October 2, 2018 another new species banded

We hope we are making progress toward our new banding project.  We now have our federal permit updated to WA state and our new project.  The proposal has also been submitted for our state permit.  The state agency has a maximum 60 days to review the application so it might be a while until we can start our banding.

In the meantime we are still working with Dr Ed Rykiel on his project.  We go out to local parks on most Tuesdays and today was no exception.  His project color bands four species; White-crowned Sparrows, Song Sparrows, House Finches, and Dark-eyed Juncos.  They are only banded with one color that indicates the location banded.  We have typically been catching the two sparrow species and a few more regulars.  The juncos aren't back yet and the House Finches are more typically caught later at feeders.

Today we banded 14 birds.  Most were the expected Song and White-crowned Sparrows.  We also caught a Bewick's Wren.  There were three other really fun birds:  Almost first off we caught an Orange-crowned Warbler.  This one was quite yellow, typical of a western sub-species.

Orange-crowned Warbler
Photo by Bill LaFramboise

Then we caught two Golden-crowned Kinglets.  Usually this species is very high in coniferous trees.  We have seen them low in shrubs during migration before so maybe they were moving.  This is #117 if you are following my banding life list.  Both birds were male and showed off their golden crown with the hidden red stripe.  It doesn't entirely show in this photo but you can see a hint of red.

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Later we caught a Golden-crowned Sparrow.  Both "golden" birds were new for Bill.

Golden-crowned Sparrow
Photo by Bill LaFramboise

Not a bad day of banding.

December 12 - 18, 2016

However you celebrate let us wish you the best.  Find out what makes your heart sing and do it.  We are ever so grateful for family and friends and all who make my heart sing by being able to do this research.  I appreciate the volunteers and the hosts who are contributing to our expanding knowledge of Painted Buntings and the other birds we band while doing this project.

The last four sessions of 2016 are done.  We will now celebrate arriving family.  We will be tallying birds since the fall Possum Long Banding through the end of the year.  Keep in touch for details (totals at the bottom of the page).  Painted Bunting banding will continue in the New Year and Possum Long banding will resume as we see more birds returning.

On December 12, we banded at PB 48.  This is home of the bird that ended up in Cuba!  We banded six more Painted Buntings.  One was a green bird with red highlights.  We had been told this is a trait of older females.  Well, surprise, this bird was born last summer.  The colors are NOT this bird molting into male colors.  That doesn't happen until the fall of next year.  It does not even mean it might be male - we just don't know.  Likely it had lost a few feathers for some other reason entirely and they grew in more red and one was actually blue (on the belly!).

Painted Bunting

Another bunting we captured had lost its tail and it was regrowing.  It looked so different with a short tail.  You can see some of the sheaths that cover the new feathers.

Painted Bunting regrowing a lost tail

On December 14, we went to our first new location of the season.  PB 65 had buntings and quite a few warblers.  We banded some of each - 3 buntings and 10 incidentals:  A Black-throated Blue Warbler, an American Redstart, an Ovenbird, an Orange-crowned Warbler, a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, a Northern Cardinal, a Northern Mockingbird, a Blue Jay, a Red-bellied Woodpecker, and a Mourning Dove.  We saw other warblers as well.  If there were this many warblers still at Possum Long I think we'd be banding there.

The Blue Jay had had an injury to its bill.  Possibly caught in some kind of snap-trap.  The Red-bellied Woodpecker was quite red on the belly which is very hard to see when they are clinging to a trunk of a tree.  

Blue Jay with old bill injury

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Red-bellied Woodpecker

On December 16, we returned to PB 32.  In addition to two more Painted Buntings we were glad to catch five American Goldfinches.  We also banded five Northern Cardinals.  Surprisingly, one was still showing signs of being young (most young cardinals born last summer have completely molted now and have all adult plumage).  

American Goldfinch - non-breeding male

Northern Cardinal

Today, December 18, we banded at PB 10 where we have not visited since Season 1.  We were glad to return even though not many Painted Buntings were at the feeders (yet).  We will likely revisit in the spring.  The buntings have plenty of places to go once they see the nets and go to eat elsewhere. We banded two buntings, three Yellow-rumped Warblers, and a Mourning Dove.

Mourning Dove

green Painted Bunting - born last summer so cannot tell if it is male or female

(Not all of the labels would fit so some are abbreviated.)

March 1, 2016 Opening Day!

I expected opening day to be a little slow and it was, but it was also VERY GOOD (read all the way to the end).  First off was the expected Gray Catbird. This one received a new band and we also recaptured a different one from a practice session we did 2 weeks ago.

Next we banded a green Painted Bunting.  We can truly only say that this bird is green.  We cannot tell if it was female or male.  It was born last summer and still had some all gray feathers from its first molt (see arrow in the first photo below). It has to go through one more molt before we can tell if it is male or female. Had the feathers been green-edged we would have know it was female (see second photo below).

Painted Bunting born last summer - note plain gray feathers

Painted Bunting female (not the bird from today)

note green edges on the same feathers that were gray in the photo above

We caught a Ruby-throated Hummingbird in one of the nets.  I do not have the special endorsement needed to band hummingbirds.  It was photographed and quickly released.  It sat on my hand for a brief moment and then flew off.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Photo by Pat Marshall

We also recaptured an Ovenbird that had been banded last September.  Since we were not banding for a bit and had not seen or caught it on the property since October, it is hard to say if it stayed for the winter or was now returning north through the property again.

So, the big surprise for opening day was our first ever Orange-crowned Warbler at Possum Long.  We had banded one at a Painted Bunting site two winters ago but this was a first for the property.  This was good excitement for the day with many photos taken.  In Jane's photo the orange crown was visible.

Orange-crowned Warbler

Photo by Nancy LaFramboise

Orange-crowned Warbler

Photo by Jane Wiewora

Next banding:  Tuesday, March 8.  Nets open at 6:30