March 17, 2018

On Saturday we took a long distance drive to return to PB 61.  It was a great trip!  We banded 14 new Painted Buntings which is a great total for additional visits.  This location has been very good for incidental species and this time was no different.

We banded a Northern Parula that had lost its tail.  It was growing in and all of the feathers were in sheath.  The parula had been feeding at some type of flower as it had pollen on its head.  Birds can be  important pollinators.  You can see the tiny bit of yellow at the base of the bill.

Northern Parulas

Photos by Bill LaFramboise

We also banded a Blue Jay, a Common Grackle, an Indigo Bunting (only second one the hosts had ever observed in their yard), and a Palm Warbler.

One other fun incidental was a female Summer Tanager.  We suspect that this bird was feeding on bees that were in a nest box in the yard.

Summer Tanager

Photo by Bill LaFramboise

Next Possum Long session will be on Tuesday, March 27.  Nets go up at 6:45 am.