March 17, 2018

On Saturday we took a long distance drive to return to PB 61.  It was a great trip!  We banded 14 new Painted Buntings which is a great total for additional visits.  This location has been very good for incidental species and this time was no different.

We banded a Northern Parula that had lost its tail.  It was growing in and all of the feathers were in sheath.  The parula had been feeding at some type of flower as it had pollen on its head.  Birds can be  important pollinators.  You can see the tiny bit of yellow at the base of the bill.

Northern Parulas

Photos by Bill LaFramboise

We also banded a Blue Jay, a Common Grackle, an Indigo Bunting (only second one the hosts had ever observed in their yard), and a Palm Warbler.

One other fun incidental was a female Summer Tanager.  We suspect that this bird was feeding on bees that were in a nest box in the yard.

Summer Tanager

Photo by Bill LaFramboise

Next Possum Long session will be on Tuesday, March 27.  Nets go up at 6:45 am.

November 19, 20, 22, and 23, 2016 Bunting Season underway

I cannot believe I am more than a week behind but it has been a busy week.  We returned to three former Painted Bunting sites and did a small session at Possum Long.  In addition to banding new buntings, it was nice to get some more return data.  Now that we are approaching our 1000th banded Painted Bunting it is harder to get reports of the returns.

On November 19, we were once again at Possum Long.  For the past few weeks we have been taunted by the calls of a Summer Tanager.  Today we caught and banded it.  It was only our second one of this species.  In the second photo you can see the "tooth" (small bulge on the upper edge) on the bill, typical of tanagers.

Summer Tanager

Summer Tanager

We captured and banded 4 other birds:  A Prairie Warbler, 2 Yellow-rumped Warblers, and a Common Yellowthroat.  

Prairie Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

On November 20, we returned to PB 1 where we banded 6 new Painted Buntings (all green - 4 young of the year and 2 female (which can only determined in hand)) and recaptured a few more.  One male showed an unusually colored undertail and another male looked like it had been attacked by something and was regrowing a lot of back feathers.  The tail was also half missing.  Both were recaptures.  

Painted Bunting - male

Painted Bunting - male

On November 22, we returned to the DuPuis Visitor Center's feeders.  Though we only banded one new Painted Bunting, we were able to recapture 3 already banded birds plus 6 incidentals:  2 Common Ground-Doves, 2 Palm Warblers, a Northern Cardinal, and a Gray Catbird.

Common Ground-Dove

And on November 23, we returned to PB 58.  We banded 11 Painted Buntings (4 male, 2 female, and 5 young of the year).  This location had 3 of 4 birds return from last year.  Since we banded in the late spring, the 4th could be elsewhere as it was migration time when it was banded.  

Painted Bunting - male

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Next banding at Possum Long will be on November 29.  Nets go up at 6:15-6:30.  This will likely be one of the last regularly scheduled sessions until some time in January.  Keep a watch on blog entries for updates.    

November 24, 2015

Apologies for the late posting.  This session was mostly a recapture day.  We banded one Black-throated Blue Warbler.  We recaptured 2 Northern Cardinals and a White-eyed Vireo.  During the last 2 weeks I have also been doing a few extra small sessions to teach.  During one we managed to catch and band a Summer Tanager.  Lots of Yellow-rumped Warblers around too.

Black-throated Blue Warbler (female)

Photo by Pete Grannis

White-eyed Vireo

Photo by Georgia Binderow

White-eyed Vireo wing

Photo by Nancy LaFramboise

This White-eyed Vireo was originally banded in February, 2013.  It was recaptured at least one other time on October 14, 2014.  One has to agree that at least some species of birds return to the same location making habitat preservation so important.  Even a small 4.7 acre property in the middle of suburbia needs to remain for the birds that count on it.

Northern Cardinal - male

Photo by Nancy LaFramboise

Northern Cardinal - recaptured female
Photo by Georgia Binderow

Black-and-white Warbler

Photo by Nancy LaFramboise

Summer Tanager

Photos by Nancy LaFramboise

The Summer Tanager is species number 106 if you are keeping track.  The wing feathers, measurements, and underside led us to conclude that this is an after-hatch-year female.  The east coast subspecies is much brighter so that even the females show a "red" tone to their yellow coloring (otherwise known as orange).  

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Photo by Nancy LaFramboise

The yellow on the crown of this Yellow-rumped Warbler was actually hidden under the darker colored feathers.  We noticed a little yellow and then parted his feathers to see the lovely color.

Next scheduled banding:  Tuesday, December 1.  Nets go up at 6:30.  We will be set up near the pond.