Wekiva Basin Bird Banding

A Good Day for Bird Watching...

2012-01-29T16:01:00.000-08:00

Despite a lack of captured birds, it really was an interesting day out at Lake Lotus. As dawn was approaching it seemed that fog might develop but then cleared, revealing a lot of birds flying high overhead. Robins, Waxwings, gulls... Land based birds were calling and singing but not really flying from place to place. In fact, we only caught one bird today. A Gray Catbird we first banded a couple of weeks ago. We caught that bird twice today. So, we spent some time wiring and trying to enjoy the show overhead.

While th rest of us cruised the net lanes, Richard checked the nest boxes for any sign of use.

For now, he only found some Flying Squirrels in a couple of boxes. one of them hosted a large family all snuggled up against the chilly weather.

Out near the lake Andrew found an Orange-crowned Warbler in the Willows. The Sun was still trying to burn off the fog remnants.

Not far away, someone dropped Net 18 into the leaf litter. Hmmmm...who could it be?

A pair of young Raccoons were investigating the cypress swamp area and most likely caused our time consuming vegetation extraction. At least they are cute enough.

Many Red-shouldered Hawks were roaming today but they backed off once the Ospreys began gathering sticks for their new nest. We also saw Bald Eagles, Wood Storks and other large birds today.

Though rather quiet today, Myrtle Warblers were actually very active and they were feeding all around the willows.

They are very pretty birds when you catch them in the right light.

One of our other favorites were more vocal. Palm Warblers were all around the property today.

We were winding up the day and then spotted an owl in the "Owl nest" across the river. They did not nest here last year and we have been wondering if this year would see them try again. Christine noticed an owl in the tree and Andrew headed back for a photo op. Momma was trying to settle in for some rest.

The nest tree is difficult to see from angles. Andrew scrambled down the river bank to get a branch-free view. It wasn't until processing the photos later that he noticed that the tree was smeared with blood. The owl must have captured and killed something fairly large for breakfast. Life in the jungle...

Andrew and Maria will head out to a Sparrow round-up next Saturday and we will post a combined post of both round-ups at some point. Then we will all be back for Sunday.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, February 5th.

All nets will be opened by 6:40 A.M.

Transition

2012-01-22T17:58:00.000-08:00

We aren't used to this kind of weather. The past 2 years have been extremely cold. Last year was super cold with temperatures falling below freezing often, even into late into Winter. This year, we are trending above normal with days this week forecast to hit 80! The trees are all beginning to bloom which will bring in the insects and a transition should be occurring soon as the birds find the insects.

We started off well this morning with 4 recaptures right at dawn. However, things quieted or moved upward into the tree tops as the morning wore on. That quick flurry of birds would be it for the day. Many migrants were still moving overhead. Robins, Goldfinch, and Waxwings traveled in flocks but, like everything else, stayed well above the nets. Still, there was enough to look at today.

Just after sun up, the chilly air reveled the breath of a singing Red-winged Blackbird. They have just begun singing. A welcome sound.

Just beyond the Blackbird a Limpkin settles onto the sandbar after calling since well before sunrise.

It was a bit of a surprise as a Swamp Sparrow jumped up into view near the lake and posed for a few photos as the Sun continued to rise. They are heard more often than seen.

Another bird heard more often than seen are the Common Yellowthroats. They call out every morning but they are rarely seen this time of year while they lurk in the marsh. This female was cruising the river just before it empties into the lake.

Maria brought visitors and found some other creatures along the lanes. like this Lady Beetle that was nicely lit up by the warming light.

One bird that is usually present during the Winter, but difficult to spot at times, is the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. This female stopped by to work over the snags near the end of the lanes.

Our recaptures included a House Wren, an Ovenbird, a Carolina Wren, and a Northern Cardinal. The latter birds are locals and the former were returning birds. The most often seen bird today was the Barred Owl pair. They often called for one another and joined together before deciding to rest up in the branches above the river by 10 AM. This shot was taken a bit earlier while they were still active.

Insects on the rise. a weak front heading this way Friday. Perfect weather Sunday. Hoping for some good birds next week!
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, January 29th.

All nets will be opened by 6:45 A.M.

Good Variety for January

2012-01-15T18:27:00.000-08:00

See this?

Temps headed toward the upper 40s for the morning. As we set nets, a few of the poles were showing signs of frost. By daylight, we could see more obvious signs. Frost can form even when the air temperature is well above freezing. Near the ground, in the right conditions, it can bring a bunch of pretty patterns.

It was under those condition that we began our second week of the year and hoped for what might be ahead. For the second week in a row, Net 15 provided our first bird, a Gray Catbird. Close behind, we recaptured a Brown Thrasher and caught right near that was an Eastern Phoebe. This young bird was awake very early for a flycatching bird.

As we were banding the first birds, Charles discovered a skink in the items on our table. It was nearly immobile with the cold air bouncing around an aluminum table top.

After the first birds were banded, Andrew held the skink in his hand to warm it and even took it for a little trip to check the net lanes. The Sun takes a while to reach the banding area so he had to find a sunny log down near the end of the lanes. The lizard was much more active but still needed a bit more warmth before heading off again.

Overlooking the lake, steam rises to greet the day. The remaining steam gathered into the center of the lake before dissipating.

Out of that remaining foggy bank, a Great Egret shot into view and headed toward the pier.

As Red-shouldered Hawks took to the skies today, the entire Blue Jay family was causing much noise. Either imitating them or calling alarms and then chasing them off, they were very loud. Suddenly, one of the family hit the nets.

These Jays are familiar to us and often hang out on patrol near the lake but we don't catch them all the time. This bird was a younger member of the group and a new one to add to our data. People often overlook Blue Jays as they fly about but their blue colors are simply stunning close-up.

Net 21 did produce some birds today before things got quiet. The first bird was a Palm Warbler we caught and banded just before Christmas.

Soon after that, an Orange-crowned Warbler joined the day. This male was showing its crown a bit as we prepared to release it.

Finally, our Barred Owls were heard all morning in different locations. By the end of our shift, one of the birds settled in over the river to rest. They have been hanging out around the old nest tree lately but we see no real sign of babies yet.

Other birds are flocking into the area this week such as Goldfinches and Cedar Waxwings. The weather is forecast to rise back to normal so hopefully we can shed some layers and band even more birds.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, January 22th.

All nets will be opened by 6:50 A.M.

Beginning 2012

2012-01-08T16:32:00.000-08:00

A light fog greeted us as we began our new year at Lake Lotus. We had hoped that birds would be up and at 'em but they were rather quiet today. We only netted a few birds. The first of the morning was a migrant Hermit Thrush.

Next up, one of our previously banded Whip-poor-wills. Definitely Bird of the Day and caught just a few feet from where we have caught it two other times over the years. Talk about site fidelity!

Slow days allow us to focus on the other wonders in Nature. Dew-laced mornings always reveal spider webs easier like the abundant Bowl and Doily Spiders that are set up all over the net lanes. Look closely and you can see the spider near its bowl.

Farther up the lanes, Maria found a nice web coated with dew.

A bit more eerie, an Orchid Spider seems to grasp the sky.

We also wander down to the end of the trail to look out at Lake Lotus to see what we can see. The rising Sun provides a calm look at the Window on the Lake building down on the boardwalk.

On the small sandbar, many birds come by to rest. Palm Warblers were grabbing bugs throughout the morning and eventually other birds stopped by. Like the resident Limpkins.

Joining that bird was a Wintering Wood Stork.

Nearby, a Common Gallinule swims by on the calm waters.

An nice find near the lake was a male Northern Cardinal. Better yet, we could easily see that it was one of our banded birds.

Traveling back up the lanes, we find some other interesting things. Recent rains are springing up mushrooms off to the side.

We noticed a lot of droppings all up and down the lanes today. Since we have not been here in a few weeks things had time to get back to 'normal'. One massive area of droppings contained some owl pellets. Breaking them open revealed small bones that owls cannot digest. Probably from small rodents.

Close by was a collection of vertebrae. A snake?

Weather will shift. Willows are beginning to set buds which will bloom and bring insects. Which brings more birds. Can already feel the next waves building. Can't wait!
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, January 15th.

All nets will be opened by 6:40 A.M.

A Glimpse of Things to Come?

2011-12-18T19:13:00.000-08:00

We ended 2011 with a new idea and prepare for a New Year. The thought of trying a new net location was too strong to ignore for Andrew so he set one up near the mouth or the river where it enters Lake Lotus. Took a bit of time to get things set up this morning but we did run the net for a short time. The day, overall, was subdued by strong northerly winds blowing right off the lake toward the banding site. It ended with a bang, though.

We began the day with a recaptured Northern Cardinal and a new Gray Catbird.

A bit later we managed to get a Brown Thrasher and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Things got really quiet after that until another male Ruby-crowned Kinglet returned to us. We first banded this guy last year. Still looking good.

As we waited, we got Net 21 set up in the willows. This area is really teaming with activity in the Winter but we have only been accessing it on foot to bird over the past year. Efforts were increased to extend the trail to make it farther out to the lake this Fall.

It was noticed that something had been scratching up the soil near the middle of the net lanes. It was in an odd 'X' shape but we also found a tell-tale print near the river. The otters are having a lot of fun up and down the river.

Nearby, a small group of Sawfly larva still chomp on one of the young pines planted by the Lake Lotus rangers. Seems they enjoy blowing bubbles!

Hiding in the vegetation, a Green Anole rests.

Frank came over to discuss some issues and we showed him the new net set up. He agreed it should be a good spot. Here, Frank, Andrew, and Charles head back up the lanes to wait for the next wave.

Then the fun began! This is Andrew returning from the next trip.

Heading down to check the new net, Andrew found a Kinglet in Net 9 and two Western Palm Warblers in Net 10. Typically, Palm Warblers have remained well South of the nets. Two other individuals bounced out of the nets as they examined their captured friends.

One of the most abundant wintering birds in Central Florida (along with Myrtle Warblers), Palm Warblers are hard to miss. They are the only warbler that constantly bobs its tail up and down and that behavior is easily spotted from a distance. Here, we can easily see the difference between an adult and a juvenile with more tan feather edges.

Adults also have very bright undertail coverts like this bird. Very exciting to finally start catching Palms again. We used to catch them sporadically at Wekiva State Park.

Meanwhile, Net 21 was already producing captures! Resting in the net was an Eastern Phoebe...

...and an Orange-crowned Warbler! This warbler was seen feeding in the same area last week with other birds striking the interest in setting the net here.

As those birds were being brought in, Maria had her hands full with a recaptured Brown Thrasher. The thrasher population is doing very well this year.

Finally, there were a couple of thrush species around the banding table today. A Swainson's Thrush hopped around for a while near the table and Maria had excellent views of a Hermit Thrush feeding on Beauty Berries.

Overall, an excellent day. New net set up and showing results already and a nice variety of birds, including a new species to band here. Going to be tough to not be out for the next couple of weeks but the holidays fall on Sunday this year. So, this wraps up 2011 for us. Can't wait for what we will find in 2012!
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, January 8th.

All nets will be opened by 6:40 A.M.

Easy to Be B.O.D if You're the Only One!

2011-12-11T12:59:00.000-08:00

There was talk of rain but it never materialized. In fact, it turned out to be a lovely morning. Unfortunately, there was very little bird movement in the area today. Not often that a Northern Cardinal gets to be Bird-of-the-Day. But, since he was our only capture he can wear the crown for a little while.

Plus, he was one of our new birds captured two weeks ago.

The majority of all birds seen today were down between the marsh and the lake, fairly far from our last net. If only there were a way to get a net set up in the willows where we have carved out a few trails to the lake. Hmmm...

It is tempting. If only it were set up for the Winter weeks when that area is in most use. Today, the willows hosted Titmice, Palm Warblers, Orange-crowned Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Eastern Phoebes, Swamp Sparrows, Common Yellowthroats, and more. Staring at a list like that suggests it would well be worth a try.

Red-winged Blackbirds and Wrens like that area, too.

Only one more week to band in 2011. Christmas and New Years land on Sunday this year so we only have next weekend. Maybe we start the year with a new net position.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, December 18th.

All nets will be opened by 6:40 A.M.

Back to 'Normal'.

2011-12-04T19:23:00.000-08:00

Last week was an exciting day with more birds than we usually get in a near-Winter's day. Today we slid back to a more normal day of activity to begin our December. The morning was overcast until around 9 AM and bird movement was limited.

It was a brief dawn-chorus and we still have yet to hear a Whip-poor-will this season. We caught our Whips in November the past couple of years. Instead, our first capture was a Swamp Sparrow up river in Net 20 across from the owl nest tree. This is the farthest up river we have caught a Swamp Sparrow which typically hang out in the marsh area near the lake.

