capped chickadee that had been banded the previous spring and a white-breasted nuthatch banded the previous fall.

Thanks to Miller Boat Line for passenger fare for the banding team and to Bob Glauser for the use of his boat to get to Middle Bass. We hope that next year we can have visitors to the banding station again. Due to covid this year, we were unable to have the public attend.

Nancy Welter with slate-colored junco

Lisa Brohl with downy woodpecker