December 31, 2013

So ends 2013 and what a year it has been.  In 2013 we saw a total of 97 species on the property (see entire list in the pages)  Since July 2011 I have only seen 6 additional species there for a total of 103 species on the property.

In 2013 we banded a total of 270 birds that represented 39 species.  In our short beginning in 2012 we only had 13 birds but 2 of those birds were species we did not catch this year.

We held 50 sessions that had newly banded birds.

Today was not a day when we added new species to the property or even any newly banded birds but it was one of my favorite sessions so far.  We had an visit with Cub Scout Pack 814 and two additional Boy Scouts from Troop 811 in which we explored science in action.  These young men were very interested and we talked a lot about banding.  They asked very good questions too.

We did have three recaptures:  a female Northern Cardinal, a Yellow-rumped Warbler, and a Gray Catbird.  The Yellow-rumped Warbler had been banded in February which means it had since left to migrate north and then had made the return migration south and arrived back at Possum Long.  I have seen such returns (site fidelity) with birds at feeders but I find it hard to imagine this bird finding its way back to Possum Long without having a food source as reliable as a feeder to attract it.  

One scout was able to hold a bird today.  I didn't feel right subjecting someone to the bite of a cardinal - that's not pleasant at all.  The Yellow-rumped Warbler fit in his hand and he did a marvelous job releasing the bird.  I look forward to the troop returning during spring break when more birds should be present.  

Photo by Leanne LaFramboise

The Gray Catbird was banded two weeks ago and at the time we were not able to get a clear picture of the growth bars its feathers showed.  Luckily we got a second chance.  This bird was born this past summer and either due to mites (you can see holes in the feathers at the bottom left) or a poor food supply, the feathers grew in alternating thin and thick (and appearing darker and lighter) in places giving it a striped look.  Somewhere between the time we caught it and now, it had lost the left side of its tail but there was evidence of it growing back in.

Gray Catbird

As of tomorrow all birds will be a year older - Happy New Year readers and Happy Birthday to the birds!

Next banding session will be on THURSDAY (not the regular Tuesday) January 9.  Nets go up at 6:30.

December 17, 2013

Well, good thing we attempted to keep banding in December as this one is so much different than last year.  Part of the solution is having more nets.  We also concentrated on the pond area today as that's where most of the bird activity has been.  Also, having ready, willing, and able volunteers makes a difference.

Today at first we had recapture birds.  Northern Cardinal and Gray Catbird.  Another unbanded Northern Cardinal was released because its legs were too thick for the proper band.  We saw this last year and were told the thickening is due to bird mites.

Northern Cardinal with thickened legs

Photo by Bill Eaton

Northern Cardinal recapture with molting body feathers

Photo by Bill Eaton

Then we got new birds; a total of eight.  Four were Yellow-rumped Warblers and they just may be the "birds of the winter".  There's a lot to learn about aging these birds.  The upper tail coverts help as well as some of the body markings.  The blue edges to the coverts and the bluish coloring of the back of this one indicates an adult non-breeding male as does the traces of black coming in on the face mask.

 Yellow-rumped Warbler

Photo by Crystal Conway 

Yellow-rumped Warbler 

Photo by Bill Eaton

Yellow-rumped Warbler 

Photo by Bill Eaton

We also got two Gray Catbirds and a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.  We hadn't had a gnatcatcher in a while.  It always amazes us how really small this bird is.  It weighed 4 grams (1/7 of an ounce!).  

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher into the bag to be weighed

Photos by Bill Eaton

Also exciting was capturing another Painted Bunting.  This was also a "green" like the recapture of last week - not able to determine age or sex of these.  Could be female or a young male.  

Painted Bunting

Photo by Bill Eaton

We are now working with Dr James Rotenberg at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and Florida Wildlife Commission to color band Painted Buntings on their wintering grounds here in Florida.  So, this "green" was the first to be color banded at Possum Long.  A lot of this banding will occur at feeders and we have already banded 13 at Nancy Price's feeders.  More information can be found at the Painted Bunting Observer Team (PBOT)'s web page at http://www.paintedbuntings.org/  Even though we are just getting started we have made it to the blog on that site.  Most of the Painted Bunting banding except those captured at Possum Long will not be written up here.  We will let you know how this information gets posted.  