A bit later we caught two Tufted Titmice. One was a recapture from last week and the other was a new member of the family.

We have been low on thrushes this year so it is always nice to get one anytime of the year. This Hermit Thrush was a recapture from 2 years ago. Instead of heading straight back into the woods, it landed in a nearby tree and watched us for a while before departing.

Time to explore the area for other wonders as we wait for more birds. Found near the pier was a strange looking bug that Susan found. The weird part was that it was flat on the leaf and then flexed into a folded position for a while before flattening out again. After much consideration, we think that this is an intermediate form of Lady Beetles after the larval stage.

On drier ground, Maria found a Dog-faced Butterfly exploring the St, John's Wort and other plants.

Hiding in the greener plants was a large Katydid.

Though quiet all morning, the White-eyed Vireos are still finding there way back into the net lanes. This adult was first banded 3 years ago!

When we first recaptured this bird 2 years ago we thought it was a juvenile since the eye was mostly darker than typical adults. Noting the first capture date, it showed us it had to be an adult. Later research shows that some of these vireos in the south actually retain the darker iris so we have to go by other aging methods for our Lake Lotus family. Note how the iris on our old friend is rather broken up and darker than a usual White-eyed Vireo.

Andrew looks over the bird before handing it over for its safe release.

Maria took the bird to the side of the banding table and opened her hand. The bird refused to fly off. It wasn't stressed or cold. Just sat there for a few minutes before finally taking off.

The Sun finally emerged from behind the clouds but it was getting near the end of our shift by then. Time to head home. One more bird was captured as the nets were gathered.

Finally, we captured a House Wren, which are usually all over the place this time of year. Only 3 were heard today, including this recapture from a few weeks ago.

The House Wren was recorded and released and we packed up. Next to the river, a Great-blue Heron overlooked the area as we headed out.

Goldfinches and Waxwings are moving into the area. We don't have much chance of catching those species but it is fun to hope we will.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, December 11th.

All nets will be opened by 6:40 A.M.

Viva Variety!

2011-11-27T21:17:00.000-08:00

Well, this is a change. On many levels. First off, we aren't use to our capture rates going up in November. Things are generally leveling out as December and the colder weather arrives. However, our numbers have been above average the past couple of weeks. Not complaining.

Secondly, we caught a wide variety of species today, including a first timer which would have to make it today's Bird-of-the-Day. So, lets dive into the morning!

It was an overcast morning as an approaching cold front headed our way but the winds remained calm. The dawn chorus was loud but brief. A single Barred Owl sighting consisted of the bird flushing near the river and them making weird, guttural noises and then disappearing for the day. Our first bird of the morning was a new male Cardinal. Cardinals have been absent for the past few weeks so it was nice to hear and capture them again today.

Also returning to the net lanes are the Catbirds. We captured a couple of new juveniles this morning, told by their light colored mouth linings.

If you look closely at the birds in the wild you can often see the rusty under-tail coverts. Here is a close-up.

Wren were very vocal today, including more House Wrens up and down the lanes. Here, Christine arrives at the table as we process a returning House Wren.

Carolina Wrens also were back in force and we recaptured an adult at mid-morning.

We were busy enough today so that even Susan got a chance to process a bird. We weigh the birds in the bag first and then subtract the weight of the bag again after the bird is removed to get a proper weight of the bird.

Numerous Ruby-crowned Kinglets were caught today including a few females...

...and our returning male which we caught last week and have recaptured several times since his first banding over a year ago.

As the daylight increased, Maria found a bunch of caterpillars on a pine near the river.

These turned out to be Red-headed Pine Sawflies. They can be destructive to young or stressed pines so we are informing the rangers of their presence and will determine how to deal with them if we have to. Still, they are rather pretty.

Also discovered was a strangely colored caterpillar farther down the lanes. No clue as to the ID but we have found other individuals with parasites on them before so this may be the case here.

One nice surprise of the morning was an Ovenbird. Haven't seen one for a couple months.

Jasmine got to release the Ovenbird. Seems like she is cold this morning!

Joining Jasmine was Jesica who was also bundled up and trying to stay awake. Thanks for coming out. Hope you had fun.

While at the table, Maria found a Lady Beetle larva crawling on the tackle box we store gear in. Amazing that they go from this stage to the cute little bugs we all marvel at as children.

Suddenly, as we thought it might grow quiet, Susan and Andrew made it down to the end of the lane to discover a wonderful sight. 5 birds all in Net 13. All within a 3 foot radius of one another and all different species! Must have been a feeding flock or one bird got caught and called out in alarm which drew in the other birds. One of the birds was our nemesis Eastern Phoebe (because it had been teasing us for a couple weeks right at the net).

Another great capture was a male Downy Woodpecker. We have caught several this year as their numbers are increasing.

Jasmine looks on as we prepare to release our latest prize.

One warbler that Andrew has been seeing for the past few weeks finally landed in our hands. Our first Orange-crowned Warbler!

Andrew was delighted to be so busy on a final November weekend.

The noisiest bird of the bunch was one of the local Tufted Titmice. It took a bite on every opportunity. We still love them, just the same.

Bird-of-the-Day? We have been watching Pine Warblers for the past few weeks and they are local birds but they almost always stay up near the tops of the trees. It was a great joy to catch a male Pine Warbler this morning.

As the morning wound down, Richard banded another new Cardinal, this one a juvenile male.

Rounding out the photos, a Great-blue Heron rests across the river as we wind up the day.

Overall, a very nice morning. Especially for the end of November. Typically we only capture a few birds this time of year so it was excellent to get so many new and interesting species this weekend.

Can't wait to see what December brings!
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, December 4th.

All nets will be opened by 6:30 A.M.

A Day of Recaps

2011-11-20T14:43:00.000-08:00

Birds were unusually quiet today but, surprisingly, we caught nearly 3 times the birds we have for the past two weeks. Even more interestingly, 2/3s of the birds captured today were originally banded anywhere from 9 to 12 months ago.

House Wrens led the biggest totals with a couple new birds and a few recaps. Some were from a few weeks ago.

We have been watching the calendar for the return of Hermit Thrushes and they did not disappoint. We captured 2 Hermits today, both recaptures.

And, as always, we recite our mantra on thrushes this time of year, "Tail, tail, tail!" Other brown thrushes have brown tails and Hermits have a more reddish coloration. Both thrushes were captured mere feet from where we first caught them last Winter.

We also got one of the locals again. A Carolina Wren banded earlier in the season. Oddly, locals have been absent for a while. Where are the Cardinals?

Most birds stay high up again but we did get some Ruby-crowned Kinglets, including a female early on.

Better still, we recaptured a male from a year ago. Love to see those bright red feathers!

Throw in a new Gray Catbird and we end up with a nice mid-November day of banding. Off to eat some other type of bird before the next scheduled day.

Happy Thanksgiving!
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, November 27th.

All nets will be opened by 6:30 A.M.

Sparrow Time!

2011-11-13T15:40:00.000-08:00

Still pretty quiet out here but we figured it was about time for the sparrows to arrive. First bird captured was the Bird-of-the-Day. A Swamp Sparrow.

All of our banded sparrows are caught down near the pier. Once the sparrows return they are often heard down in the marshy part of the lake so it is always nice to get some in the nets.

Most of the birds stayed way up in the treetops again but we did get another female Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

We snagged another Catbird. Same bird twice, in fact.

While waiting for birds to start moving, Andrew watches the marsh for activity.

Out on the sandbar in the lake, Common Gallinules (just changed back from Moorhen) were about the only thing out on the water.

Back at the table, Andrew and Charles process another bird.

A surprise guest joined us just below the banding table. A raccoon was trying to find a way back to the woods but wasn't too afraid to wait out a photo shoot.

We added a House Wren to the list for the morning but we were even happier to see a Zebra-wing Butterfly. Their numbers have fluctuated a lot over the past few years. In fact, they have become hard to find lately.

Another often overlooked flyer is actually rather pretty. Especially in this shot. A Long-tailed Skipper.

Warmer weather is back but should moderate by next weekend.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, November 20th.

All nets will be opened by 6:20 A.M.

Even Quieter

2011-11-06T15:17:00.000-08:00

The weather was cloudy with a few sprinkles in waves and the winds were gusting from time to time so we were not expecting much activity today. The Sun did not even make an appearance until 9 AM. You would think it would have discouraged the mosquitoes, but it didn't. So, we watch and we wait.

First up for the morning was another new young Brown Thrasher. Seems to be a nice family living down near the end of the lanes.

Most of the bunitngs departed a couple weeks ago so it was nice to see that a few stuck around. We recaptured an Indigo and a Painted Bunting today.

Down near the lake, the Salt-bush trees (Baccharis halimifolia) are in full bloom.

The Climbing Hempweed (Mikania scandens) is also making a pretty showing in several locations around the lanes.

Though not common over on our side of the river, there is some Milkweed blooming. Milkweed means Monarchs!

With so many flowering flora around, the fauna is taking advantage as usual. One insect that is showing up on the Guineagrass are what appear to be Oriental Beetles.

Nestled down in another plant, a pretty little cricket with a yellow stripe lurks.

Where there are insects, there are predators. Like this intimidating spider.

There was a brief flurry of activity once the Sun came out. Palm and Myrtle Warblers teased us just above the nets. Feeding with them were Blue-headed Vireo, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Titmice, and our local pair of Pileated Woodpeckers.

Back at the banding table, Andrew prepares to remove the next bird from a bag.

Happily, it was our first Ruby-crowned Kinglet of the season!

These Kinglets are our smallest Winter visitors. Our guest, Mary, wanted some scale so she placed a nickel on the table. The other connection to nickels is that Ruby-crowned Kinglets typically weigh as much as a nickel. About 5 grams!

On a sadder note, right before dawn, Andrew found a dead bird at the base of a tree. It is our assumption that this Sharp-shinned Hawk collided with the tree not too long ago. Perhaps it was chasing prey.

The hawk was turned over to the rangers who will try to have it mounted and used for educational purposes in the park.

Another cold front is due soon so hopefully it will bring us some new birds next week.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, November 13th.

All nets will be opened by 6:15 A.M.

The Tide Subsides

2011-10-30T15:49:00.000-07:00

Looks like we have crested the peak of Fall migration as a a cold front pushed through the area yesterday and opened the door for any bird that felt like it to move South at a rapid pace. Buntings, which have been all over the place for the past few weeks, were noticeably absent. We only could verify two individuals, one of which was a female with one of our bands on it. The mosquitos, however, were out in force after all of our recent rains.

Still, it is always fun to be out and get the week's data. Slower mornings always go quicker when we have visitors. Today we had several ladies out to watch the banding procedures and everyone seemed to have a great time.

This week, instead of a bunch of Buntings, we had a raft of Wrens. House Wrens, that is.

Catbird numbers are on the rise and we captured one more local Northern Cardinal. The males seem to glow even in the early morning dark.

While the front carried out most of the October migrants, we did have an increase in Ruby-crowned Kinglet sightings and it also brought in a species we should have been catching by now. We are finally capturing Swainson's Thrushes!

All willing visitors got to release a bird this morning. Julie got the pleasure of releasing one of the thrushes.

One more look at one of the many Wrens.

We should be seeing Hermit Thrushes soon and hope to begin banding the Kinglets.

Next Sunday is the end of Daylight Savings Time so remember to 'Fall back'!
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, November 6th.

All nets will be opened by 6:10 A.M.

A Lot More Indigo Buntings

2011-10-23T19:31:00.000-07:00

The morning began with a flurry and half of the birds processed today were Indigo Buntings. They were calling from one end of the net lanes to the other. Oddly, we captured zero local birds today. All of them were migrants. The one we regret not containing was a Belted Kingfisher that flew into Net 3 but escaped as we approached it. Next time...

The first run was very nice as we collected many birds right at sunrise. Love to see that many bags right off the bat.

So, we settled in for a lot of birds for the morning. We finally began getting more Catbirds which have been scarce this season.

Also on the increase are the House Wrens. They are also singing from time to time.

All ages of Common Yellowthroat were captured. Here, an adult male joined us near the Elderberry bushes.

We did get a few females and even a juvenile male. Notice the black feathers coming in around the chin.

However, as mentioned at the start, Indigos ruled the day again. Always love to see those Fall males showing of their remaining blues.

The females were very snippy today but were in larger flocks higher up in the trees.

Another male shows off his patches of blue.

Finally, we also captured our first Painted Bunting of the season. We have been seeing them around but they were too busy eating to fly around the lanes. Even the females are gorgeous.

Birds are still on the move. Probably more waterfowl than land birds but the Kinglets are around and we should start capturing them anytime now.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, October 30th.

All nets will be opened by 7:05 A.M.

