January 5, 7, and 8, 2018

Welcome 2018!  The Painted Bunting season is still underway and we have more appointments.  Possum Long will begin again in February - watch here for updates.

We banded at PB 1 on January 5.  We banded 4 new Painted Buntings and recaptured 3.  Remember recapture data tells us a lot about plumage, age, and survival.

We could have had an interesting capture but unfortunately we did not catch the bird.  PB 1 was hosting a Dickcissel for a few days.  The bird even entered the trap but did not set off the treadle.  Seeing it and photographing it has to suffice.

Dickcissel at PB1

On January 7 we ventured to a new host site, PB 73, where we saw buntings but were unable to catch any.  The yard configuration, wind, and lighting alerted the buntings to the net.  We have provided this site with a temporary caged feeder in the hopes that they will use that and we can trap there.  In the meantime, several other species hit the nets.  We banded 3 House Sparrows, 2 Red-winged Blackbirds, and a Palm Warbler.  

House Sparrow

Photo by Bill LaFramboise

This male's throat will become much more black not by molting but by wear.  You can see some black under the white at the bottom center of this photo.  The white wears off, revealing the full black throat.

Red-winged Blackbird

Photo by Bill LaFramboise

Palm Warbler

Photo by Bill LaFramboise

On January 8 we returned to PB 2.  We had hoped to visit earlier but the weather has been uncooperative to say the least.  We managed to band 5 new Painted Buntings and recapture 1 from a previous year before it rained.  We hope to return later on to band more of the unbanded birds that are there.

Painted Bunting

Photo by Bill LaFramboise

Painted Bunting

Photo by Bill LaFramboise

If all goes well and weather cooperates, we hope to be back at the Possum Long Banding Station on February 13.  In the meantime we will be at more Painted Bunting locations and will update here.

Painted Bunting Season 5 total:  80

February 15, 19, 20, and 21, 2017

Wow!  It has been a busy week.  We went to 2 past Painted Bunting sites and a new one.  We did an impromptu session at Possum Long in addition to this week's regularly scheduled Possum Long banding.

On February 15, we actually went to 2 Painted Bunting sites that are on the same street.  We caught 2 at one location and recaptured 1 at the other.  High winds were a problem so we are glad we caught what we did.  We also banded a Northern Cardinal with a broken beak.  Other than the beak problem, the bird appeared to be fine and healthy.  It is managing!  We also had two House Sparrows.

Painted Bunting - male

Northern Cardinal with broken beak

On February 19, we banded at Possum Long and made up a little for the recent low number of buntings banded. We banded 3 Painted Buntings and a Downy Woodpecker.  We also recaptured an Ovenbird and a Northern Cardinal.

Painted Bunting

Downy Woodpecker

One fun non-bird observation was our resident Gopher Tortoise chomping on the grass in one of our lanes where we put up our net!  Always fun to see a Gopher Tortoise!

Gopher Tortoise

On February 20, we went to a new site where 5 buntings had been reported.  This site is close to another one and we are hoping to see if there are any visitations back and forth.  We banded 3 greens (a female and 2 young birds) and almost caught the one reported male.  Now the hosts at this site can observe their feeder to see if they may actually have more unbanded birds or if they see banded birds from the nearby site.  We will likely return here.

Our regularly occurring session at Possum Long brought us visitors.  We had a home school group visit to learn about bird banding.   We were able to show them some of the birds we caught today.  We banded a new Northern Parula and Gray Catbird.

Northern Parula

Photo by Linda Wishney

We also had a few recaptures.  One was a Yellow-rumped Warbler that was originally banded on December 1, 2015.  At that time we determined it was an adult male.  That means the bird is at least 3 years old and possibly older.  The other recaptured birds were recently banded but had remained on the property.  

Next regularly scheduled banding at Possum Long will be on Tuesday, February 28.  Nets go up at 6:45.

October 30 and November 1, 2016

On October 30 we returned to PB 61 and banded.  The wind was challenging and we are working on placing feeders so that we can catch more Painted Buntings that are there.  Despite the challenges we banded 3 new buntings and recaptured 2 from last spring.  We had quite a few incidental captures which incidentally added 2 new species to my banded list.  I really appreciate the hosts at PB 61 (and everywhere else!) as they make all of the research possible.  Incidental captures included a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, a Gray Catbird, a Northern Mockingbird, a Common Yellowthroat, a House Sparrow, and the two new ones; Spot-breasted Oriole and Blackpoll Warbler.  The Blackpoll is rare this time of year as they tend to migrate south over the water, not land.  It is also getting late.  Typically they feed high in treetops so it was very good to band this one.

male Painted Bunting

Common Yellowthroat

Northern Mockingbird

Blackpoll Warbler

Spot-breasted Oriole

November 1 we banded at Possum Long.  We had a very good Painted Bunting day banding two new ones and recapturing two from previous seasons.  

We also banded a House Wren and two Black-throated Blue Warblers.  We recaptured the same White-eyed Vireo from 10/1/16 that had been banded in 2013.  It is still doing very well.  The Northern Cardinal that we recaptured was born this past summer.  It has now begun to replace its tail with adult feathers.  You can see the color change in the photo.  The feathers in the center are newer and more red than the outside ones that still show the browner color.

Northern Cardinal

Next banding will be Tuesday, November 8.  Nets go up at 6:15 am (time change folks!)  We may be closer to the pond if our net lanes have dried.  Expect Yellow-rumped Warblers!

September 13, 2013

Just a short post to update a new bird to Possum Long - of all things a House Sparrow.  Being among suburban houses, we had long ago expected this species.  The first one landed in our nets during an impromptu session.  Typically introduced species are not banded but we would like to see if more House Sparrows are detected at the growing numbers of feeders at Possum Long and is this one going to be around.

House Sparrow

Photo by Nancy Price

Other birds banded were 2 Ovenbirds, 1 Blue Jay, and another Brown Thrasher.  With the rain and wind shift we had hoped for more migrants but they did not occur.

Ovenbird

Photo by Nancy Price

Blue Jay 

Photo by Nancy Price

Brown Thrasher

Photo by Nancy Price

The Blue Jay is a hatch year bird based on the absence of barring on the wing feathers just under my thumb. The Brown Thrasher is an adult based on the wonderful bright yellow eye and extensive molt.

Next scheduled banding still September 17.