Painted Bunting

Photo by Bill Eaton

Next scheduled banding:  December 31, 2013 - expecting Boy Scout Troop to visit.  Nets go up at 6:30 am.  

First 2014 banding will be on THURSDAY, January 9.  

December 10, 2013

I must say that I have a very enthusiastic banding crew and I appreciate them all.  Since the net across the pond was so productive and since we had yet to capture the House Wren and Eastern Phoebe, we placed two nets across the pond and 5 elsewhere on the property.

First we got a Yellow-rumped Warbler.  You can see the obvious yellow rump and also the less obvious faint eye line indicating the eastern "Myrtle" subspecies .

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Photo by Bill Eaton

Then Nancy Price brought the long-awaited Eastern Phoebe to the banding table.  We examined this flycatcher up close noting the bristles around its beak and the lovely yellow color of the interior of its mouth.  The legs were small in proportion to this larger bird's body.  The aerial life does not require strong legs.

Eastern Phoebe

Photo by Bill Eaton

Eastern Phoebe

Photo by Bill Eaton

Next on the agenda was the House Wren.  It was fun to reacquaint myself with a bird we frequently caught at the MAPS station where I used to band.

House Wren

Photo by Bill Eaton

The last new bird of the day was a Common Yellowthroat.  This was a young male bird.  The black edge of the face mask is just starting to appear.

Common Yellowthroat

Photo by Bill Eaton

We also had a recapture of a Painted Bunting originally banded in March.  A green Painted Bunting is either a female or a young male.  By looking we cannot tell age or sex even now.  Since we know when the bird was banded and time has now passed and the bird has not molted in the male coloration, we now know the bird is female.  

Painted Bunting

Photo by Bill Eaton

Crystal kept busy today noting birds on the property and photographing some of our surroundings.  A pair of American Kestrels kept us enthralled and this pink mushroom was quite different:

 

Both photos by Crystal Conway

By popular vote, next banding will be December 17.  Nets go up at 6:30.  We will take a holiday break and expect to resume on December 31 with a visiting scout troop.  Let's see how the year end totals are on the last day of 2013!

December 3, 2013

After a two week break and the fact that we caught nothing last December, I was quite surprised to have a wonderful day.  We banded seven birds and recaptured three.  One was a new species for me to band and it was also new for the property in 2013.

We have made big strides in the understanding of bird movement on the property and now that it is "winter" we are finding more birds in the area of the pond.  The pond is actually some retained water that should flow but there are several ridges across the water that make small pools.  We strung a net across one of the dry berms and had almost instant success.

New net location spanning pond

Photo by Bill Eaton

We were hoping for an Eastern Phoebe but did not succeed (yet).  We caught a hatch-year Indigo Bunting.  Many were surprised to see the brownish color of this bird and to see some subtle streaking on it.

Indigo Bunting

Photo by Pat Marshall

This net also gave us a Palm Warbler and a Yellow-rumped Warbler.

Palm Warbler (western subspecies)

Photo by Bill Eaton

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle subspecies)

Photo by Bill Eaton

We captured two other Palm Warblers, a Gray Catbird, and a Northern Mockingbird.

Palm Warbler and its cute yellow pads of its feet

Photo by Bill Eaton

Northern Mockingbird

Photo by Bill Eaton

Sometimes three hands are better than two!  Larger birds are harder to hold and still be able to remove the net.  This bird's wing was very tangled so Nancy Price held it could be safely extracted.

Northern Mockingbird

Photo by Bill Eaton

The outer tail feathers fold underneath and you can see that this bird is missing its white outer tail feathers on its left side.  The new feathers are "in sheath" growing in.

One of the recaptures was a White-eyed Vireo that we banded in February.  Bill Eaton got some wonderful photos.  One really shows how wingbars are formed from white edgings on individual wing covert feathers.

 White-eyed Vireo

White-eyed Vireo - wingbar

Next banding will be December 10.  Nets go up at 6:30 am.