Indigo Buntings Rule the Day

2011-10-16T04:51:00.000-07:00

So, we head out in hopes of Buntings and we were not totally disappointed. Indigo Buntings made up the highest number of birds today but we didn't see or catch any Painted Buntings. The Indigos were in all ranges, like this female.

Only one adult male was caught and he sported a punk haircut.

Several HY individuals rounded out the range.

The second-highest total was of House Wrens. Some we even caught twice on the same day! They are moving in all over right now.

One of our recaptures was one of our local Northern Cardinals.

One of our other migrants showed up where we expected. Net 18. Made for catching Northern Waterthrush!

Another recap, a Carolina Wren. We caught several local recaps and one twice.

Still not seeing any male American Redstarts out here but we have a lot of females.

Conversely, it seems we catch male Black-throated Blue Warblers and not females. Other sightings nearby are exactly the opposite.

Charles spotted a Downy Woodpecker near Net 5 but it flew on past. Image our surprise when we did catch it a bit later. A lovely female.

Always present, but rarely caught, another member of the Tufted Titmouse family was added to the daily count.

A very pleasant surprise was in Net 3 just below the banding table. Our first of the season Eastern Phoebe. It was nice to hear their calls along the river today.

Even better, our first ever capture of a Magnolia Warbler. This female was hanging out near the Holly and Fennel in Net 15.

Such a lovely little warbler.

As we began closing up for the morning, Andrew recognized a shape out of the corner of his eye. Down in the river, at the mouth of the stream leading from Bosse Lake, an alligator was sunning in the water. It later continued up stream. This was the closest to the table that we have seen one. No wading for us!

Finally, since they did dominate the day, another view of one of our Indigo Buntings.

Another big patch of rain is due this week and a new front should start our days heading into the 50s in the morning. Fall is really here. Can't wait for next week!
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, October 23rd.

All nets will be opened by 7:00 A.M.

Bald Eagle Banded at ARC

2011-10-15T16:50:00.000-07:00

We got a request to band a Bald Eagle at the Avian Reconditioning Center as they were planning on releasing it back into the wild. Richard and Christine headed out today and went about the process.

The Eagle was an injured individual and thought to be a migrant from the Mt. Dora area just to the North. It is thought that the bird was injured in a tussle with another eagle as its talons were all scraped up.

Now that the injuries seem to be healed, the bird was banded and was planned to be released back in the Mt. Dora area very soon.

UPDATE: The Bald Eagle was released successfully!

A View of the Flood

2011-10-11T11:37:00.000-07:00

Andrew here. I went out today to see how much the river had risen after our 3-day rain event. Orlando recorded about 7 inches of rain in that time. A large amount of the water run-off goes into the Little Wekiva river and through Lake Lotus. My quick estimate is that the river is up about 4-5 feet since we were last out.

Bosse Lake is just across the highway from the Lotus area and when it overflows it sends water into the Little Wekiva at this point. Normally, this stream is often just a tiny trickle. Today it is full.

At the base of the Barred Owl nest tree, the river is nearly flowing onto the mulch path that runs along the river within the park.

I headed down the lane and was greeted by the sight of where the river had breached the bank and right up to Net 13. Historically, this is where the river always spills over and then runs toward the back side of the lake.

Beyond there, I could not reach Net 10 or 18. Net 10's poles are about a foot deep under water.

I could make my way through the vegetation to reach Nets 16-17. They were still high and dry but just barely. When the lake gets full it backs up into a swampy area where we get most of our Waterthrushes. This shot is from the end of Net 17. I have never seen the 'swamp' this far up.

A tight shot down across from Net 18 shows that the water is nearly to the base of the pier entrance. Usually, the water is several feet below the bank at this point.

Wished we could have been banding today. There are a lot of birds all along the river today including House Wrens and Common Yellowthroats. Here, a male Common Yellowthroat popped up near the banks.

This is the peak season for Buntings and I saw several flocks of Indigo Buntings and a couple of male Painted Buntings. They were all feeding on the Guinea Grass seeds so I couldn't get a clear shot but they are there.

Loads of other birds are there, too, and hopefully they will stick around and have more join them by Sunday. Weather is forecast to be excellent.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, October 16th.

All nets will be opened by 7:00 A.M.

First Wave of Migrants Already Gone

2011-10-02T17:41:00.000-07:00

Bummer. We were hoping to continue our streak of large captures but this morning turned out to be quiet. Seems most birds have moved on from the first wave and are currently hugging the east coast of Florida and streaming down to the Keys and off to the South. The calls of the Yellowthroats have subsided but we did still manage to net a couple.

For the past 2 weeks we have watched as a Brown Thrasher was sitting in Net 13 in the same spot. Each time it escaped before we could grab it. Today, we got it! In fact, we captured two different juveniles throughout the morning.

Adding a little more color today was another female American Redstart.

She was very bright and a nice capture for the morning.

Overall, very slow. However, Indigo Buntings are being heard closer to the nets and we hope to start our wave of them next week. That is if the rains don't wash us out. Check back by late Saturday to see if we can still band next Sunday. Could be a front washing over us and the winds may be high enough to force us to sleep in.

UPDATE: It is official. We are sleeping in. Heavy rains and high winds are forecast through Monday. Hate to miss one of the peak weeks, but...
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, October 16th.

All nets will be opened by 7:00 A.M.

The Push is On!

2011-10-01T17:37:00.000-07:00

The first cold front of the season was bearing down on us so we decided to add Saturday to our banding schedule this week. Good call! The weather was a bit more crisp and it was a joy to not sweat all day long. This could have been the first big push we were waiting for and our very first haul was growing every minute. Here is the first row of bags and more were streaming in not far behind.

One of the first birds we captured was a new Ovenbird. It was just after dawn so the photo isn't that great but good enough.

Common Yellowthroats were calling from one end of the river all the way down to the lake. They made up our largest count for any species but we did end up with 12 species which is nice to see.

We caught some Gray Catbirds which have arrived right on schedule but did not take photos. There will be plenty of them all the way through April. Also on schedule were the House Wrens.

Among the local birds we caught were a couple of Blue Jays. Andrew was wearing his Jay Watch shirt on this unscheduled day instead of the standard uniform of choice.

This one insisted on this pose for a while before being released.

Somewhere along the way we discovered a snake hanging out by the table. O.K., it was just a rubber version brought by Richard and Christine. No actual snakes were seen today.

Though not often captured here, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers often swarm the trees so it is nice to capture one along the way.

In the net right next to the Gnatcatcher was an American Redstart. Only seeing females right now.

Susan found this caterpillar along the net lanes. any clues? We are still searching for an ID. Pretty, though.

Adding to the species list, we caught a White-eyed Vireo. We have a local group that never seems to get the true white eye, even as adults, so we have to take a bit more care on aging them by examining their mouth lining which changes as they age.

Always a favorite, Black-throated Blue Warblers are among the most beautiful migrants we get to band.

Throw in some recaptures and a few more local birds and we had a pretty good day. Indigo Buntings and Blue Grosbeaks were seen near the lake and we hope to catch them soon. We shall see tomorrow if this was the big wave or if more are on the way.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, October 2nd.

All nets will be opened by 6:50 A.M.

A Soggy End to September

2011-09-25T17:20:00.000-07:00

For the past couple of nights, Central Florida has been in a pattern of Sea Breeze storm system that have begun late in the afternoon and last well into the night. We weren't expecting the clear skies by morning to leave us with such a saturated banding site before sunrise. Must have really rained here because our feet were soaked from beginning to end. Though the stars and rising moon shined brightly, every tree still dripped from the deluge.

This meant that birds may stay put until the day warmed up. A few did venture out, but we actually did not capture our first bird until nearly 2 hours after we began. A few birds were bathing and preening but not much was flying about. Many Common Yellowthroat were seen and heard as were the locals. The owls and hawks made fly-bys to find their spots for the morning but our first capture was a new female Northern Cardinal.

Kind of a surprise to see unbanded birds still around. They must have had some good broods the past year or so. We even caught another second year female later. A Northern Waterthrush was spotted just around dawn down by Net 18. Two hours later, we had it at the banding table. Through the fogging camera lens (oh, it was humid) it says, "Let me go!" which we did immediately after this shot.

As mentioned, Common Yellowthroats were heard early in the day and they continued calling all morning. Eventually, we captured a female that was feeding closer to the banding table in a net that is historically the best spot for this species. We hope to get more next week and should be seeing buntings very soon, too.

A couple of birds were seen escaping capture including a Brown Thrasher (which often escape due to their size). Soon after that loss, however, we caught one of our favorite birds, a Black-throated Blue Warbler. This adult male was a very bright spot during the soggy day.

There were some feeding flocks that teased us for a while. Mainly Tutfed Titmice, White-eyed Vireos, Yellow-throated Warblers, and Carolina Wrens. Next week, October will finally arrive. The first couple weeks of October are typically the peak of migration season for land birds here. Last year was our biggest totals for single days at Lotus. Fingers are crossed to surpass that now that we have even more nets.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, October 2nd (maybe another day if the radar looks like the push is on!).

Update: We will band Saturday to try an get any new migrants riding this cold front. Both days will start at the same time.

All nets will be opened by 6:50 A.M.

Veery and Yellowthroats Return on Time

2011-09-18T20:32:00.000-07:00

The morning started well enough and then fell flat right at 9 AM. No real good explanation. There was a circling Cooper's Hawk near the end of the lanes but birds just went silent all along the river. Weird.

However, right on schedule, we caught our first Veery of the season right after dawn.

Also arriving in numbers were the Common Yellowthroats. We caught many this morning and others were seen and heard along the river.

Among the birds that we captured, we also netted a Green Darner dragonfly. Dragonflies and beetles are often caught up in the nets this time of year and we do our best to release them unharmed.

Down in the Morning Glory area near Net 14, the insects were showing up in large numbers. Some of the prettier finds were Tiger Swallowtail...

...Long-tailed Skippers on the Spanish Needles...

...another skipper...

...and a Scarlet-bodied Hawk Moth which we first found last year and is seen this time of year feeding on certain plants along the lanes.

We are still capturing Northern Waterthrushes at the end of the lanes like this one.

Got another Northern Cardinal and a new juvenile Carolina Wren to round out the day.

Our final photo is of a fern we found just beyond the net lanes. If anyone knows the species, please let us know!

Next up on the schedule should be buntings. Last year we were sighting and capturing Painted Buntings during the week of the 25th. Plenty of food waiting for them!!
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, September 25th.

All nets will be opened by 6:45 A.M.

Migrants Increasing and a New Surprise

2011-09-11T19:59:00.000-07:00

Radar was buzzing in the pre-dawn hours giving us hope for more birds today. They did not disappoint! Plus, we captured a bird we have never caught before but that will show up later in the post. Looks like our friends from the other side mowed the net lanes making our shoes not quite as wet but the recent rains still made for a soggy morning.

To start off the morning, we recaptured a female Northern Cardinal.

Arriving on schedule, we captured two Ovenbirds this morning. Actually, we spotted an Ovenbird a week ago but it avoided the net by 2 feet.

Down at Net 18 we found a Northern Waterthrush wrapped in the net. At the same time Andrew noticed another bird at the other end of the net that was a bit of a surprise. Again, we will get to that bird near the end.

Walking the net lanes, we discovered a bright spot on a tree halfway down. This fungus was very spongy to the touch and had a bright glow even in the shade.

This fallen bit of oak hosted a clump of Resurrection Fern. This fern also covers many trees in the region and gets its name due to the fact that in drier times it appears dead but seems to come back to life once the rain falls.

Another young Carolina Wren joined us soon afterwards. We have seen our other banded Carolina Wrens hanging back in the woods so it was nice to get another new bird banded and to see that the families are still thriving.

It had been a while since we were getting birds near the table but today we caught a couple in Net 11 including this lovely White-eyed Vireo.

It must be a migrant since it was loaded with fat.

Maria snapped a shot of Ivana and Susan as they walked the lanes and talked about the issues of the day.

As the day warmed the butterflies and other insects emerged to feed. One favorite spot is next to Net 14 where a large growth of Spanish Needles and Scarlet Morning Glories are in full bloom and the Swallowtails are feeding.

Nearby, a beautiful Damselfly rests on a leaf. They often join us at the banding table, too.

O.K., the big reveal of our Bird of the Day. As mentioned earlier, as Andrew was extracting the Waterthrush from the net he noticed another bird at the other end and hoped it would not escape before he could make it over to it. However, it was heavy enough to be kept from getting out. Our new bird was a Green Heron!

Don't think we have to check the records to assume we have never caught one of these birds before. We did catch a Great Egret at a demo in Orlando Wetlands Park a few years ago but wading birds are usually too large and too far away to net.

