August 19, 2017

I am always grateful to to the people who host our banding and then keep such good track of the birds in their yards.

One host in Kissimmee has just reported a male banded bunting at his feeder that was not banded at his location.  This doesn't happen very often and is great data for hopefully tracking the paths of our Painted Buntings.

Painted Bunting (young green) 

Not the one at the feeder - an example

Thanks to his persistence, we know the combination and know where the bird was banded.  It was a young (green) bird banded on 10/21/2015 in Jupiter.  That host tells us that it remained in Jupiter until the middle of March, 2016.

One can hope that this bird either stays in Kissimmee or returns to Jupiter!

August 7, 2017

It's official - Painted Buntings are returning.  Over the years, with more people looking earlier, we are finding that August is the norm for a few Painted Buntings to return.  The first one to return to a host location was a male seen today at PB 46 in Jupiter.  It appears to be unbanded.  If it remains, we may try to band it and see if it stays at this site or moves on.  It appears to be molting which may mean it will stay for a bit.

Not as much is know about these "early" birds.  Last year we saw a lot of molt going on.  Typically the assumption has been that birds only molted on breeding grounds but likely some move at least a short distance and find a safe place with good food while they grow in a new set of feathers.

And now another update, PB 60 reported their first return on August 4.  That one was a "shabby" (molting?) male and another male on August 7.  THEY ARE RETURNING!

We have not yet set a date for the Possum Long Banding Station to open but we will post it here.  Keep in touch.