April 8, 2014

Today was a good day at the banding station.  Summer humidity has returned.  Spring migrants have too but not in great numbers yet.  I was very glad to have Rich and Doris visit.  They are from my former home and it is great to have their company.  Rich helped at banding stations there so it was nice to share Possum Long with them.

Also good news is that the Yellow-crowned Night-Herons have come back to Possum Long to nest.  If someone on the team got photos I will update this post.

Today we had 7 new Gray Catbirds and a second-year female Prairie Warbler (no chestnut on the back).  We also recaptured a Black-and-white Warbler from October 10, 2013 and 2 Gray Catbirds One catbird was recently banded and the other was from last October.  The Black-and-white Warbler was just getting in the black throat feathers of a male - definitely a second-year bird.

Black-and-white Warbler

Photo by Jane Wiewora

We continue to see Gray Catbirds with mottled undertail coverts and one was almost entirely gray instead of rusty.  No molt was visible.  Very strange.

Gray Catbird

Photo by Nancy LaFramboise

We observed 30 species on the property - definitely rising numbers.  Of note last Saturday was a Magnificent Frigatebird flying over.

Next banding session:  Tuesday, April 15.  Nets go up at 6:45.