Net 18 is situated next to a swampy area near the end of the area where the Little Wekiva River reaches Lake Lotus where Waterthrushes, sparrows, Common Yellowthroats and even the Green Herons feed. We placed it here earlier hoping to get the Waterthrushes (which is working out nicely!) and hope to get more new species as the year continues.

Green Herons are fairly secretive and skittish. We often see them through the branches from time to time and today we also noticed two in that area. Usually we only have one.

A head-on veiw makes our new bird look a lot more like a chicken.

We always note how bird feet resemble dinosaurs and the heron often grabbed Andrew's fingers as we got our quick shots.

Unfortunately, our permit does not allow us to band wading birds (or endangered species and waterfowl) so all we could do was admire this gorgeous bird a bit before releasing it back near the spot that we found it.

Overall, a great early September morning of banding! If the schedule holds based on the past few years, we should see Veerys returning this week. Weather looks to be perfect for migration for the foreseeable future!
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, September 18th.

All nets will be opened by 6:40 A.M.

Better Late Than Never

2011-09-04T23:46:00.000-07:00

Oh, how we waited.

Hopes were high as the radar showed migrating birds were splitting around Tropical Storm Lee to the East and West. By the early hours, however, the storm had closed the door on the East and pushed everything West, as shown in this screen grab.

So, what to do? Patrol and let Maria take photos. Like this beautiful shot of an opening leaf along the trail.

Humidity was still high as seen in this shot of a Skipper on a grass blade.

One of the sights that captured Maria's attention the most was a fly on some other grasses. Still more curious about what those little red bugs are...

Nearby, a Lubber Grasshopper tries to hide in the Red Cedar we planted earlier in the year.

Not giving up, the rest of the team walked the lanes and Andrew hacked through the growing grass and weeds.

Growing along the riverside, Wild Balsam Apple, considered an invasive weed, opens its pods to reveal seeds ready to continue the next generation.

Oh, yeah. We are out trying to catch birds. Sadly, as the radar reference indicated, we had next to none. Even the local birds were quiet for much of the day. Then, as we were closing up for the morning and reached the very last net to gather, Richard called out if any of us would like to remove a bird from the remaining net. Well, sure! Our one bird of the day was a Red-eyed Vireo.

We gathered the remaining net and headed to the table to band our catch. A nice adult as told by the bright red eye. Younger birds have a brownish eye.

Another point of interest was the very high level of fat on our new arrival. Loaded to the brim!

Another week of waiting for the wave of migrants!
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, September 11th.

All nets will be opened by 6:40 A.M.

More Migrants Arriving

2011-08-28T18:35:00.000-07:00

We spotted a lot more migrants around the net lanes today. Unfortunately, they were just stopping long enough to grab a quick bite before heading directly to the South and not coming down into the nets. Oh, well. It was a pretty good day to bird watch.

Our one migrant of the morning was our 3rd Northern Waterthrush of this Session. Bill had photo duties today and did a great job getting some shots of our birds.

Our other birds today were a couple of Blue Jays. The first was a younger bird captured near the pier. The first hint of it being a young bird was noticed as soon as we got it out of the bag. Notice the grey wash on the top of the head.

Other clues to determine young Jays are that the juveniles have a lighter lining on the roof of their mouth as shown here. As the birds mature, the upper lining turns black.

Lastly, we also noticed that this bird was still acquiring new upper wing coverts.

Our other Blue Jay was an adult we first banded 2 years ago. Blue Jays are common here but we have only captured a half-dozen in the past 4 years. This adult seemed to have either some mite infestation or was heavily molting its head feathers.

Here is a close-up of the feathers coming back in on the top of its crown.

As previously mentioned, we spied a lot of migrants during the morning. Bill and Andrew enjoyed really nice views of a male Northern Parula feeding oh-so-close to Net 5 for a while. Another feeding flock moved in soon in which we found our first Ovenbird of the season and a number of Red-Eyed Vireos, one of which landed close overhead.

Other migrants seen today were Prairie Warbler, American Redstart, Blue-grey Gnatcatcher, Yellow-throated Warbler, and a remaining Ruby-throated Hummingbird.

Looking forward to the migrant count to keep growing and hope to actually band some of them. One month from big numbers.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, September 4th.

All nets will be opened by 6:35 A.M.

One is the Lonliest...

2011-08-21T17:31:00.000-07:00

Shhh. Quiet. We don't want to wake the birdies. Or maybe they just aren't here! Very low activity today left us with only 1 bird captured during our visit today.

Around 9 AM we caught our sole bird: a female American Redstart.

At least we managed a migrant. There are bird calls in the woods and there are some warblers high up in the trees but not much at ground level.

The Scarlet Morning Glory is blooming nicely right now. Up in the trees above this area we watched as about a dozen Northern Parula and a striking male Prairie Warbler gleened insects from the branches.

A wide variety of grasses are producing seeds right now. Just in time for the new visitors. We need to start getting IDs on all of these species!

Looking like a burst of fireworks, the Sensitive Briar plants are spreading throughout the area and exploding with bright pink flowers.

Oh, well. One is better than zero. We know the migrants are on the way. Perhap the departure of Hurricane Irene will usher in a better haul next week.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, August 28st.

All nets will be opened by 6:30 A.M.

Quiet, Yet Exciting

2011-08-14T17:45:00.000-07:00

Had a couple of surprises today. The first was the fact that the weather was fairly tolerable today as opposed to last week's sauna we slogged through. The other was a bird we captured, only one of two(!), but we will save that one until the end.

Right around dawn, a Northern Waterthrush flew into Net 10. This one was much more whitish than last week's yellow version we usually see in this area.

While Maria was on net patrol she heard some splashing at the river bend. She feared it was a gator but the suspect popped up for a couple of seconds revealing it to be one of our playful otters.

Heading back up the trail she spotted a male Pileated Woodpecker working through the dead tree snags.

Far below the woodpeckers, plants like the Golden Oxeye easily grab one's attention. They bloom year-round.

Meanwhile, Susan found other things to take photos of near the flowers. Skippers of many varieties visit throughout the year.

Oh, yes. I almost forgot. We caught another bird, didn't we? Maria came back toward the table with a bird she described as a cute little yellow thing with a yellow mouth. Hmmm... Warbler? Nope. A flycatcher!

We have captured Wood Pewees and the occasional Acadian Flycatcher but this bird seemed different. Definitely the flycatcher bill and the olive back like most Empids.

There is that yellow mouth that Maria was noticing. Flycatchers have slightly different colorations on and in their bills.

Flycatcher IDs are tough in the field and even in the hand. The easiest way to ID them is by their different vocal calls. However, most don't call often once they arrive in Florida. If they do, we are not used to the sound so it is of little use. Instead we have to take measurements or the tail and winds and consult our birding guides.

One descriptive ID note kept being found in different books. "No other flycatcher has a yellow throat". However, we know that some juvenile Acadians DO have a yellowish wash for a while. We will also send out the photos to Bruce Anderson who is much more skilled with flycatchers so we can get a more official call on this bird.

So, for now, we are sticking by our ID of a...Yellow-bellied Flycatcher! It would be a first for most of us. I hope we are correct.

Update: Call is official.

Many warbler reports are pouring in from around the state so fingers are crossed that we can manage to capture a few next time.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, August 21st.

All nets will be opened by 6:30 A.M.

Session 4 Begins!

2011-08-07T17:47:00.000-07:00

You never know how a day is going to go but none of us expected to be soaking wet from sweat before 6 AM. It rained fairly hard the night before and the morning heat made everything nice and humid. Before long we were all dripping. Much like the Tangerines...

Tree removal folks swung through last week and it appears they did little damage. They did run over one of the Cord Grass plantings and squashed the fruiting Wax Myrtle but it could have been worse. Weirdest part was finding a stump that used to be on the other side of the river blocking our access to Net 18.

We cut a new access point and waited for the birds to show up in the damp conditions. The bat we caught at dawn didn't count. Soon afterwards, we did get two babies. A Carolina Wren and this female Northern Cardinal.

All of the water is making everything spring back to life up and down the river. The Summer flowers are in bloom, including the spreading Passion vines. They used to be only near the front gate but are now popping up in several spots along the net lanes.

Not much seemed to want to fly about today. Can't really say we blame them. However, just as we were about to call it quits, we did get our first migrant of this new session. A Northern Waterthrush was captured in Net 18. Waterthrushes are why Net 18 is there in the first place as it sits next to a swampy area that floods during the rainy season. A favorite spot for this species.

We are also hoping for Louisiana Waterthrushes. The Northern variety are usually more yellow and have specs all the way up the chin as shown here.

We had had enough. The day was called a little early in fear that someone might drop from the oppressive conditions. Even the bees were looking for some shade.

Hoping for a bit more comfortable environment next Sunday. Not really counting on it...
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, August 14th.

All nets will be opened by 6:25 A.M.

Final Spruce Up

2011-07-31T18:37:00.000-07:00

Richard, Christine, Tanka, and Andrew headed out today to put the finishing touches on the nets lanes before next week for the opening of Session 4. No bears. Frank managed to get the mower in and did a great job clearing the net lanes for us. Then we got to business in the heat and humidity.

Richard and Christine head to the end to begin the next watering rounds. We now have nearly 60 native plants which are all doing well so far.

Summer flowers are blooming. Near Net 8 there are a bunch of St. Andrew's Cross (left) and St. John's Wort.

The never-ending process of weed control continued. Frank brought over some spray and we hit the unwanted plants hard.

Meanwhile, Andrew hacked away at any plants that would interfere with the nets by clearing things out from between the net poles.

A good find by Net 10. One of the Wax Myrtles is loaded with berries already! Maybe we can get some Myrtle Warblers this year.

The only dangerous part of the day was when Andrew nearly stepped on a Coral Snake on the way out. Cute but deadly.

A lot of birds around. More than 2 weeks ago. A good sign. Reports are already filtering of migrating warblers entering the state. Hope we can get off to a great start next week. Time to oil up the pliers!!
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, August 7th.

All nets will be opened by 6:20 A.M.

A Checkup of the Lanes

2011-07-17T21:23:00.000-07:00

We stopped by the site today to see how things were going. Since the rain has returned the plants have taken advantage. River is very high. Two days ago, Richard and Christine watched Tanka tree a Momma and two cubs of the Black Bear variety! No bears today.

Looks like we will need a bigger mower. The lanes are grown up all the way to the end.

Richard planted a few more Elderberry around Net 11 and we all pulled some Ceasar Weed and Air Potato. While assessing the thought of what might happen if the county actually comes in to clear some fallen trees from the river we also cleared some areas of dead and broken palm fronds (most likely from the bears looking for food).

As Richard cleared some grass from the edge of the river he discovered what appeared to be a burrow. Perhaps a den for some furry mammal?

Three more weeks until the new session begins!
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, August 7th.

All nets will be opened by 6:20 A.M.

Weeding and Planting and Cleaning

2011-06-05T15:08:00.000-07:00

Well, so much for sleeping in on the first Sunday off! Well, a couple more hours of rest but Richard, Christine, Andrew, and Tanka headed out to do some invasive control, tend new plantings and waterings, and to remove some trash from the river. Sit back. Another ton of photos.

We took some 'before' images in some areas, including one of the 5 Sand Cord Grass plantings by Net 19.

Around what will become the area of Net 20, Richard has added 8 new Blackberry plants.

Here, we see a long view of the Red Mulberry and new Blackberry plants along the river. We first used the pink marking flags for plotting where the first net poles would be placed. Now they have become quite handy in marking new and proposed native plants.

The Wild Coffee we planted by Net 12 were having a hard time. Some were continuously dug up and a the others just seemed tired. We have replaced them with Maple-leaf Viburnum. Seems like they could be an interesting addition.

Documentation done, we settle in to our main task of removing Air Potato and Caesar Weed. Once blanketing most of the banks, we have all but eliminated them on this side of the river. Introduced into Florida more than a hundred years ago it is extremely invasive and the rangers don't seem to like them. We have spent several years knocking them back.

Next on the list, Air Potato. We have done a phenomenal job at removing this vine from this side of the river. Most sprouting vines now seem to be from leftover tubers knocked down when we first began removing the sheets of them years ago. Most seem anemic and are not too deep in the ground.

Once a bunch of weeding was done, Andrew wandered down his trail at the end of the net lanes. From one spot there is a pretty shot of cattails and the edge of the lake. If only we could get rid of the condos...

Speaking of Cattails, they are all maturing nicely.

It was hoped that the trail could have been connected to the sandbar at the end of the river. However, the land ends at the mouth of the river with a huge break before reaching the bar. Now we can't sun with the gators...but we can get a nice view.

