В Хиллиардтоне прошел масштабный сбор средств на изучение колибри с возможностью прикоснуться к птицам

Sue Nielsen Local Journalism Initiative Reporter HILLIARDTON — Hummingbirds have been described as flying jewels and they are a joy to watch at backyard feeders, but equally joyous when viewed up close. About 180 people flocked to the Hilliardton Marsh Hummingbird Garden Party fundraiser on August 15, held from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. to view the tiny birds up close. The annual Hummingbird party is the largest fundraiser the Hilliardton Marsh Research and Education Centre (HMREC) hosts, where children and adults can hold birds, see them being banded, listen to a Hummingbird’s heartbeat and observe the monarch butterfly metamorphosis stages, enjoy baked goods, face painting, vendor alley and take part in critter dipping at the marsh waters. The parking lot was full of cars and visitors had to park alongside each other on the Hilliardton highway as visitors were eager to take part in the day’s activities. Hummingbird expert Joanne Goddard held the tiny birds in her hands explaining various facts about the birds and allowing people to listen to a bird’s heartbeat, often described as a sound like the ocean. She then demonstrated how a metal band is placed on the birds and placed the hummingbirds in children’s hands to release them back into the wild. “We recaptured a female Ruby Throated Hummingbird during the Garden Party,” said Goddard. “This hummingbird was first banded by us on May 30, 2024. That means this little hummingbird is at least two years old, and made her annual migration to Mexico or Central America and back at least twice. What an incredible journey for such a tiny lady.” Memberships were sold to the Marsh during the day and long-time board member Stacy Utas announced that the donated quilt raffle had been won by Carrie Carhart. FALL MIGRATION The annual fall migration is now underway with Marsh bird bander Bruce Murphy mentioning that they have banded about 51 species since the beginning of August, and more than 1,151 birds have been banded. “The migration is really starting to speed up, at the beginning we were getting a lot of local breeders,” said Murphy. “The other day we had over 120 birds and 28 species in one day. There are already lots of birds that have left, the black terns, tree swallows, bobolink and barn swallows. Cedar waxwings are still around the marsh and they start eating insects this time of year and perform what they call hocking action, picking insects off of the trees.” Because of the spruce budworm infestation, Murphy said there are birds that are called “spruce budworm specialists,” and when there is a spruce budworm outbreak they see more of a certain species of birds. Two of those species are Cape May warblers and Blackburnian warblers. “The other thing I am really excited about is the Eastern phoebe bird, which are very common in Southern Ontario and they are becoming more and more common here in the North. We actually had a nesting pair here at the Marsh that raised four chicks and we have banded two phoebes so far. We have been very careful around the nest because we want them to come back next year.” He said he was pleased that the Marsh is now affiliated with Trent University and Dr. Maggie McPherson, who is completing a study on the American robin’s nesting and migration habits. “We are forming a solid partnership with Trent University and Dr. McPherson and her students, which is really good for the marsh,” said Murphy. He said the bird banders at the marsh also banded a red and black Scarlet Tanager, which they don’t see often. Bird banding allows ornithologists and conservationists an opportunity to monitor bird populations and the health of birds. The public is welcome to go to the marsh and view the bird banding process, check the HMREC Facebook page for the hours as this activity is weather dependent. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page.