August 22, 2016 - A NEW LOOK

With Marko's help we tried moving to another blogging platform but there was no way to move  everything and to also maintain statistics.  We are 20 views from 20,000!!  So, I have decided to merge the Painted Bunting activities onto the main blog feed this season.  Painted Bunting news won't all be in one place but hopefully you can follow.  

Banding at Possum Long will likely occur mostly during migration.  Good news is that we are on the verge of Fall migration starting.  First session will be around the second week of September unless we see or hear of migrants prior to that.  Watch for new posts and the bottom of each post!

From Season Three

Male Painted Bunting sitting ON a net - not going in

This bird was already banded and from the data we know he is at least 8 years old!

Painted Buntings started returning to host locations at the very end of July.  On July 30, PB 60 had a male return.  It was not banded.  SEASON FOUR begins.

Since our project started we have discovered that Painted Buntings actually return earlier than most feeder observers realized.  Now, more people are hanging feeders earlier and many hosts now are observing more.  Many hosts have a few buntings at this time.  We do know from feeder observations that the majority of birds arrive by late September/early October.  The "early birds" are either moving through and get a boost from feeding at the feeders or they are birds that have "their" feeders mapped and are staking their claims.  

PB 44 had a banded male return to their feeder on August 16.  It had been banded in Season Two.  

We returned to PB 46 today.  They had a banded female return to their feeder.  We know that any returning banded green bird is an adult and can be called a female.  Unbanded green birds can now be aged in hand so we know if they are adult (female) or birds born this last nesting season that may be male or female.  Green birds can only be aged in hand.  Many birders do not realize that green birds may be young males.

We did not recapture the banded bird (photo above) nor any of the three unbanded males that had been observed. We did have incidental captures of 2 Blue Jays, a Common Grackle, and a male Northern Cardinal. All 4 were born this past summer.  

Common Grackle (HY)

Common Grackle (HY)

Note brown juvenile feathers in the wing with more shiny adult feathers in the center

Blue Jay (HY)

Head is molting feathers as were the wings

Banding at Possum Long will resume on Tuesday, September 13 and on Tuesdays afterward until migration is done.  There will be another post but plan on sunrise.  This notice will be at the bottom of each entry including Painted Bunting posts.