Wednesday, May 17, 2017

May 16, 2017

Once again winds shifted and were coming from the east.  Late migrants are practically finished and I hope they are mostly to their breeding grounds and have successful nesting.  We observed a few redstarts at Possum Long on Tuesday and we banded 2 new birds.  One Ovenbird and one Common Yellowthroat managed to find the nets.

Ovenbird

Common Yellowthroat

Thus ends the Spring 2017 banding at Possum Long.  My thanks to all readers who keep in touch.  My overwhelming appreciation to the volunteers who make this research possible.  We will resume banding some time in August.  I will post dates on an entry here.  For some reason this blog tells me I have 1 follower but I know more of you do get email reminders when I post.  If you have not signed up for that, you might consider doing so.  

I will soon post the results since the start of 2017 and some overall numbers.  I find numbers to be quite amazing and I hope you, my readers do too.


Monday, May 15, 2017

May 12 and 14, 2017 - Three of a Kind - a winning hand!

Following the success of last week, we decided to try an extra session on Friday.  There were a few remnant (hungry?) warblers around.  We saw Blackpoll Warblers and caught 2 American Redstarts and a Northern Waterthrush.  This has certainly been more redstarts and waterthrushes than ever before.

Northern Waterthrush
Photo by Bill LaFramboise

Sunday, although it was Mother's Day, we were thinking of banding.  The forecast was for a little bit of rain in the early morning and then winds from the west.  Usually one needs these winds overnight but we decided to at least listen at the property.  There seemed to be a lot of redstarts present so we set up a few nets.  First capture was another Northern Waterthrush.  Then came the redstarts.  Then another big surprise - our second ever Connecticut Warbler.  

Connecticut Warbler
Photo by Bill LaFramboise

Birds were present, we saw a Cape May Warbler.  Then we caught ANOTHER Connecticut Warbler. If you read the entry from May 7 you know how unbelievable this really was.

Connecticut Warbler
Photo by Bill LaFramboise

Not long after, the third Connecticut Warbler.  Stunningly shocked!  It was a very well marked male.

Connecticut Warbler

Connecticut Warbler
Photo by Bill LaFramboise

We ended up with two Great Crested Flycatchers who likely have finished with their nesting.

Great Crested Flycatcher

In total we banded 5 American Redstarts, 1 Northern Waterthrush, 2 Black-throated Blue Warblers, 2 Common Yellowthroats, 3 Connecticut Warblers, and 2 Great Crested Flycatchers.  An awesome day.

American Redstart
After second year male

Common Yellowthroat female

The next session at Possum Long will be on May 16.  Nets go up at 6:15.  There may be a few lingering migrants.  Bring bug spray if you are bothered but keep in mind it is not good for the nets or the birds.


Tuesday, May 9, 2017

May 9, 2017

Weather conditions once again turned favorable for birds to keep flying over us on their journey north.  There were still a few migrants around but numbers were much lower.  There were no longer 50 American Redstarts, more like 6-10.  Birds that were still present may have been resting or had stopped for more fuel.  In addition to the species banded we did see a few Blackpoll Warblers.

We banded 7 birds and said our good-byes to some more of our own helpers who will be heading north.  Linda and George brought refreshments and we wished Pete well on his journey to help at another banding station.

The seven birds newly banded were 3 American Redstarts, and one each of Swainson's Thrush, Common Yellowthroat, Black-throated Blue Warbler, and Ovenbird.

Refreshments

Swainson's Thrush

American Redstart (young male)


I will be checking the weather and the property to see what birds are around.  Likely we will do one more session on May 16.  If so, nets will go up at 6:30.  If not, I will change this announcement or post a new one.  Once summer and our break is underway, watch for a posting with results since our last update in December.

Sunday, May 7, 2017

May 2, 5, 6, and 7: Banders wait for days like this!

Tuesday, May 2, was our regular Possum Long banding session.  As I stated in the last blog one hopes for certain weather in order to see and catch migrants here in Florida.  That didn't happen on Tuesday so we banded just 2 Ovenbirds. As always, the group is terrific and we had fun watching and hoping.

Ovenbird
Photo by Roy Netherton

On the evening of May 4, there was a thunderstorm and prolonged rain.  This tends to make birds stop migrating and to look for safe haven.  Thursday morning I headed out to Possum Long even though my team, except Pete for 1/2 hour, wasn't available.  I set up and then stopped for a while due to rain but from 11 am until Bill joined me after work I banded.  I only ran 2 nets but we ended up with a total of 23 banded birds! There were American Redstarts everywhere.  I estimated 50 on the property. We banded 15 American Redstarts, 1 Ovenbird, 3 Common Yellowthroats, 3 Black-throated Blue Warblers, and a Blue Jay.

I think this is one of the most unusual things I have found in a net.  We have had dragonflies, cicadas, and more in the nets and back when I was training an American Kestrel dropped a mouse that it had caught but I never expected.......


