September 30-October 2, 2015 ROAD TRIP!!

Nancy Price, Jane Wiewora, and I took a trip to visit the Jekyll Island Banding Station (JIBS) in Georgia. Jekyll Island is about 5 hours north of us.  We wanted an opportunity to do two things:  see, evaluate, and band species we have yet to experience and to network with another banding team. JIBS has operated for the past 38 years.  They band every day for about a month from late September into October.  They are monitoring fall migration in a coastal scrub environment.

Nets at Jekyll Island Banding Station

We had a wonderful visit to this station and appreciate the folks who made us so welcome.  JIBS is an all volunteer effort under the direction of bander Evan Pitman.  We are thankful that he was willing to share with us and to let us band two exciting birds.  More information on JIBS can be obtained from Evan at westernpalm@gmail.com  or on their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/JIBS-Jekyll-Island-Banding-Station-145147734084/timeline/ 
Donations can be made at this page or by contacting Evan.

Thursday morning was fairly hot and humid.  The station banded 49 birds (9 species) and all of them were familiar to us.  We assisted with extracting the birds from the nets, data recording, and observed station procedures.

Jekyll Island--South Beach, Glynn, Georgia, US

Oct 1, 2015 7:00 AM to noon
9 species

White-eyed Vireo 2 Banded
Red-eyed Vireo 1
Gray Catbird 2
Common Yellowthroat 19
American Redstart 1
Palm Warbler (Western) 14
Prairie Warbler 2Northern Cardinal 7
Painted Bunting 2

We were very pleased to be able to observe a hatch year Painted Bunting as the young birds (male and female) that we get have undergone their first fall molt which makes them the same as older female (green) birds.  This bird was starting its fall molt but still had young browner/grayer juvenile feathers, was molting body feathers, and had yet to grow in its replacement tail.  

Painted Bunting

Photo by Nancy LaFramboise

Thursday evening there was a change of weather with a hard rain.  Friday was cooler, drier, and overcast.  Species diversity increased and the station caught a total of 87 birds.  Two of them were birds we had not had at Possum Long.  Evan was very generous and allowed me to study and band these two.  I will always remember JIBS as the place where I was able to reach a milestone in my banding experience.

Jekyll Island Banding Station  Jekyll Island--South Beach, Glynn, Georgia, US
Oct 2, 2015 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM

18 species (2 subspecies of Palm Warbler)

Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1 banded
Downy Woodpecker 2 banded
White-eyed Vireo 3 1 banded 2 recap
Red-eyed Vireo 1 banded
House Wren 1 escaped
Carolina Wren 2 banded
Gray Catbird 8
Northern Mockingbird 4 3banded 1 recap
Black-and-white Warbler 1 banded
Common Yellowthroat 44 banded
American Redstart 1 banded
Cape May Warbler 2 banded
Black-throated Blue Warbler 2 banded
Palm Warbler (Western) 7 banded
Palm Warbler (Yellow) 1 banded
Prairie Warbler 1
Northern Cardinal 5 4banded 1 recap
Painted Bunting 4 banded
Baltimore Oriole 1 banded

First bird new bird for me was a Yellow-billed Cuckoo.  My 100th species banded.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Photo by Jane Wiewora

The second bird was a Baltimore Oriole.  

Baltimore Oriole

Photo by Nancy Price

Baltimore Oriole

Photo by Nancy LaFramboise

We are continuing our study at the Possum Long Banding Station as well as the color banding of Painted Buntings (see pages).  We are also open to more experiences with new birds and locations. I'd like to experience other small birds that we have yet to encounter.  I will be looking for opportunities to explore other birds groups such as shorebirds or possibly gulls or terns.  Who knows?  Keep reading and we will share it all.

Hopefully I can add some more photos soon when we process more images.  Come back soon!