Next, time to get to unfinished business. Andrew finally brought his boots so he could get to some trash down in the river. Note the wet shirt. Yes, the humidity made it back this weekend.

Down near the end of the net lanes, we have been trying to figure out how to get the supposed boat part out of the river. The water was dropping but we did get rain last week so it was back up a bit. Still, this had to be done. Minutes after sizing up the situation, Andrew tried to pry the back of the debris with one of the net poles.

A good start, but it was still in deep water. Without going all the way in, what to do? A couple minutes later, a way was found across the river and a small piece of the hull was used as leverage to move it higher up into the stream.

Now that it looked possible, Richard climbed down to try and grab an edge.

Success! The huge hull was captured!!

Since no fishing is allowed from this part of the water, Richard and Andrew are proud of their catch for the day.

Finally, Andrew discovered a new addition to the river this morning. Some new gate. It could not be moved so it must have been purposefully anchored since last week.

According to the rangers, they are planning to have carp added to the lake to control some weeds. This gate is thought to be used to stop the carp from moving up river into other bodies of water. We shall see.

OK. Now for sleep for real. Until the next weeding time later in the Summer.

Session 4 will begin on the first Sunday in August. Weather permitting...
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, August 7th.

All nets will be opened by 6:20 A.M.

Session 3: A Fine Finale

2011-05-29T18:39:00.000-07:00

We woke to heavy smoke this morning generated by several fires in the area. They were thought to have been sparked by late storms yesterday. Humidity is up, too. Beginning to sweat at 5:30 AM makes us glad we decided to not band June-July. Today is the last banding day of Session 3 and with a clear radar and all this smoke, could it be a fizzle on the way out? Hmmm...

Susan called Andrew while they were setting nets before dawn. First catch of the day. Already?

Not a bird, but a bat! Not exactly sure which species but there it was. We had some thin gloves but it turned out that we just had to get the strand around the wing free and the bat flew off into the gloom. Whew!

Once the Sun began to rise we caught our first bird of the day. One of the first 4 Northern Cardinals we ever captured here back in 2008. Next up was one of our newer members of the property, a young Carolina Wren.

Things grew quiet and we began to wander and do some trimming and watching Nature. As the Sun crept higher, we could easily see the smoke that was filling our noses all morning. Fortunately, the breezes kicked in and cleared most of it out by 8:30. The stumps in the photo are of invasive China Berry and Camphor we felled a while ago.

Insects for the day included some Lubber Grasshoppers and some Leaf-footed Bugs.

A bit later a Buckeye Butterfly was seen along the lanes.

Bill spent some time trying to get some shots of the fish in the river. A small school of rather nice looking Bass were spotted over what we think is a portion of a boat submerged in the riverbed. We will try to raise it in the future as the river level falls.

There have been an increasing amount of Talapia filling the river, also. Some are huge!

One of the biggest surprises of the morning was Bill's encounter with the resident Bobcat. We have found scat in the area for years and there have been rare sightings by others over the years but we finally got a shot. According to Bill, the cat was spooked by the rangers but reemerged from under the boardwalk to clean its fur and just look around as he tried to get some shots before the cat moved back into the park.

Meanwhile, up in the pines, a Pileated Woodpecker swung in for some food options.

All along the lanes, the Beauty Berry plants are blooming nicely.

We repositioned Net 19 in preparation of adding new plants there soon and headed out for one more net check. Christine noticed two birds in Net 14. We ran to them before they could escape and discovered two Red-bellied Woodpeckers! Net 14 is near a known nest tree this year and we wondered if we could capture any of them. Christine removes one as Andrew gets the other.

Seems we got Dad, noted by the bright red feathers extending all the way towards the bird's bill.

Surprising us was that Dad also has a brood patch.

The other bird was one of the newly fledged chicks!

As we headed back to the table we found a couple more birds. Another Red-bellied Woodpecker from another family. This time a Mom.

She was none too happy and showed it by grabbing Andrew before being released.

We have been hearing young Northern Cardinals back in the woods and were wondering if we would catch one. Today was the day! We caught two!! The females are always a bit more dull but still beautiful.

Young males show more red all over, especially around the head. Both birds show their age by the dark bills that will turn bright red-orange as they become adults.

So, that wraps up the Session. Susan captured the exit march as we headed toward our cars. We all say goodbye to the site for banding until August.

Just outside the gates we found a bunch of Leather Flower blooming along the fences.

We will do some ground work a few times during the next couple months, including adding Sand Cord Grass around Net 19 and replacing the wild Coffee around Net 12 with Maple-leaf Viburnum. Black Berries will be added near the Mulberry trees. Should have fruit all over soon.

Session 4 will begin on the first Sunday in August. Weather permitting...
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, August 7th.

All nets will be opened by 6:20 A.M.

Getting Quiet, Hot

2011-05-22T18:18:00.000-07:00

Would it be more babies this week or slim pickings? Unfortunately, the latter. Just not much moving around today as the humidity finally creeps in. We did capture a Brown Thrasher right before sunrise.

It was not in a mood but we needed to tighten that band a bit more.

A bit later we caught one of our adult Carolina Wren pairs together in Net 4 but we didn't take photos as we have plenty of them. However, Maria finally made it back out and took a lot of shots around the riverside. Such as this one showing that the next crop of Muscadine Grapes are beginning to set.

Still blooming strong for another year is the Partridge Pea near Net 2.

Even grasses can be pretty in their own right.

Maria and Susan headed down Andrew's trail that leads to the lake.

Anyone know what the name of this bug is?

An Ichneumon wasp wanders around in search of food. We believe genus Eutanyacra.

We began hearing the now familiar calls of the local Summer Tanagers. Andrew decided to try and get some shots.

However, they stay so far back across the river it is proving difficult. See that tiny red dot...?

Great-crested Flycatchers do come a little closer but not by much.

Meanwhile, a native Green Anole turns from green to brown. Or is it turning brown from green?

Time to go home. One more surprise as we captured a Mourning Dove in Net 18 just as Christine was about to close it up!

Mourning Doves are often too hard to catch as they are too big for the mesh size in the nets but we do get a few.

One more week before the end of Session 3.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, May 29th.

All nets will be opened by 6:00 A.M.

A New First and Some Last Migrants?

2011-05-08T14:40:00.000-07:00

Radar looked promising at 4:30 AM. What would we find today? A lot of babies and a new surprise. I will have to save the surprise for the end but it was the first bird captured today. At about 5:30 AM. Can you guess?

We will start with our only migrants for the day. Two adult male Common Yellowthroats. Never get tired of them despite how tangled they can get.

We captured a couple of new adult male Cardinals and one recaptured female. Thought we had caught all of our locals by now. We also captured a number of Carolina Wrens. Two adult recaptures, two juvenile recaptures (banded last week), and 3 new juveniles.

Other baby captures included 3 juvenile Tufted Titmice. A whole family was feeding near the river and Andrew watched as the first two flew into Net 1. He was waiting for more to join them but with Barred Owls around lately he decided to go get them though the owls were not in sight. Anything cuter than a newly fledged Titmouse? We think not.

Turns out that getting them then was a good idea. As the birds were being extracted we heard the adult Titmice getting upset. Not with us. Glancing to our right we found the source of the anger.

Along the way, we caught the two adult Titmice and one more juvenile. One of the adults was actually one of our first Titmice ever banded back in 2008! Family is still going strong.

Ready for the surprise catch? Andrew arrives at the banding site an hour and a half before sunrise to begin setting nets. Based on past capture rates in certain spots, selected nets are set first along the lanes before other volunteers arrive to catch up on the remaining nets and we work our way out to the end and back to the table. Susan arrived a bit later and found our new bird in one of those first nets.

An Eastern Screech Owl! A first ever wild capture for Wekiva banding stations. We do band rehabilitated Screech Owls from time to time. We weren't sure of the disposition of this species so we donned a glove just in case. Turns out this bird was really quite docile.

We were scrambling for size 5 bands as we do not usually stock up on larger sizes out here. The largest we rarely use is size 3 for Mourning Doves.

The owl was banded and so calm that is posed for several photos.

This is an adult Red-morph Screen Owl. Florida also has Gray-morph versions. Like the one Andrew sometimes gets in his yard in Orlando.

Susan got a beautiful shot before the owl was released. It never tried to use its claws but did attempt a quick nip at the gloved hand before release. Gorgeous.

One last shot from the morning. The Button Bush are blooming along the river. Such an interesting flower.

Let's see if we get any last migrants before we begin to wrap up the 3rd Session in June.

NOTE: No banding on the 15th. Rain in the forecast.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, May 22nd.

All nets will be opened by 6:00 A.M.

An Interesting Flurry and Brand New Captures

2011-05-01T22:22:00.000-07:00

A pretty quiet day. Migration has nearly run down. No Catbirds captured and they are typically the last to leave. So, we settle in for a couple weeks waiting for babies and seeing what else we can net. Should be locals for awhile.

In fact, the first bird was a Carolina Wren which actually managed to escape the bag as it was being brought back to the table. Shortly, thereafter we think it was the same escapee we caught before. An adult recapture. Andrew got the bird processed as William looked on.

Next, William got to release the bird back into the wild.

Grew quiet again for a while but we soon made a great capture. A pair of Great-crested Flycatchers! We would rarely caught some at Wekiva but these are the first for Lake lotus. Abe and Susan got to remove them from the net.

We have been waiting for this high-flying bird to drop lower as they are all over the park right now. Maybe we can get them to use on of the bird boxes this year.

Abe banded one bird and Maggie got the other. Maggie has accepted a job up North so this was her last day with us for now. She and Abe began their visits with our first ever Whip-poor-will and they get to leave with our first Great-crested Flycatchers. Nice bookends, yes?

We will miss you Maggie!

Flycatchers are amazing birds. Glad we got some good close looks this morning.

As Richard adjusted some nest boxes in the area he discovered some Flying Squirrels in box #4. A good chance for others to see these cute little natives. William got the first opportunity to head up the ladder to get a glimpse.

Here is what a resting bunch of these nocturnal creatures looks like in a bird box.

Other things were on the wing like dragonflies. Many were released after getting tangled up. However, it seems one could not escape before being attacked by a Yellow Jacket!

In another sign of predation, a caterpillar was found covered in wasp eggs down the net lane. The young will emerge and feast on the helpless caterpillar.

We weren't done with birds yet. We caught our 3rd Downy Woodpecker of the season. Another nice male.

Pairs are feeding young right now in several spots. Maggie wanted a shot of that dinosaur foot.

As we began to wind up the morning we started to hear a long-forgotten call. Andrew was sure it belonged to Summer Tanagers. After some careful watching, we finally spotted at least 3 chasing each other through the oaks. Bill got a distant flash of red in the branches.

Below, Alligator Gar cruise the river.

Other woodpeckers are raising young, too. Red-bellied Woodpeckers are finding nesting cavities down the net lanes.

We decided it was about time to go home as we watched the Tanagers when Christine yelled out, "Birds!". In net #4 there was our first expected group of Carolina Wren babies all within inches of each other.

They seem a little overdue, but these birds do seem older than ones we have captured in the past so it makes sense. Note the yellowish gape still present on this bird.

As we point out, Carolina Wrens acquire more spots as they age. House Wrens, on the other hand, loose their spots. This young bird was just starting to get those spots that will get larger as it grows.

So many photos, you might think we had a nice busy day. It was pretty quiet, actually, with 9 birds processed. Still an interesting morning. Next week is suppose to bring a couple of fronts and it should mark the end of Spring migration. Then we settle in for the increasing heat and wind down the season.

More installed native trees are in place. In August we will plant some Blackberries and prepare for the next session, possibly adding one more net to bring our total to 20.

Now we wait for missing rains.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, May 8th.

All nets will be opened by 6:10 A.M.

Back Home

2011-04-24T13:19:00.000-07:00

Nice to be back on 'our' side this week. We doubled our catches in 3 hours compared to 8 at Earth Day in the park proper but still not a lot migration going on. There have been several good nights for birds to move on as the front stalled and allowed birds to head to their breeding grounds. Good for them. More quiet for us. Could be the last hurrah for Spring.

We finally caught a couple birds down at Net 18. Andrew heard Blue Jays calling loudly and investigated, finding them by the net. He soon noticed two birds in the net and something else close by. One of the Barred Owls was flying in to take an assessment of the situation. He chased it off and brought back a Gray Catbird and Cardinal.

The Catbird was not even thankful to be saved from the owl! It tried to take a chunk out of Andrew's hand after being banded. So they are still around for a little longer.

A bit later, we recaptured the female Northern Parula we banded during Earth Day. She showed a very visible brood patch.

Love having these little jewels around during this time of year.

A recaptured Northern Cardinal made an appearance.

As did one of our Wintering House Wrens.

