April 10 and 11, 2018

During migration in Florida, seeing and catching birds to band depends on the weather.  It is hard to wish for bad weather as that means birds have a very hard time getting where they need to go.  However, if it is bad, we can take advantage of the situation.

Weather forecast for Monday night was rain with winds coming from the west.  This can be ideal for seeing migrants at Possum Long.  We banded on our regular Tuesday as well as Wednesday.  Though winds stayed a little too strong for ideal capturing, we did manage to band 19 birds on Tuesday.

Very early on we caught a Swainson's Warbler - only our fifth.  These are pretty secretive birds so it is always a pleasure to get one.  This was our first during spring migration, the other four were banded in September or October.

Swainson's Warbler

Photo by Pete Grannis

We also banded a lot of Worm-eating Warblers - our highest day total of this species.  Our highest year total was 5 and we tied that this day.  Although these two species are similar in appearance, in hand one can readily see the different crowns and the much larger bill of the Swainson's.  

Worm-eating Warbler

Photo by Jan Stanard

Twelve species of warblers were seen and 8 of those we banded.  The others banded were 2 Northern Parula, 1 American Redstart, 2 Black-and-white Warblers, 1 Black-throated Blue Warbler, 2 Ovenbirds, and 1 Palm Warbler.  Others seen were Black-throated Green, Cape May, Prairie and Yellow-throated.  

American Redstart

Photo by Jan Stanard

Northern Parula

Photo by Jan Stanard

Black-and-white Warbler

Photo by Pete Grannis

Pretty much it was a warbler day with the other species banded being 2 Painted Buntings and 2 Gray Catbirds.  We also recaptured 2 Blue Jays, 2 Painted Buntings, and a House Wren.  

Wednesday was less of a warbler day but we did add another species.  We banded a Northern Waterthrush.  We added 3 more Worm-eating Warblers to break the year total.  We banded a total of 11 birds - the above and 1 Painted Bunting, 1 American Redstart, 1 Northern Parula, 1 Black-throated Blue Warbler, 2 Ovenbirds, and a Blue-headed Vireo.   Thirty birds in two sessions - a really good two day total.

Northern Waterthrush

Photos by Bill LaFramboise

Blue-headed Vireo

Photo by Bill LaFramboise

November 27, 2016

Yesterday we banded at PB 46.  We recaptured a few buntings and banded 7 new ones.  Incidental captures included a Chipping Sparrow, an already banded Northern Cardinal, a Blue-headed Vireo and a Red-bellied Woodpecker.

Blue-headed Vireo

Red-bellied Woodpecker - female

Interesting to note is that PB 46 hosted a bird from PB 3!!  One of the first instances of a bird from a different feeder/location showing up elsewhere.  Now that we are in Season 4, maybe birds that have survived this long are starting to establish new patterns.

We have received a report of a banded Painted Bunting (one of ours!) at a new location.  It was originally banded in November, 2014 in Lake Worth.  It was first seen at the new place on November 27 in Boynton Beach.  The bird was in its male colors when it was banded which means it was born earlier than 2014.  This bird is at least 3 years old (soon to be 4 when all banded birds age a year in January!).

Painted Bunting resighting away from banding location

Photo by future PB host!

March 4, 2014

We had a fairly good session today but we had to work hard for it.  Birds were around all day but we are guessing that a lot of bug-eating is going on way up in the trees.  We had several Yellow-throated Vireos today (photos below) and we banded a Blue-headed Vireo - first one banded on Possum Long.  The only other new captures were three Gray Catbirds, a Yellow-rumped Warbler, and a green Painted Bunting.

Blue-headed Vireo

Photo by Nancy LaFramboise

We recaptured a female Northern Cardinal that was banded in October.  She was just packed with fat.   Nest building, egg laying, and brooding are all energy intensive things.  She's getting ready to nest as there was no sign of a current brood patch so she is not on eggs yet.

Northern Cardinal

Photo by Crystal Conway

No pictures of the Painted Bunting we caught but it was color banded.  It was a green one meaning it was female or a first-year male.  We will let you know if this one shows up at a nearby feeder.  

In addition the the vireos, we had a Summer Tanager on the property today.

Pat got pictures of the Yellow-throated Vireo as well as a White-eyed.  Three Vireo species on the property today.

Yellow-throated Vireo

Both photos by Pat Marshall

Next banding:  March 11, nets up at 6:30.  Yes, I know there's a time change but there's also more day length.  It will be darker at the start but maybe we'll get a few more early captures.

NEW START TIME:  7:15 ignore above start time