March 5, 2018

My how time flies and I have four more updates to catch up on.  On March 5 we went to a new location,  our 75th!  I must say that all of our hosts have been so fun to meet.  This time was no different.  The habitat of this yard supported many buntings as well as so many butterflies.  It is good to meet kindhearted folks like here.

This location is within a half mile of another site as the bird flies but a bit farther by road.  There is a little water separating the two but it will be great to see if these two locations share birds!

We banded 12 Painted Buntings and had 7 incidentals.  A Northern Parula was first catch and was a treat as always.

Northern Parula

Photo by Bill LaFramboise

Painted Bunting (male)

Photo by Bill LaFramboise

Other incidentals included a Gray Catbird, a Northern Cardinal, 2 Blue Jays and 2 Common Grackles.

On our way home we went to Loxahatchee NWR to check on a Vermilion Flycatcher that has over wintered.  It was nice to see how much more red it has than it did in November.

Vermilion Flycatcher

Photo by Bill LaFramboise

This is a catch-up post.  Next Possum Long Banding will be listed on the March 13th entry.