Can't be here too much longer.

Maggie found more frogs near the end of the net lanes. It appears that there is a Green Treefrog and an invasive Cuban Treefrog hanging out together.

While on a net run we found some activity up in the dead snags across from Net 11. Downy Woodpeckers appear to have established a nest cavity across the river. Here, the male takes his turn after feeding the apparent chicks and waits for his mate to take over.

Soon, she returned with what appeared to be some soft seed.

Then she took her guard spot and waited to forage again.

One sad note for the day. Richard was checking nest boxes and found that one of our boxes actually was being occupied by Wood Ducks! However, the nest was compromised, probably by a Mink and the birds did not survive.

In other spots along the river, Maggie found a Wood Duck family swimming along the river.

As we packed up for the morning, another pair of Wood Ducks flew up into the oaks right across from the compromised box. Perhaps wanting to use it themselves?

A bit farther up the river we found yet another pair of Wood Ducks so they are definitely in breeding mode. Good luck to all of them.

Hoping for a little cool down after a projected front at the end of the week. It is already feeling like Summer!
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, May 1st.

All nets will be opened by 6:15 A.M.

Earth Day 2011

2011-04-17T14:45:00.000-07:00

Earth Day 2011. We had a great banding day last week. What would we discover for the big event? Radar was not looking promising. Winds have shifted. Birds have a clear path North. No need to hang around for long. We shall see.

We got to opening nets by 7 AM and were ready to go before the bird hike group filed through. The Barred Owls, who have been hanging out across the park lately, flew in to go into the old nest site as nets were opened. Still no sign of chicks.

Soon, we caught a Gray Catbird and a Northern Parula in the same net. Nice start. An adult male Parula is a sight to behold.

Soon thereafter we caught a Carolina Wren. Fortunately, we had a young volunteer, Heidi, around to release it back into the wild.

Though we actually caught very few birds today we were lucky to catch them when the crowds were around. Just as we caught our 2nd Gray Catbird the morning bird hike rounded the corner.

Another visitor gets to release a newly banded bird.

Then things grew quiet. Time to hit the boardwalk in between net checks. The first surprise of the day was a family of Limpkin with several chicks in tow. Andrew got a good view of a parent with one chick.

Later, Christine was in the right place at the right time to get the adult up on the boardwalk railing.

Maggie got the highest chick count at 5 as they moved out onto the vegetation.

Many folks got to watch as a Raccoon searched for food right near the Limpkins.

Around the end of the pier there still are some American Coots lingering before heading North.

A quick check of the opposite rail finds a Little Blue Heron in full breeding colors feeding near the shore.

Wood Storks are moving in search of fish and their bold black and white easily stands out along the lakeside.

Checking nets again we find no birds. Nothing is really moving today. Little calling, either. We did find the Barred Owls a bit farther up the river sleeping all day long. Must not be any chicks this year or they would be hunting right now.

We all wondered where the alligators were. The past two years we found baby gators around the pier but did not find them early on. As the day warmed up we managed to find one...

...two...

...three...in fact we found at least 6 young ones. no adults were close by.

A final count of species along the pier included Yellow-bellied Sliders gliding by in the lake.

A Tri-colored Heron flew in to feed as the Limpkin retreated in the heat.

Winds have shifted and are now blowing directly toward the river. This has caused a huge shift in Hyacinth that been pushed all the way to the pier. Pretty, but invasive.

Back at the table we noticed a shadow and then the views of a Swallow-tailed Kite soaring high above the park.

Along the river we find Painted Leaf plants. They also grow just across the river on 'our' side.

Nearby, dragonflies are massing along the river and getting caught in the nets more often than birds. This one was kind enough to hang out for a photo.

To the right of them were a constant bunch of Horace's Duskywing's enjoying the Spanish Needles and other plants.

As the day progressed, Red Admiral butterflies increased along the trail.

Somewhere along the boardwalk, Maggie found a giant clump of honeycomb! Wonder if the bear can reach that one?

To wrap up the day we caught one more Northern Parula. Again, it was properly timed so that a larger crowd was around to watch this final bird of the day.

So, we had a slower time this year but plenty to keep us busy as we celebrated this beautiful planet and think about how to keep her healthy. This community seems to be doing well judging by our photos from today.

Next week we see what might show up. Migration is winding down and it will be an Easter sunrise. Magnolia's should be blooming and we hope for some final surprises for the year.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, April 24th.

All nets will be opened by 6:20 A.M.

Duh! Migrating!!

2011-04-10T12:05:00.000-07:00

After last week's dismal catch rate and a blog full of landscapes and bugs we are thrilled to have 100% birding content this week! We believe this is the highest single-day April banding morning since we began this project 2 1/2 years ago. With a skeleton crew and our old point and shoot camera it felt like the good ol' days.

The radar looked promising the night before and at 5 AM. Fingers crossed. First birds began hitting just before sunrise and they were good ones. Two male Common Yellowthroats, our first of the season.

With them was one of our many Gray Catbirds of the day. This shot was from another caught later on.

The morning continued and so did the birds. In fact we only had one dry-run all morning. Next up were some Northern Cardinals. First a male, which was actually a recapture. We initially banded this bird on our very first day at Lake Lotus!

He was followed up with a new female.

Along with the Cardinals was a bird we see often but rarely catch. A Blue Jay. Packed quite a bite with that hooked bill!

We captured several Brown Thrashers today. In the past we get 1 or 2 a month. This was a banner day for Thrashers (4) and was the most Thrashers ever caught in a single day. Better yet, most were new birds! They differed in age. Younger birds can be told by their duller yellow eyes.

Compare that to the bright yellow eyes of an adult.

We also captured many Carolina Wrens, both new and recaps. All but one (a male) had brood patches.

Our other Wren species was a recaptured House Wren. Won't be here much longer.

Another new migrant for the season was caught in Net 10. A Northern Waterthrush. It was not the best at keeping still for the camera.

Finishing up the birds for the day was a beautiful male Black-throated Blue Warbler. A nice trifecta of new migrants in our flurry of a banding day.

Next week is the annual Earth Day Event so no banding on 'our' side of the river.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, April 17th.

This is the annual Earth Day event we have been giving banding demos at for several years.
Event runs from 8:30 A.M. to 3:30 P.M.
Trams are available from the parking lot across from the park. I have been told you can also park there and walk on the new path they completed that runs under the highway.

"...if'n the creek don't rise..."

2011-04-03T22:59:00.000-07:00

Skies have cleared after a few huge storms ripped through the area in the past few days. We were expecting the worse at the site after seeing so many downed trees around the general area. Fortunately, there were not many branches in our way and cleanup went quickly during the morning.

The river, which was finally crossable last week, has risen almost 4 feet! Yesterday Ranger Cindy sent Andrew a photo of some big lizard sunning along our side of the river.

No sighting today. As far as we can determine, the gator was most likely sitting where we stood and took some photos of the high water.

Looking to the left.

Under the Barred Owl nest tree shows the same water height.

But you are probably here to see some birds. Alright. early bird today was a young Hermit Thrush. This younger bird was ready to head North. It was stuffed with fat!

Andrew gives the bird one more look before releasing it.

Next up, Gray Catbirds are still around. They should be leaving soon, too.

There was an odd kind of stretch where the weather actually seemed to chill a bit and some late fog began to form.

It made for some pretty pictures, though.

It was another tough day to catch birds as most of them are still up in the treetops. One reason is all thanks to the voluminous amounts of inchworms. They seem to be everywhere and we have to keep moving them out of the way at the banding table.

It does not exclude more ground loving birds like this House Wren. Another Winter visitor about to depart.

We will continue to see our local Carolina Wrens, though. This one even appeared to have and egg ready to be laid!

A few more interesting sights today. There was one little section along the net lanes where we discovered a Lubber Grasshopper party going on.

These tiny black and red nymphs will soon transform into over 3-inch yellowish-orange, black-spotted monsters!

Farther down the lanes, the lake has backed up into the marshy areas by net 18 stopping just a foot or so away. We placed it just right. Just means we can't go exploring too far down the trail Andrew cleared since last Fall. The rains are really helping the Poison Ivy vines take off.

For now we will just have to peer through the trees. We did spot a Green Heron on the hunt.

Then we ended our day with a goodbye from another lurking Gray Catbird over the waters.

Next week is the beginning of a hot spell. Could be near 90 degrees (F). Hopefully, the warmer weather will bring us some migrants before they leave us until the Fall.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, April 10th.

All nets will be opened by 6:40 A.M.

Slower, Yet Interesting

2011-03-27T20:01:00.000-07:00

Still a ton of birds up in the trees. Species counts were interesting and there were probably more American Goldfinches in the area than in years past. They are loving the Willow trees right now. We did find scat from possible bears and Bobcats along the trail.

Good early surprise was our first Ovenbird of the season as the first bird of the morning.

Soon afterwards, we caught a recaptured Carolina Wren.

Loads of caterpillars were witnessed today. On leaves, on tables, on chairs, floating down from threads. One of the early shots was one of the Tussock Moth caterpillars clinging nearby.

Over at the Mulberry trees we noticed a number of Eastern Tent Caterpillars spinning webs among the leaves. We wonder if they will eat the leaves of our new plants but they do not seem to be eating any of them.

Hopefully they are just setting up house and will leave our plants alone. We will keep monitoring.

The most exciting part of the morning was capturing a pair of Downy Woodpeckers at the same time. First shot is of the noisier of the two, the female.

The male was about two feet next to her in Net 9. Males are told from females by that bright red patch on the back of the head.

These birds were very digital-aware, meaning that they, like a number of warblers, seem to hear the digital signals of the cameras and tend to begin flapping when the shutter is depressed before firing off a picture. A lot of the shots end up like this.

Abe and Andrew had to constrain the bird's wings to get a side-by-side shot before release.

Way cool. What could be cooler? On the way out of the banding site we came upon a very interesting and unexpected view. A Red-eared Slider laying eggs way up on the side of the river bank. For reference, the river at this point is about 20-plus feet up a high bank from the river.

We will continue to monitor this spot also.

Rains are on the way. Big fronts are projected to be here all next week. How will the weather change things by next week? Stay tuned!
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, April 3rd.

All nets will be opened by 6:45 A.M.

Mixed Bag as Spring Arrives

2011-03-20T19:58:00.000-07:00

Happy Equinox! We had a fairly busy day but the vast majority of birds are still up in the treetops. Early on a new predator was spotted. A Coyote bounded across the river just after dawn! As the morning progressed the wind picked up and the nets were soon full of leaves, fuzz, and seeds.

First birds of the morning were a Tufted Titmouse...

...and a Gray Catbird.

The Titmouse was bagged first and Christine headed down to get the Catbird. Once she did, one of the Barred Owls landed on top of the net pole to check out the wriggling bag. Charles grabbed a shot on his cell phone.

He also grabbed a quick video of a second owl flying in to investigate. Click on the image below to see the movie in a new window.

We watched a Brown Thrasher go into and escape that same net where the action happened. A bit later we had TWO trapped this time. Both were younger birds told by their eye color. The older they get the brighter the yellow becomes.

Just a short while later in the very next net (13) was a very yellow Orange-crowned Warbler! Only our second one caught here.

"How can you be sure?", I hear you ask. Just look!

Just behind the banding table we got a House Wren.

Richard headed out to check nest boxes. Still no birds. However, the ever-present Flying Squirrels were huddled down for the day.

Another box was over run with caterpillars! Weird.

Trapped in Net 1 was a Green Darner Dragonfly. It rested in the bushes after a successful extraction.

Maggie found this Green Treefrog just hanging out.

Finally, we captured some Carolina Wrens to round out the day.

Whew! Busy morning!!
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, March 27th

All nets will be opened by 6:50 A.M.

Noise, noise, noise, noise!

2011-03-13T19:55:00.000-07:00

Interesting day. Radar and previous days of scouting suggested that maybe we would might not catch many birds today. On Saturday there were only 2 warblers seen around the area by Andrew. By 5 AM, the radar suggested that most migrating birds had passed by us before the morning. We still had some birds to watch.

Last week most of our birds were recaptures. Today we got some of those but some nice new birds. Included in the new batch were a few Gray Catbirds.

We are still gathering up new Northern Cardinals like this female and another male. Where are they coming from? We were sure we had banded them all. Especially the adults. See that spot on Andrew's finger? That is from the last female Cardinal a couple weeks ago. They bite. HARD!

One nice surprise was a male Black and White Warbler in the center of the net lanes.

Christine arrived after dawn and we set our newest net, Number 19, near the river where we plan to plant Blackberries to do the next experiment. Andrew is seen attaching string to the stakes in hopes of catching something for the morning.

