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!

October 23 to 27, 2016

Whew, I'm a tad behind!  This might be a long one!  On Sunday, we banded at PB 46 where in Season 3 we already banded 75 buntings.  There were more to be banded but a malfunctioning trap kept our numbers low.  We were glad to receive data for returning birds (at least 18!)  We banded three more greens as well as incidental captures of House Wren, 2 Common Grackle, 2 Northern Cardinals, a Blue Jay, and an Indigo Bunting.  This month marks a milestone for both Pete and Bill with Pete banding his 300th bird and Bill banding his 100th.

Northern Cardinal

House Wren

On Tuesday we banded at Possum Long.  Things have very much quieted down there.  We had a visit from a marvelous Home School group.  The 20 students and several parents got to see us band a Black-throated Blue Warbler.  After that we did an exercise where the students found stick "bird legs" which they measured with a leg gauge and banded them with "color bands" made from drinking straws.  No two combinations could be the same.  We matched their leg measurement to a real bird size.  One might think the stick is small but a lot of the sticks were the size of one of our largest bands!  ( 5 = Eastern Screech-Owl!)

Color banding exercise

Black-throated Blue Warbler (female)

Photo by Robin Potvin

We did catch another Black-throated Blue Warbler and were packing up when one net produced three more birds to "save" the day.  Two were green Painted Buntings and one was a Gray Catbird.  

One Thursday we banded at PB 48.  Our host has built a feeder that fit our traps and we had much more success there than on previous visits.  We saw one bird that was previously banded, banded 13 more; 11 greens and 2 males!!  Pretty good for only having seen 9 greens!  I keep trying to tell folks that you cannot tell how many birds you have until there is something to differentiate individuals. There were still at least 2 unbanded green also.  

We had two really interesting buntings and created a fun one.  This bird got its Halloween colors.  

Painted Bunting

One of the greens appeared to be a very young bird (second/late nesting??) as it was still molting. This is very strange considering that molt occurs on the breeding grounds or soon after an early (August) arrival.  For those who have not seen previous molt photos on the blog, the white things are not bugs or damage, they are sheaths around growing feathers.  It looks strange but is normal.   

tail molting in - still quite short

molting in head feathers

molting in outer flight feathers (primaries)

Another bunting was molting but in this case the bird somehow lost half its tail and was growing in new feathers.  This likely occurred within the week prior to our banding as there is active growth.

male Painted Bunting with tail replacement in progress 

Total banded buntings Season 4 is now at 26.  55 to go to our 1000th banded bunting!

Next scheduled banding will be Tuesday, November 1.  Nets go up at 7 am.  

January 31, 2015 Grassland Sparrow Study visit

Though this did not occur at Possum Long, it is worth sharing.  For the past 4 years, I have gone to and assisted at the Weeki Wachee Sparrow Banding at Spring Hill, FL.  Marianne and Clay have been studying grassland sparrows for the past 8 years.  Their study aims to determine what species are present and if birds return to the same location (site fidelity).  Actually some birds have returned to the same field in subsequent years .

Grasslands at the Weeki Wachee Preserve

yes, there are nets up

Grassland birds are hard to detect almost anytime.  On their breeding grounds they may perch higher and sing but most of the time and in winter they are deep in the grasses and if flushed they return to the ground and run away.  Birds are corralled into the nets by a line of people walking toward the nets.  Birds are extracted, banded, and released.

I was fortunate to assist with this effort.  We banded 26 birds.  3 House Wrens and the sparrows:  5 Grasshopper, 8 Savannah, 9 Swamp, and a Henslow's!  The Henslow's was my first observed in Florida and my 97th species banded.  Two Wilson's Snipe (I extracted one) were also caught but they are not on Marianne's permit so they were not banded.

Henslow's Sparrow

photo taken by a participant with my camera

Wilson's Snipe

Being busy I did not take photos of the other species but I do have some photos from other years which are shared below.

Swamp Sparrow

Photo by Bill Eaton

Comparison of Grasshopper (front) and LeConte's Sparrow (back) from 2012

LeConte's not captured this year

Savannah Sparrow

October 28, 2014

Today was a day of great bird observations, great lessons, and birders meeting and sharing, and, oh yes, we caught 4 birds.

