In each of the last two days of banding, one new species has been to the Fall 2002 list, bringing the species total to 110.  The record number of fall species, 115, occurred at Powdermill in Fall 1991.  With only a week to go in the current fall banding season, will we be able to tie (or pass) the previous record?

The new bird for Saturday was this female Mourning Dove...

while Friday's bird was an unexpected hatching-year SORA!  This is the first of this species caught here since September 1999.

Also of interest on Saturday was our fifth Sharp-shinned Hawk of the season, a hatching-year male.

A Winter Wren, caught in the last round of the day, increased the already record high fall total for this species to 66.
 
 

Frost covered the vegetation (such as these blackberry leaves) near the banding station this morning, delaying the opening of the nets.  The birds banded today were mostly a wintery mix from the finch family (ten American Goldfinch topped the day's list), but a Cedar Waxwing and pair of American Robins added some color to brighten the day.