January 28, 2017

We made it to a new county.  We banded in Kissimmee in Osceloa county.  What a great experience as so many of our sessions are.

We banded 21 Painted Buntings and surprisingly most were adult and many were male.  Thirteen were male, 5 were female, and 3 were born last year so undetermined (young and green).

Painted Bunting, male

Though we cannot band hummingbirds, if one is caught in the net we (of course) extract them.  We saw evidence of at least 4 birds:  Two immature males with varying amounts of red, one molting tail feathers, and one adult male.  We had moved feeders to prevent them being in the path of the net but the birds were accustomed to flying that way anyway.  They quickly learned to not do that!  The photo isn't as red as is sometimes seen but that is only due to the angle of the photograph.  It was red. 

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (adult male)

We also had 16 incidental captures:  6 Northern Cardinals, 3 Blue Jays, 3 Chipping Sparrows, 1 Ovenbird, 1 Carolina Wren, 1 American Goldfinch, and 1 Tufted Titmouse!!  The Tufted Titmouse was a new bird for me to band (113).

Tufted Titmouse

For the Carolina Wren, is interesting to note that the barred pattern is only on half of each wing feather.  When the wing folds, the unmarked portion is under the neighboring feather.  

Carolina Wren

Ovenbird

We are still planning on a February 14 start to the "spring" season at Possum Long.  Details will follow soon.

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

March 19, 2013

We had a busy day today and it started off with a treat.  We heard a Chuck-will's-widow singing in the dark of the early morning.  The weather forecast had us concerned but we did not get any of the "R" word, just very muggy weather.

Quite soon we caught (you guessed it) Gray Catbirds!  For the day we had a total of 4 new banded catbirds and 2 recaptures; one was banded on December 16 and the other on February 12.  There seemed to be more Gray Catbirds present than any other time since we began.  One can only assume that more are moving through.  This also makes me wonder if the one from December went somewhere else and is now retracing its "steps" back through Possum Long.

We were also delighted to note the return of Yellow-crowned Night-Herons to Possum Long.  For the past few years (and maybe longer) they have nested on the property.

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Photo by Pat Marshall

Returns and recaptures were the theme of the day.  We recaptured the Northern Parula from last week and the male American Redstart from January 22.  We had seen him (with his band) on the property after he was originally banded so it is fairly safe to say he overwintered on or near the property.

American Redstart male

Prior to recapturing the male American Redstart, we did catch a new female-looking American Redstart.  It is hard to eliminate the possibility that it could be a second year male as they look much like the adult female.  Most males would start to show black mottling on the head or face but not all of them do so in March.

American Redstart

American Redstart

We also banded a pair of Northern Cardinals.  The male was quite bright.  We found one body feather still in the sheath that protects the feather as it grows in.

Northern Cardinal female                                                                Northern Cardinal male

Northern Cardinal male - body feather growing in

Northern Cardinal - Nancy Price taking his picture

and the picture Nancy Price took!

Most fun was having a pair of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.  At one point in the day Nancy Price said she had not heard any but not long after that we heard one.  On the next net run there were two in the net.  The male was molting in some of his iridescent throat feathers (gorget).  The female was molting tail feathers. Though small, these are tough birds and they flew off in fine fashion after we extracted them and looked them over.  They were released unbanded as I do not have the permits to do that.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - female

Photo by Nancy Price

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - male
Photo by Nancy Price

Ruby-throated Hummingbird with tail feathers growing in

Photo by Nancy Price

As always, I am very thankful to those who volunteer at the station.  

Next scheduled banding:  March 26

February 26, 2013

Today was a humming good day.  We banded two Gray Catbirds and released a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird from our nets.  We cannot band hummingbirds as that requires a special permit.  We had a quick look and let it go.  Other Ruby-throats were heard at Possum Long today.

male Ruby-throated Hummingbird

photo by Nancy Price

Apologies to Nancy Price who takes wonderful pictures when I am not moving so much.  Even though this one is out of focus I included it as you can see the red gorget (iridescent throat patch).  

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

photo by Nancy Price

One of the flowers where the Ruby-throated Hummingbird feeds:  Powder Puff

Today was warm and muggy.  The birds were very quiet.  We spent some time with photographer Alex Boerner of the Stuart News who is going to feature our new banding station and ways of volunteering .  http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2013/feb/28/volunteers-band-birds-at-possum-long-nature-in/

pretty flower noted today

Mottled Duck

Proof that the birds were present in low numbers today was our day list of 22 species and adding only Great Blue Heron to the species list for 2013.  There were both Mottled and Wood Ducks on the pond again.  We saw them perched in a pine near the house.  Maybe they are considering using the nest box???  There were no Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and only 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler.  But there was a Northern Parula singing - is this the slump before more spring arrivals?  Time will tell.

Next banding:  March 12, 2013