Master bird bander June Ficker and her crew wrapped up the summer season at the end of August. June recently shared her summer wrap-up and we're happy to pass along these facts and highlights for 2013…

• Birds banded between May 30 and August 27 = 169
• Previously banded birds recaptured (return/repeat) =  44 (including an Eastern Towhee banded September 12, 2006 and a Black-and-white Warbler banded 6 years ago)
• Birds from which deer ticks were removed = 17 (species frequently found with ticks include American Robin, Brown Thrasher, Eastern Towhee, Song Sparrow, and Common Yellowthroat)
• A male Eastern Bluebird banded as a chick at the Webhannet Golf Club on July 21, 2011, took up residency at the Wells Reserve this summer and was seen as late as October.
• Visitors to banding station = 490

June's "grand totals" for bird-banding demonstrations at the reserve from 1989 through 2013:

• Birds banded = 4,164
• Return/repeats = 1,572
• Visitors = 13,444

June added, "August 14 was our worst day ever. We opened the mist nets at 05:30 with foggy/overcast, which usually produces more birds because the nets are not as visible. At our 12:30 closing time we had had a grand total of 2 birds."

She also said, "It is my privilege to have had four assistants with me for almost two decades: Becky Bradley, Joan Junker, Mae Findley, and Gard Thompson."