An hour later, we recaptured our White-throated Sparrow that we have had around for a number of months now. Interesting point of this shot is that it shows that the bird has already regrown its tail feathers which were shed during the last recapture. The band proves that it is the same bird.

Down near the pier, Abe and Maggie managed to talk a Myrtle (Yellow-rumped) Warbler into a net for banding. We are hoping that we increase the captures of this species once the Wax Myrtles grow toward maturity.

This just in: Milton Heiberg was at the Orlando Wetlands Festival a couple weeks ago and sent in some shots by request. The biggest thrill of that morning was the captured juvenile Yellow-bellied Sapsucker that morning.

There was a huge crowd gathered at just the right time to see and hear info from Andrew as we banded this excellent bird during the morning.

Lake Lotus was the loudest we have ever heard during our time there. Birds were ever-present and ever-calling all morning. However, they were mostly up in the treetops. It still made for a magical morning of bird watching, if not better bird catching.

Things should get interesting for the next few weeks.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, March 20th

All nets will be opened by 7:00 A.M.

Most Things Overhead

2011-03-06T19:32:00.000-08:00

Despite the abundant amount of birds overhead, we caught only four birds today. Food is everywhere up in the treetops and Myrtle Warblers lead the charge in huge flocks all morning. Robins are thinning out but Parulas are singing all over the place. The Barred Owls made a long appearance down by the peir and were being watched to make sure they didn't get into any trouble.

One of our first birds of the day was a new Northern Cardinal. Thought we had caught all of them already. Abe gets the pleasure of banding our new member of the local birds.

A beautiful adult male always brightens the mornings.

We also recaptured one of our Carolina Wrens.

Bird-of-the-Day was our Northern Parula. A great adult male. Typically they stay across the river or high up in the trees and this is only one of a few we have ever banded at Lake Lotus.

A sure sign of spring, Northern Parula are really making a showing this season.

Another good sign of Spring are the increasing amount of Spider Wort blooming in the area.

As we were packing up we spotted the skink from last week still hanging out at the table. Better yet, we discovered that there were two. We wanted better views to verify the species and spent a while trying to catch one. Andrew finally grabbed one and we got some photos as it bit him.

Definitely now ID'd as a Five-lined Skink.

Time to start seeing more migrants. Yellow-throated Vireos are singing and other birds are moving through. Next week could be fun.

Remember it is Daylight Saving Time and clocks Spring forward on Sunday!
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, March 13th

All nets will be opened by 7:10 A.M.

Recaps and Surprises

2011-02-27T15:41:00.000-08:00

A number of new (human) visitors made their way into the banding area today and we all had a great time watching birds and even catching a few. Weather is nice and warm, finally, and birds are preparing to feed as much as possible before heading out. However, most birds were keeping high in the treetops so we didn't catch a ton of birds.

Mostly, we had recaptures, including a Carolina Wren.

Soon, we were also getting a couple of Northern Cardinals, including this gorgeous female.

Drawing a lot of attention during the morning was the pair of Barred Owls who are preparing for the next brood. They were nuzzling on a branch near the nest tree and later shared a branch for resting.

Here is a cropped version of the male...

...and one of the female.

Andrew took a walk out toward the lake. Not much out there today. However, he did nearly step on a Rat Snake as he returned back to the net lanes.

A couple birds were witnessed bouncing or escaping from nets through the day. Black and White Warbler, Mourning Dove, and Brown Thrasher all were this close... But we did grab a Gray Catbird soon enough.

We enlisted Gail, a new visitor, to help record data on our Catbird and she was rewarded by being allowed to release the bird back into the wild.

Soon, friend Paul Hueber and Gail headed over to the Lake Lotus boardwalk and found an American Bittern in the lake.

Regardless of that great find, they missed our Bird-of-the-Day five minutes after they left us. A female Painted Bunting!

Maddie, our new recruit, got to release the Bunting.

While recording data, we discovered a Ground Skink hiding amongst the items on the storage table.

One more surprise awaited us before the day ended. We captured a male Myrtle (Yellow-rumped) Warbler down near the pier.

A nice addition and only the 2nd Myrtle banded here. We are improving the habitat to hopefully bring in more soon. William got to release this lovely male Myrtle Warbler.

Watching the weather for next Sunday. Some say 60% rain, some say 30%. Wind might also play a role. Stay tuned. We will update the plan mid-Saturday.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, March 6th

All nets will be opened by 6:15 A.M.

Orlando Wetlands Festival a Success!

2011-02-19T19:47:00.000-08:00

Settle back for a long post.

A long day but a very rewarding day. A lot of birds and a lot of educated visitors. Overall the best OWP festival we have ever participated in. Having a new spot (actually just a few yards from our initial spot years ago) and the addition of the new Education Center helped to focus more visitors toward us and they got to witness many birds being banded and got to learn a lot about banding and results gathered from it.

Andrew arrived just at dawn to survey the area and to record the setting moon to the West. Nets would be set up along the berms just ahead.

Without our knowledge, signs were posted at several locations signaling that we would be doing the banding over at the wetlands so that visitors over at the main event at Ft. Christmas would know we were going to be there.

As we set net poles, we noticed a Gopher Tortoise burrow nearby. Later in the morning it would try to find a way out among the crowds.

During the initial setup, Red-winged Blackbirds and Grackles visited the bird feeders already present at the Education Center. We were hoping to catch some but the foot traffic made it unlikely. Still the Red-winged Blackbirds stuck around for awhile calling all the while.

Here, Richard sets up information across from the banding table.

We started the morning by catching some Gray Catbirds and a couple of Myrtle Warblers. Not long afterwards we caught a Northern Cardinal. Surprisingly, this Cardinal already had a band. A recapture from our banding demo in 2007! Great Data. Then came the onslaught of Myrtles which made up a huge percentage of the species captured during the day. Before midday, Abe and Maggie arrived to help band some "Yellow-rumps" as most most folks know Myrtles as.

Why Yellow-rump?

Maria made a welcome return to the fold along with Jasmine and handed out a lot of information to visitors before heading over toward the Ft. Christmas venue. Along the way they discovered interesting sights like alligators...

...scorpions...

...and Boa Constrictors!

Once Maria headed back to the table she discovered a Common Ground Dove lurking in the trees.

Back at the table we are still catching Myrtle Warblers. Surprisingly, even more than in the morning. For this capture, Abe checks for fat on one of our migrants.

We were fortunate enough to have birds in hand at almost every time a group of visitors stopped by. Even better, we caught the Bird-of-the-Day right when the biggest group debarked from the tour bus. It was a juvenile Yellow-bellied Sapsucker! Andrew prepares to band our new bird in front of 40 visitors.

A very unexpected bird for the day. The crowd was thrilled.

Jasmine got to release the young bird back toward the marsh once all of the data was recorded.

The rest of the day was filled with Myrtle Warblers, one after another. Good enough to show each wave of visitors how we band our tiny wanderers.

Data is recorded, information is given out and everyone has a great time.

Once the birds are processed they are set for release. Here, Richard helps a visitor release a warbler back into the marsh.

When the next bird is brought in, Andrew shows the kids how we weigh them in the bag (and then just the bag) to get an accurate weight of the birds. Most Myrtles are around 12 grams.

Another visitor gets to release one of our newly banded warblers.

One last interesting find of the day before we folded up the day (we ended up with 36 birds) the gang found this insect. A Sculpted Pine Borer beetle. Very cool. We know it is a Chalcophora species but if anyone has a more specific genera, feel free to pass it along.

A great day. News seems to be that all who attended had a wonderful time, visitors and volunteers alike. With a few tweaks we will make next year even better!

Back to Lake Lotus next Sunday. Birds are still massing for a trip back home.
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Next Banding Day: Sunday, February 27th

All nets will be opened by 6:23 A.M.

Birds are Filling Up

2011-02-13T14:01:00.000-08:00

Hopefully, this is the last round of frost that we will have to endure for the season. It started forming as we set nets before dawn and lasted for a while. Many birds were present but most were staying up in the treetops.

Ground hanging birds were around, however, like our recap Brown Thrasher.

Thought we had banded every Cardinal around here but we still have been catching new members of the local flocks lately. It is always enjoyable to get a new bite from a newly banded male.

Just down the net lanes we also got a new Hermit Thrush.

Ruby-crowned Kinglets are still common during this run so it is always nice to get a new one to add to the inventory. A few were also seen in the trees sporting bands showing that those here are liking it around here for Winter.

Though secretive, we still get a few House Wrens during our days.

Bird-of-the-Day belongs to our Swamp Sparrow. The first captured for banding this season.

We usually get them earlier in the season so it was nice to get one before they move on. Seems this one wants to go back to the pier zone!

Maggie caught a couple good shots through the morning, including this Raccoon. They were present throughout the day.

A great sign that Spring is just around the corner, Maggie also got a nice shot of a Ladybug along the trials.

We look forward to giving demos for many visitors during the Wetlands Festival next Saturday!
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Next Banding Day: Saturday, February 19th at Orlando Wetlands. Not sure about Sunday this week. Might be too tired!

All nets will be opened by 7:35 A.M.

Foiled Again

2011-02-06T13:05:00.000-08:00

Forecasters. Grrrrrrrrrrrr....

Rain was suppose to hit late in the day. Nope. 8:30.

We had to close up early, all 3 of us, but we did get 8 birds. Mostly Cardinals again.

We also nabbed a couple of Catbirds and we did get a recap White-eyed Vireo so that was nice.

Many birds were around the pier but we didn't get any birds in the new net yet. I will update with photos when I have more time.

A lot of birds seem to be busy preparing for the turn North. We shall see.

NOTE: Watching the temps again. Could be back in the upper 30s by Sunday morning.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, February 13th.

All nets will be opened by 6:35 A.M.

"The Fog Creeps in on Little Cat Feet"

2011-01-30T14:43:00.000-08:00

Pre-dawn began nice enough with the moon sitting just beneath Venus in the morning sky. Then the fog moved in. It was difficult to see beyond the light of the headlamps as we set nets. The veil persisted for much of the morning, clearing fully just as we packed up at 10.

Still, we managed at least 12 birds though almost all were recaptures with Northern Cardinals leading the list. The second bird of the day was a recap of our 2nd Whip-poor-will which showed up in the same net it was first captured in though only a few inches from its first capture. Interesting.

We got some more good close-ups of our returning bird.

Then, Grace got to release our friend.

Another interesting result for the day was that almost all of the birds captured today were in the same general area between nets 7, 1, 12, and 14 (which are clustered roughly 50 yards apart) and this is a region that we normally do not catch a lot of birds. Perhaps the fog contained them in this zone? We do know that a few Cardinals have taken up spaces here lately and we caught most of them there.

Here is a female caught in net 14.

Abe is still given the bulk of the banding right now and we did get a brand new Hermit Thrush near the Cardinals.

We got a nice range of species today, including a Gray Catbird.

Then a House Wren up near the pines.

In the busy ring of nets we got one of our local Brown Thrashers.

While the gang was checking the nets near the pier, Grace and Maggie managed to out flank and flush a Mourning Dove into a net. We catch very few of them but they are present on most days. They are large enough to escape the nets most times.

Our main excitement of the morning was adding a new net to our expanding reach in the Lotus area. Maggie donated a new net for Christmas and it arrived for us to place farther down the lanes. We decided to place it in a spot that often finds visiting Waterthrushes in season and many other species fly through the Cypress and Maple trees in this zone. We hope to capture more species here as our native trees mature in other areas.

Here, Maggie and Grace unfurl our new net (#18) as we all pitched in to get it ready for a full placement for next week. Note the fog, still clinging to the trees near the lake.

Maggie managed a shot of Grace seen through a Spider's web. Slight fog always reveals all of them hanging around by coating them in small water droplets.

Finally, we all enjoyed views of a pair of Gulf Fritillaries hanging on through the dew-soaked morning. Their silver spots were easily seen in the headlamps before dawn and they were still warming up before we left for the day.

This species loves Passion Vine that grows quite well along the river so we get to enjoy them most of the year.

Another set of fronts are moving down. We shall see how they affect birds movements toward the North.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, February 6th.

All nets will be opened by 6:40 A.M.

A Little Busier Than Typical

2011-01-16T15:06:00.000-08:00

Not bad for a mid-January at Lotus. 14 birds captured though things seemed rather quiet all around. Heck, the Barred Owls didn't even start calling until nearly 9 AM.

First bird of the day was a second-year Hermit Thrush. You can just make out the fading buffy wing tips on this aging bird.

We caught a number of birds in nets that are not often hit, which was nice. Especially when we caught a couple of Carolina Wrens up at Net 2. Both were younger birds hatched in 2010.

Next up, a sibling that is just molting into more adult plumage. The white spots typical of an older bird are just appearing. Other wrens were heard nearby so it seems they decided to hang out in the upland for once.