November 12, 2013 - Before the front

Cool weather was due to hit and that may have given us the few birds we banded and observed.  Bird movement and presence are slowing down but we are starting to see some of the "winter" birds.  We recaptured two Gray Catbirds showing that they either remain on the property or at least circulate through it.

We banded two new birds:  A Worm-eating Warbler and a HY Swainson's Thrush.  We also added a species to the property list:  House Wren.  The wren hit the net twice but managed to escape.  My former banding folks at MAPS would probably never believe that.  Of all the birds there, Bewick's and House Wrens were the most likely to get super tangled.  

Worm-eating Warbler

Photo by Bill Eaton

Swainson's Thrush

Photo by Bill Eaton

If you look at the base of the bill you can see the gape, the fleshy fold that indicates a young bird.

We also saw and heard Eastern Phoebe on the property, once again flying over and sitting on the net pole but not yet in our nets.

Eastern Phoebe

Photo by Bill Eaton

Next banding won't be until December 3, 2013.  Nets go up at 6:30.

November 7, 2013

Yes, it has definitely quieted down.  Weather kept us from banding on the usual Tuesday and today although we heard a few chip notes of likely warblers and gnatcatchers, we did not capture any of them.  We did not see any Palm Warblers and only one Yellow-throated Warbler.  We did band a "green" Painted Bunting.  We cannot tell whether the green buntings are female or HY males.  Males born this summer will not develop their distinctive red, blue, and green plumage until fall of next year.

Painted Bunting

Photo by Bill Eaton

Painted Bunting

Photo by Bill Eaton

We were able to detect two birds that had been previously banded - a male cardinal and a catbird.

We will band again on Tuesday, November 12, weather permitting.  Nets will go up at 6:30.  After that we will be taking a break and will band again at least once in December.  If birds occur as they did last year, we will likely not resume weekly banding until mid-January.  But, do keep in touch here for sessions.  If you want to be added to an email update for impromptu sessions let me know.

October 29, 2013

It looks like we are heading for quieter banding sessions.  Today we banded five birds but also had two recaptures.  We did not see the Western Tanager that was present and banded on Saturday.

Gray Catbirds are the birds of "winter" that we can fairly reliably catch and band.  We banded three today.  Some of the other over-wintering birds have yet to return.  We will be looking for Yellow-rumped Warblers, Eastern Phoebes, and more species to return by the end of the year.

Gray Catbird

Photo by Crystal Conway

Warbler numbers are on the decline.  A single Northern Parula was banded.  We saw Black-and-white and  Pine Warblers but did not capture any.   

Northern Parula

Photo by Bill Eaton

Northern Parula

Photo by Bill Eaton

Palm Warblers spend the winter in fairly large numbers in our area.  Possum Long gets a few most days.  We banded one today.  It took a long time to finally get this species.  This time last year we did not have as many nets and there did not seem to be as many around.  We have also determined where to place nets to maximize captures.  We are now in our second year of banding and from this time last year to the end of the year we only banded 13 birds.  It has been a terrific year.

Palm Warbler

Photo by Bill Eaton

Recaptures are an important part of any banding project.  We see Northern Cardinals and Blue Jays each session.  Recapturing them tells us which birds have remained on or returned to the property.  Today we recaptured one of each.  So far it seems that Gray Catbirds have a larger roaming range and do not necessarily stay at Possum Long since we have banded many but recaptured only a few of the recently banded ones.  We also know from recaptures that some Gray Catbirds have returned to Possum Long after a breeding season away.

Also important to this effort are the volunteers.  My thanks to everyone who takes photos, records data, puts nets up and takes them down, carries gear, moves tables, and lends a hand for whatever needs doing.  This project is only possible with your service.  I am grateful.

Next banding session:  November  5, 2013.  Nets go up at 6:30 am.  Meeting time "earlier" due to time change.

October 26, 2013 Utterly amazing

Bill was available to help with banding and since this doesn't happen very often, we ran another session.  For the most part it was busy early on and then it was so quiet.  We banded a total of nine birds - the expected Gray Catbirds (4), Blue Jay (1), Black-throated Blue Warbler (1) and then the amazing.  The first excitement was banding our first Palm Warbler.  They were both the "Western" type; not super yellow except on the undertail coverts and very little rust color on the head.

