How do you spell migration? I spell it Chris Sukha!!!

The marsh welcomes hired bander Chris Sukha. he started the migration season April 28th and will be the bander in charge at the marsh this migration season. The Banding season officially begins May 6th but Chris is out getting his feet wet literally! He has had a chance to get some of the nets up and is off to a great start.


His totals for the first two days are as follows

Tuesday April 28th

62 juno's
48 american tree sparrows


Wednesday April 29th

24 American tree sparrows
7 junco's
4 red winged blackbirds
3 ruby crowned kinglets
1 white throated sparrow
1 song sparrow
1 sharp shinned hawk



These  birds have a special significance for me  because they were all banded while i was teaching in the hallowed halls of Timiskaming District Secondary School. These birds were banded because Chris has his banding license and hiring him allows us to operate as a migration monitoring site independent of me being there. The true significance of this is that as an organization  HMREC with the support of its members  and  donations and fund raising  and funding applications we have been able to make this important step. So thanks everyone for the support  in our important song bird research. Chris comes to us with experience from several migration monitoring sites he has volunteered and worked at places such as Mackenzie Nature Observatory, Thunder Cape in Thunder Bay and Long Point Bird Observatory on the shore of Lake Erie near Port Rowan Ontario. We are lucky to have Chris  with us and we are looking forward to a great banding season. The marsh will soon be filled with birds and the happy voices of school kids coming to learn about the marsh and the research we are doing and to see a bird or a frog up close. I can hardly wait. If you are not a school aged child and want to come out and meet Chris and the birds we are open to the public every weekend starting May 9th. Hope to see you there and thanks Chris!!

An exciting catch for the marsh

One of the things I have discovered over the years about banding is that I am so envious of new banders and birders  because their birding adventure is just beginning and the first spring everything is new and everyday the migration brings something new to the area on the wind. As a bander of many years it is a challenge to catch a new species but very now and then something very special happens

Last weekend i managed to catch and band a Merlin it was our first station record for a Merlin and this  male was after a flock of snow buntings i was trying to catch. needless to say the buntings were spooked and  my heartbeat was racing just as fast as the wing beats of the Merlin. I have never seen a faster predator in the quickness of its movements and it intent on the buntings. Fortunately I was at the right place at the right time. many people are talking about how many Merlins seem to be around this spring so perhaps I will not have to wait too long for another encounter with the next Merlin 

So lucky to have volunteers

One of the most exciting parts for me about the marsh and the community of folk that flock to the marsh is that people just seem to want to help out.  I was fortunate to do a talk recently for the Newliskeard Lions club. There is nothing I like more then to have a captive audience for half an hour to hear me blab about the marsh. Every now and then something I say triggers a reaction and someone steps up and wants to help out. Two weekends ago Eric Campsall and family came out to the marsh with 12 beautiful boxes he made . Thanks so much Eric!!

. Knowing the tree swallow population has dropped by over a third in northeastern Ontario in the past 20 years prompts many folks to want to help out. The easiest thing we can do to help is to be up bird houses. Bird boxes need to be cleaned out and monitored every year and we now have almost 300 boxes up around the area in suitable habitat. If you would like to learn more about how you can help tree swallows and bluebirds come to the marsh this Saturday at 10 and you can help with the clean out and installation of boxes. make sure to wear rubber boots and bring a pair of extra socks because there is a lot of water in the ditches . For more information and plans  check out the website. Hope to see you at the marsh Saturday April 18th.