March 30, April 2 and 3, 2018

Painted Bunting banding is progressing and we are nearing the end of Season 5.  Even Possum Long was pretty much about Painted Buntings.

On March 30 we returned to PB 37.  We are very thankful that this host was willing to let us come on short notice when someone else had to cancel.  It was a very good session and we banded 10 buntings.  Our host is a wonderful photographer (award winning!) and I am including her photos below!

Painted Bunting - male

Photo by Susan Faulkner Davis

Though we banded those 10 and recaptured one, this one was not caught but was sighted later at the bath!  More good data!

resighting of a male Painted Bunting

Photo by Susan Faulkner Davis

We also banded incidental captures including 3 Common Grackles, a Red-bellied Woodpecker, and a surprise recently fledged Northern Mockingbird.  Note the spotted breast and the fleshy gape where the upper and lower bill are joined.  Its tail was still growing in.

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Photo by Bill LaFramboise

Northern Mockingbird

Photo by Bill LaFramboise

On April 2, we returned to PB 3.  This site is very close to Possum Long as the bird flies and it is one of several locations where we have shown that Painted Buntings will use feeders over 1/2 mile away from each other.  We recaptured a bird that was banded at Possum Long this past fall.  We also banded 5 new buntings. and recaptured another from a previous season.  

At our regular session at Possum Long on April 3 we banded two new Gray Catbirds.  They will be leaving very soon.

Gray Catbird wing

Photo by Bill LaFramboise

We also recaptured 3 Painted Buntings.  Two had been banded on February 19, 2017.  Always nice to prove that these birds return.  One was originally ID'd as a female and of course it still is, but she was developing a redder color on the underside which we sometimes see.  We have been told this likely indicates and older female.

older female Painted Bunting

The third one had been banded at PB 3 during Season ONE, February 19, 2014!  It was young and green at the time and now shows its male colors.  It had not ever been resighted by us at Possum Long or by the host at PB 3.  A lot of people are skeptical when birds don't "return" and it is hard to say whether they keep moving, feed elsewhere, or are are just not observed.  Here's a bird that is now 5 years old that has been "rediscovered"!

Next Possum Long regularly scheduled banding will be on April 10.  Nets go up at or just before sunrise.