....... a peanut.  I had just banded the Blue Jay and went back to adjust the net and found what it had left behind.  I guess it lost the snack for the day.

American Redstart (adult male)

American Redstart - young male with black face patches

Many of the redstarts were young birds, as is the young male above, and the young bird below.  It looks like this bird may not have had adequate food in the nest.  It will keep these flimsy feathers until the next molt in the fall.  Otherwise the bird was very healthy with a good store of fat and a lot of energy.  It had no trouble flying.

American Redstart with deformed tail

So, overnight the winds shifted to the NW.  This is another factor in Florida that makes birds land during migration.  It is on days like this that we can hope for a lot of birds.

And boy did we get it!!!  We set an all time record for banding at Possum Long.  We banded 49 birds. The only higher day was during a Painted Bunting session when we banded 50 birds (3/21/14 - Season 1 Painted Buntings).   Once again there were a lot of American Redstarts but also some new additions.  We banded 28 American Redstarts, 1 Northern Parula, 4 Common Yellowthroats, 8 Black-throated Blue Warblers, 5 Ovenbirds, 1 Swainson's Thrush and 2 Red-bellied Woodpeckers.

Common Yellowthroat (young male)

Swainson's Thrush

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Ovenbird

Black-throated Blue Warbler
Appalachian race

Winds continued from the NW on May 7 so we opted for extra session number 3.  Early on the crows were mobbing something.  We have 3 types of raptors on the property with fledged young.  We guessed one was near our nets.  Then a thud.  We found a young Osprey on the ground.  It did not move away as we looked so we called Martin County Animal Control.  An officer came out and at first assessed and observed the bird.  It could move its wings so the next step was to get the bird out in the open.  It finally flew off on its own.  

juvenile Osprey

After the Osprey rescue we processed 25 birds.  American Redstart numbers had dropped but throughout the day the Blackpoll Warbler numbers seemed to grow.  We banded 10 American Redstarts, 4 Ovenbirds, 6 Black-throated Blue Warblers, a Common Yellowthroat and 4 other birds (suspense).  

One was a Northern Waterthrush which we get only 1 or 2 a season so it was a welcome surprise.

Northern Waterthrush
Photo by Bill LaFramboise

Blackpoll Warblers (and Cape May Warblers) are so frustrating as they feed high in our tall trees. Other places where the trees are shorter they can sometimes be seen lower and would be more able to find their way into a net but not at Possum Long.  Well, today was a first - the first Blackpoll Warblers banded at Possum Long. Two of them - both females.  

Blackpoll Warbler - male  (not banded)
Photo by Bill LaFramboise


Blackpoll Warbler - female - one of two banded
Photo by Bill LaFramboise

So, was that enough excitement for today?  Nope, not even close.  Today we also had another new bird for the property; one I had never seen in the county and had never banded before.

CONNECTICUT WARBLER!!  This species travels through Florida very quickly and is hard to locate.  Bill and I have seen this bird in several other states and a few times in Florida.  Such a treat to see and evaluate in hand.

Connecticut Warbler
Photo by Bill LaFramboise

Winds are predicted to return to blowing in from the south.  This is ideal weather for the migrants so we wish them well on their journey to breeding territories.  

The next regularly scheduled banding at Possum Long will be Tuesday, May 9.  Nets go up at 6:30. Winds may be back to blowing from the west!














Monday, May 1, 2017

April 25, 2017 and a few more

April 25 will likely go down in the record books for numbers of birds.  Winds favorable for seeing migrants finally arrived and I was out of town!  Permit holder Pete Grannis with support from Jim and Roy banded a total of 24 birds:  12 Black-throated Blue Warblers, 3 Ovenbirds, 2 Gray-cheeked Thrushes, an Indigo Bunting, a Common Yellowthroat, a Veery, a Swainson's Thrush, a Gray Catbird, an American Redstart, and a Black-and-white Warbler.  My thanks to this crew who made it possible to not miss this wave of birds.  There might be more western winds later this week and we will be out there Tuesday or not!

Indigo Bunting
Photo by Pete Grannis

Black-throated Blue Warbler
Photo by Pete Grannis

Ovenbird
Photo by Pete Grannis

Black-and-white Warbler
Photo by Roy Netherton

Gray-cheeked Thrush
Photo by Roy Netherton

Our other permit holder, Bill LaFramboise, ran two sessions (April 22 and April 28) even though winds were not as favorable.  Several Northern Cardinals were banded as was a Gray Catbird and our final Painted Bunting.

Gray Catbird
Photo by Bill LaFramboise

Painted Bunting (SY)
Photo by Bill LaFramboise

Northern Cardinal
Photo by Bill LaFramboise

So, there should be a few more sessions at Possum Long and then we will break for the summer and see you all again sometime in August.  A future post will let you know when.

Next Possum Long Session will be on Tuesday, May 2.  Nets open at 6:45.  Remember pouring rain will delay or cancel a session.