Fledgling Veery

Wet weather kept all three SARR MAPS sites and schedules ‘fluid’ over the past two weeks, but the most recent MAPS samples yielded the highest bird numbers and greatest diversity of 2013!  Highlights include numerous fledgling Song Sparrows and Carolina Wrens filling the nets at Tessentee, along with molting adult Ovenbirds and American Redstarts. Cowee MAPS led all locations with highest numbers and species richness. Last week’s total topped 50 birds of 17 different species including young-of-the-year Worm-eating Warblers, Indigo Buntings and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers.  Big Bald MAPS enjoyed good numbers of fledgling Canada, Chestnut-sided, and Black-throated Green Warblers plus one very young Veery!  All SARR MAPS sites have banded numerous Cedar Waxwings that are enjoying abundant fruit loads fueled by regional heavy rains. Volunteers are needed at all sites.  Please come out  and enjoy the fruits of summer birding during any of our remaining MAPS samples. For more info on MAPS schedules and directions to each site go to our Calendar and Contact pages.