We welcomed visitors and new volunteers today.  Photographer Paul York took some great photos:  https://plus.google.com/photos/+PaulYorke/albums/6075387246981075377?banner=pwa

Birds put on quite the show for us.  One of the first bird interactions was an adult Bald Eagle flying overhead with 2 Osprey defending their territory.

Later in the day we observed a small flycatcher that was often buzzed by a Ruby-throated Hummingbird.  We determined that the flycatcher was an Eastern Wood-Pewee.  We narrowed it down to pewee fairly fast (photos not high quality but helped with ID).  The long wing (primary projection) seen in the photo helped there as did the lack of eyering, etc.  We were bothered by the lack of light coloring on the underside of the bill.  We studied photos and finally ruled out Western (yes, we knew that was only a remote possibility but it pays to check) by the undertail coverts.  Jane found data in the banding guide that young Eastern Wood-Pewees can have dark bills.  A great lesson in narrowing down possibilities to an ID.  It would have been much easier if it had decided to vocalize.

Eastern Wood-Pewee

Photos by Nancy LaFramboise

Later in the day we observed a Cooper's Hawk.  This bird was chased by an American Kestrel.  It is hawk migration time after all.

Oh - banding - we banded a Gray Catbird.  Numbers of catbirds on the property are way down.  Looks like the high numbers from recent weeks have moved on.  Still we should have more of them this winter.

We also banded a House Wren.  Only the second one for the property.  We have moved the nets closer to the pond as we have learned that more birds hang out there in the late autumn/winter.  It seems the House Wrens like that habitat.

House Wren

Photo by Georgia Binderow

Next we had a Northern Parula.  This male bird is much less bright than in its spring plumage.  Still fun to see the light underbill up close.

Northern Parula

Photo by Georgia Binderow

Lastly we had a Palm Warbler.  Three of them teased us most of the day.  They foraged near the banding table so we moved a net.  The one we caught was in an entirely different net.

Palm Warbler

Photo by Georgia Binderow

NOTE:  Next week there is an event happening at Possum Long so we will not be banding there on November 4.

Next banding November 11.  Nets go up at 6 am.

December 10, 2013

I must say that I have a very enthusiastic banding crew and I appreciate them all.  Since the net across the pond was so productive and since we had yet to capture the House Wren and Eastern Phoebe, we placed two nets across the pond and 5 elsewhere on the property.

First we got a Yellow-rumped Warbler.  You can see the obvious yellow rump and also the less obvious faint eye line indicating the eastern "Myrtle" subspecies .

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Photo by Bill Eaton

Then Nancy Price brought the long-awaited Eastern Phoebe to the banding table.  We examined this flycatcher up close noting the bristles around its beak and the lovely yellow color of the interior of its mouth.  The legs were small in proportion to this larger bird's body.  The aerial life does not require strong legs.

Eastern Phoebe

Photo by Bill Eaton

Eastern Phoebe

Photo by Bill Eaton

Next on the agenda was the House Wren.  It was fun to reacquaint myself with a bird we frequently caught at the MAPS station where I used to band.

House Wren

Photo by Bill Eaton

The last new bird of the day was a Common Yellowthroat.  This was a young male bird.  The black edge of the face mask is just starting to appear.

Common Yellowthroat

Photo by Bill Eaton

We also had a recapture of a Painted Bunting originally banded in March.  A green Painted Bunting is either a female or a young male.  By looking we cannot tell age or sex even now.  Since we know when the bird was banded and time has now passed and the bird has not molted in the male coloration, we now know the bird is female.  

Painted Bunting

Photo by Bill Eaton

Crystal kept busy today noting birds on the property and photographing some of our surroundings.  A pair of American Kestrels kept us enthralled and this pink mushroom was quite different:

 

Both photos by Crystal Conway

By popular vote, next banding will be December 17.  Nets go up at 6:30.  We will take a holiday break and expect to resume on December 31 with a visiting scout troop.  Let's see how the year end totals are on the last day of 2013!