We had a huge day of birds, diversity and surprises! Our first surprises of the day were a pair of adult Rusty Blackbirds - absolutely stately in their fall plumage. A long awaited first-of-season, the Varied Thrush was also in the same net as the Rusties! We've been hearing them for over a week, hopeful that we might have the chance to see the bird up close. The day picked up quickly after these feathered gems and consisted predominately of Orange-crowned Warblers and Myrtle Warblers. One of my favorite birds of the day was a male Hairy Woodpecker that we caught this spring; this handsome fellow is pushing six years old and a year-round resident of Creamer's Field. Despite my genuine woodpecker and chickadee love, one bird in particular captivated us all today: a Western Palm Warbler! This is the 6th in station banding history (28 years!)! Check out this gorgeous Fairbanks rarity, a HY unknown sex Western Palm Warbler:
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