December 17, 2013

Well, good thing we attempted to keep banding in December as this one is so much different than last year.  Part of the solution is having more nets.  We also concentrated on the pond area today as that's where most of the bird activity has been.  Also, having ready, willing, and able volunteers makes a difference.

Today at first we had recapture birds.  Northern Cardinal and Gray Catbird.  Another unbanded Northern Cardinal was released because its legs were too thick for the proper band.  We saw this last year and were told the thickening is due to bird mites.

Northern Cardinal with thickened legs

Photo by Bill Eaton

Northern Cardinal recapture with molting body feathers

Photo by Bill Eaton

Then we got new birds; a total of eight.  Four were Yellow-rumped Warblers and they just may be the "birds of the winter".  There's a lot to learn about aging these birds.  The upper tail coverts help as well as some of the body markings.  The blue edges to the coverts and the bluish coloring of the back of this one indicates an adult non-breeding male as does the traces of black coming in on the face mask.

 Yellow-rumped Warbler

Photo by Crystal Conway 

Yellow-rumped Warbler 

Photo by Bill Eaton

Yellow-rumped Warbler 

Photo by Bill Eaton

We also got two Gray Catbirds and a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.  We hadn't had a gnatcatcher in a while.  It always amazes us how really small this bird is.  It weighed 4 grams (1/7 of an ounce!).  

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher into the bag to be weighed

Photos by Bill Eaton

Also exciting was capturing another Painted Bunting.  This was also a "green" like the recapture of last week - not able to determine age or sex of these.  Could be female or a young male.  

Painted Bunting

Photo by Bill Eaton

We are now working with Dr James Rotenberg at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and Florida Wildlife Commission to color band Painted Buntings on their wintering grounds here in Florida.  So, this "green" was the first to be color banded at Possum Long.  A lot of this banding will occur at feeders and we have already banded 13 at Nancy Price's feeders.  More information can be found at the Painted Bunting Observer Team (PBOT)'s web page at http://www.paintedbuntings.org/  Even though we are just getting started we have made it to the blog on that site.  Most of the Painted Bunting banding except those captured at Possum Long will not be written up here.  We will let you know how this information gets posted.  

Painted Bunting

Photo by Bill Eaton

Next scheduled banding:  December 31, 2013 - expecting Boy Scout Troop to visit.  Nets go up at 6:30 am.  

First 2014 banding will be on THURSDAY, January 9.