March 26, 2013

Today was a day of visitors.  As it is spring break, two students were able to visit Possum Long Banding Station.  Matt and Anthony were both able to pitch in to help set up nets.  Right off we had a net full of birds - 3 Gray Catbirds and 2 Northern Mockingbirds.

Matt holding and then releasing a Gray Catbird

Anthony holding and then releasing a Gray Catbird

Photo by Lisa Fiore

Even Lisa (mom) got to hold a bird.

Northern Mockingbird

Then there were the visiting birds - the next capture was a Prothonotary Warbler. It was a male as told by the amount of white in the tail feathers and a 2Y (second year) bird by its greenish back and back of head (not bright yellow like the throat and underside).

Prothonotary Warbler

Photo by Crystal Conway

Prothonotary Warbler

Prothonotary Warbler

Photo by Crystal Conway

Not long after Nancy Price called to say there was another warbler, this time a Worm-eating Warbler.  Wing measurements indicated that it was male.

Worm-eating Warbler

Photo by Nancy Price

Worm-eating Warbler

The rest of the day we banded Blue Jays and more Gray Catbirds and evaluated a few recaptures, that is until the last bird of the day when we had a "green" Painted Bunting.  At this time of year one cannot tell if the green ones are females or 2Y (second year) males.  

Painted Bunting

A total of 13 newly banded birds today.  

I have added 2 new pages of data to the blog; year totals and daily totals.  

Next banding session:  April 2