Palm Warbler

We were closing nets when Nancy Price let us know there were two birds in the net in the Butterfly Garden.  One was a second Palm Warbler. Yesterday, Crystal told me she saw a bird that looked like a tanager or a goldfinch.  I never dreamed the next day we would capture the bird and have it be a WESTERN TANAGER!!!

Western Tanager

Photo by Nancy Price

Western Tanager

Photo by Nancy Price

Western Tanager

Photo by Nancy Price

Western Tanagers are rare in Florida but do occur almost annually with 1 or 2 making an appearance somewhere in the state.  Note the small tooth like projection on the edge of the bill, best seen in the second picture.  This is characteristic of tanager bills.  Some have larger ones than the Westerns do.  Also in that picture you can see that one wingbar is yellow and the other is white.  Ironically, I have banded this species before.  My new one for the day was the Palm Warbler.

Next regularly scheduled banding:  October 29.  Nets going up at 7 am.

October 25, 2013 - school visit

Today we had the second group of students from the Sonshine Homeschool Group.  They toured the Audubon property, looked for butterflies, made bird feeders, and participating in the banding.  Unfortunately we only caught 1 Gray Catbird while they were there but at least they all got to see it.  They experimented with color banding a "bird's leg" stick using sections of colored drinking straws.  Prior to their arrival we banded 3 Gray Catbirds and 3 Black-throated Blue Warblers.  After they left we caught another Gray Catbird.

One of the Gray Catbirds was a hatch year bird that was still quite young.  Though it had migrated, it still showed signs of being a young bird.  The gape, a fleshy part of a young bird's bill, was still present.  The mouth was still very pink with almost no black showing.

Gray Catbird

Photo by Nancy Price

Gray Catbird

Photo by Nancy Price

We caught two female and one male Black-throated Blue Warblers.  The male was a hatch-year bird evidenced by a tint of green to the head and back feathers and a trace of white on the throat.

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Photo by Nancy Price

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Photo by Nancy Price

Next banding session is October 29 with nets going up at 7 am.

October 19 and 22, 2013

We did a quick banding session on Saturday and then our regular session today.  Red-eyed Vireos were the birds of both days; we've now banded four.  All of them have been hatch-year birds.  I discovered how to make the photographs a bit bigger.  Enjoy all of the photos by our expert photographers!

Red-eyed Vireo

Photo by Bill Eaton

Sunday we also got an American Redstart.  It was a hatch-year male as can be seen with the orange-yellow feathers just under the wing.  

American Redstart

Photo by Nancy Price

Jane wanted to make sure that readers found out that Northern Cardinal females have quite a bit of red under their wings.  Bill obliged with a photo.

Northern Cardinal

Photo by Bill Eaton

We have gotten a few interesting recaptures.  Today we got another White-eyed Vireo that was originally banded in February.  Also a Gray Catbird originally banded on March 19.  The catbird had definitely left the property and has now returned.  Also "28" the Northern Cardinal we recapture from time to time was caught today.

White-eyed Vireo

Photo by Bill Eaton

Totals for the past two sessions were 10 birds.  Remember you can see day totals on the pages part of this blog.  Red-eyed Vireo 3, Northern Cardinal 2, Gray Catbird 4, and the American Redstart.  George visited the banding station and got to release one of the catbirds.

George releasing a Gray Catbird

Photo by Nancy Price

Sometimes the fun pictures are not birds we banded.  Today an American Kestrel tried to claim the Osprey pole as a perch.  I think it had delusions of grandeur.  Also a photo of a Northern Mockingbird showing off its bling.

American Kestrel

Photo by Jane Wiewora

Northern Mockingbird

Photo by Crystal Conway

Crystal also photographed a Palm Warbler.  We are all hoping for one to eventually find its way into a net.

Palm Warbler

Photo by Crystal Conway

We will be banding on Friday, October 25 when a classroom visits Possum Long.  The next scheduled weekly banding will be Tuesday, October 29.  Nets up at 7 am.