Another member of the local flock it fashioned with a new band.

We recaptured our White-throated Sparrow from a couple weeks ago. This bird shed its tail feathers as we removed it from the net which does happen from time to time. They will re-grow soon. Nice to see it is still hanging around but we are still hoping for more sparrow species before the season is out.

Ruby-crowned Kinglets were the largest count of the day, accounting for half of the birds captured today. Most were females as usual.

Abe applies the band to one of our latest RCKIs (shorthand for Ruby-crowned Kinglet).

The best RCKI of the morning was a bright adult male. Females still dominate in capture rates but the males are still seen in numbers throughout the mornings.

Watching the temperatures as another cold front approaches. We may or may not band if it gets too cold.

NOTE: No banding this week. Cold front just won't stop!
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, January 30th.

All nets will be opened by 6:45 A.M.

Kinglets and Waiting

2011-01-09T13:46:00.000-08:00

Nothing too exciting. Robins were overhead all morning but not much else was moving with the higher winds. We did enjoy a new Hermit Thrush caught early in the day.

Abe got the main banding duties today and got to use the main books for aging.

The most exciting moment was capturing 4 Ruby-crowned Kinglets at the same time near the lake. Grace got to release one of them after it was banded.

We also got a new male Cardinal for the day. Twig at the ready!

We also got a recaptured Brown Thrasher. Nice to have the data,

Weather should be clearing well for the next week's banding effort.
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Next Banding Day: Sunday, January 16th.

All nets will be opened by 6:50 A.M.

Business as Usual

2011-01-02T14:22:00.000-08:00

Weather is finally getting back to normal. For now. We did have concerns as a small bit of a front was clearing and sprinkles were falling as we were setting nets. Those clouds broke (only to rain down on us a little later) but we soldiered through and managed to catch a few birds during the morning.

Right at dawn, we recaptured a House Wren that has been hanging around for a while and Andrew had to band it in the near dark.

Abe got the majority of the banding duties today and the other early captures were a couple of Northern Cardinals. The male was first and, after processing, William got to handle this feisty bird for a few seconds. As mentioned in earlier posts, it is best to have a stick handy to keep the Cardinals from taking a bite of any handler.

Bill, Williams Dad, got to officially release the bird back into the forest.

Nearby, a young female Cardinal was captured and Richard help process the bird along the way.

As we prepared to make the next round of net checks we heard Richard calling by Net 4. Something exciting in the nets? Almost. Seems we had a possum that stopped by to visit us.

After hearing them all over the place, we finally caught a new Gray Catbird this morning. The upper inter bill being light indicated that this was a younger bird.

A lot of Ruby-crowned Kinglets were heard and seen all day and we were lucky enough to capture one of the migrating males today. Many were chasing other birds and flaring their brilliant crests.

Robins and Goldfinches were heard and seen flying overhead all morning and we are still waiting for the Cedar Waxwings to stop by for the season. Momma bear is still be reported across the river but there is no sign of her visiting here like last year.

Weather will flux in the next few days and we are still waiting for sparrows like those seen down near the lake.
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Next Banding Day: Sunday, January 9th.

All nets will be opened by 6:45 A.M.

Curse You, Forecasters!

2010-12-19T17:02:00.000-08:00

Well, it was suppose to be a good day.

Fog was reported to be in but clearing by 7 AM. Nope. Was hard and heavy all morning. Was suppose to be clear and sunny all morning. Nope. Skies never cleared all day. Thanks, forecasters! We pulled up stakes by 8:30 as clouds remained and began misting all morning.

We did manage to recapture a male Ruby-crowned Kinglet we banded a few weeks ago.

It was next to an Eastern Phoebe in the same net (16) just a few inches away. Probably chasing the same bugs at the same time.

Other than that, we got a new Northern Cardinal but the weather turned for the worst soon afterwards.

Sigh.

We will hope for a better start for the New Year. In fact, we will be back out the 2nd of January as we take a break for next week. We had a good Fall, the best ever in the past few years, so hopefully we can get some great birds in 2011.

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Next Banding Day: Sunday, January 2nd.

All nets will be opened by 6:45 A.M.

No New Visitors

2010-12-11T15:47:00.000-08:00

We headed out on Saturday today to try and avoid the weather forecast for Sunday. Arctic blast is on the way with rain and high winds. So, we head out while we can.

It was fairly quiet as we got things set up while a heavy fog dropped in but eventually birds woke up and began to move around. Mostly on the wrong side of the river. However, the first bird we caught was a House Wren we first banded on Nov. 7th.

Soon after we got another recapture. A male Northern Cardinal we first banded Nov. 14th. In fact, all of the birds captured today were recaptures. Not a new bird in the bunch. Again, they were all across the river or high overhead.

We have been hearing Gray Catbirds every weekend but for some reason they have not been moving around much. They stay in the woods hunting down Beauty Berries in the shade. Fortunately, we did get one today. This bird was first banded October 31st.

Finally, we recaptured a Carolina Wren that we banded August 15th.

Now we huddle down around the heat as the strong front approaches but things should return to normal, temperature-wise, next week.
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Next Banding Day: Sunday, December 19th.

All nets will be opened by 6:45 A.M.

Short But Sweet

2010-12-05T13:35:00.000-08:00

A weak front was forecast to drive through this morning but all of the 'professional' weather folks swore it would bring no rain to us. Wrong. We got rained out before 9 AM! However, we did record a couple of very interesting birds before rushing to get the nets down in the rain. I will go backwards in order of importance...

Last up was a recaptured Carolina Wren. We band plenty so what makes this bird so interesting? This was the 6th time this bird was captured. Still around and still thriving.

The first bird was caught in Net 8. This net held a lot of hope for us as it sits right next to the woods but it is rarely productive. This morning it held a Whip-poor-will.

We just banded a WHIP a couple weeks ago, our second, and figured it was that bird. So, we brought it back to the table with that thought and began the processing. Same bird from then? No!

This is actually the first WHIP we banded over a year ago!!! Caught just 20 yards from where we first got it. Nice data. We even finally managed to get a shot of the gaping maw of this beautiful Nightjar.

After bagging the WHIP, Maggie held another bird in a bag. A surprise. Turns out that Andrew had a dream about this species just a few hours earlier. Coincidence? For the first time ever at Lake Lotus and only the 2nd in the basin that we can recall we caught a White-throated Sparrow! Paul got a shot showing how we were still in need of light just before dawn.

Paul had heard White-throated Sparrows in the area in the past but they are hard to see in the brush. Glad that we all got good looks today.

Now, you can all get a good look right here! Hoping for many more sparrows this year. Swamp Sparrows are down by the lake and Chipping Sparrows are all over the place right now.

Check the date! We will be banding Saturday instead of Sunday ahead of predicted bad weather associated with a new cold front charging this way that might take us all into below freezing temperatures by next Tuesday.
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Next Banding Day: Saturday, December 11th.

All nets will be opened by 6:35 A.M.

Rather Quiet

2010-11-28T13:43:00.000-08:00

Radar is still flat for the second week in a row. Some birds are still coming down, like Robins and Goldfinches, but most other migrants have gone through and left us watching and waiting. Typical for this time of year.

We did get a recaptured Hermit Thrush early and Maggie got a chance to band a new one, as well.

Maggie handled most of the banding today as Andrew did some gardening by pulling a lot of invasive Skunk Vine to liberate one of the few orange trees and open up some flyways for the birds down near the lake. So, it was nice to have a Thrush to give the visitors a chance to see a couple of birds.

We were thankful after Thanksgiving to have our friend, Paul Hueber, stop by for the day and witness the banding session. Wished we could have had more birds but that is the way it goes some weeks.

We were hearing Kinglets all over the place today but we only caught two. There were many close calls as they flew around but they mainly stayed higher in the trees.

Maggie. Bird Whisperer.

Just missed a great male Kinglet today as it was singing and flaring its crest but the birds just did not want to hit the nets. Except for one recaptured female we banded 3 weeks ago.

Could be worse.

We also had a lot of flyovers of Phoebes, Orange-crowned Warblers and the like and saw a bunch of other fine birds like Pine Warblers and Blue-headed Vireos and the usual locals. Still wondering when the bears make their return.
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Next Banding Day: Sunday, December 5th.

All nets will be opened by 6:30 A.M.

Better Than Hoped For

2010-11-21T18:07:00.000-08:00

Expectations were lower today as the radar has been quiet all week and the big migration has passed. We were at least hoping not to get shut out but we actually got 7 birds. Not too bad, considering.

Maggie made her family wake up early to join us so we had some company. First bird in the nets was a new male Northern Cardinal. Maggie applies the band to another of our local Cardinal group.

Next, we recaptured a Hermit Thrush. Something about the look of the band made it seem like an older recapture and, indeed, this turned out to be a returning bird that we first banded last February!

Maggie's mom gets to release our returning bird back into the woods.

Two recaptured Carolina Wrens were in Net 12 right next to each other.

This time, Dani gets to return a bird to the wild with a little instruction from Maggie on handling techniques.

Most of us were walking the trail and wondering if another Northern Cardinal would hit the nets. It was calling like crazy but hadn't moved yet. Suddenly, it took off and landed straight in Net 9 as we watched. This bird grabbed onto the netting with both feet and was a bit of a tangled mess. Andrew eventually got it out and back to the table.

Turned out to be a bit of a younger bird. You can just make out the darker sections of the bill showing it was born a little earlier in the year.

Our other migrant of the morning was a female Ruby-crowned Kinglet. The family was thrilled to see one up close and Dani got to release this bird, too.

Happy Thanksgiving to all. We return to the woods next Sunday!
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Next Banding Day: Sunday, November 28th.

All nets will be opened by 6:30 A.M.

The House Whip

2010-11-14T18:15:00.000-08:00

Ya know, hard to get motivated when you get the Bird-of-the-Day at dawn? Tough. We will focus on that bird shortly. After we get the other routine documented birds recounted. We actually had two BOTDs.

Winds were out of the Northeast and clearing skies made for good flying weather so we weren't expecting a ton of birds today. However, we did fairly well in the long run. As mentioned, the first good bird was caught at 6:20 AM, just after opening nets. Then things grew quiet for a while and we ran our routine clean-up and checking afterwards.

When Andrew was bringing back the first BOTD bird back to the table, Bill and Grace called him over to get a bird out of Net 5. A recaptured House Wren was caught and quite tangled up, much like Common Yellowthroats usually do. Andrew had to don his headlamp and concentrate on the extracting process for this bird.

It was eventually safely extracted and brought in for the weigh in and other data collection.

Later on, we had a new Cardinal to work with. Grace has been paying attention when dealing with Cardinals and quickly grabbed a twig to hand off so that the bander would not be bitten too quickly. Works 9 out of 10 times.

Kinglets were back around and we caught few. Here, Grace gets ready to release a female after banding.

For the next Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Maggie checks for fat content.

Andrew and Bill were discussing the quiet when Andrew heard a fluttering call behind him. There was a Kinglet in Net 13. A male, no less! We get very few males for some reason here but this one left no doubt of its ID.

On to the real BTOD! Last year in October we caught a Whip-poor-will in Net 14. Today, Andrew saw a twig caught in Net 16 and headed back to extract it right before dawn. As he was taking the twig out he heard a croak. Turning on the headlamp, he saw a bird in the bottom panel of the net. Another Whip for our site!

Andrew kept the bird a secret for a while even while weighing it at the table.

Bird of the Day is...? Our second Whip-poor-will!

So, indulge us for a few photos. We have a lot of good shots from several photographers. Like this great shot from Grace.

A lot of pictures were snapped as this spirited bird waited for a chance to be let free. Soon...

That was the top side, now the underside...

Then, suddenly, it would relax and pose all pretty. Wish we could have caught a shot of the wide-open mouth when it was shown to us from time to time.

Before being released, our special guest poses one more time with Maggie and Abe in the background.

The Whip was banded and ready for release but still, after all of the theatrics, it relaxed as it was being let go. So much so that it decided to sit on Abe's hand like it was resting on a branch.

The bird took off right after that shot, heading directly across the river and on its way. An amazing way to get the day started and a memory for all to enjoy,

Wintering ducks and Goldfinches are being witnessed nearby. Time to settle in for our Winter season.
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Next Banding Day: Sunday, November 21st.

All nets will be opened by 6:20 A.M.

Cold and Breezy

2010-11-07T22:48:00.000-08:00

Brrrr...as predicted last week. Winds were up and temps were down as we set nets in the pre-dawn darkness. We began to wonder about our folly as the gusts rose off and on with some good stretches of no winds. sometimes the winds bring a potential for loosing a caught bird by opening the net panels they are lying within and allowing them to escape more easily.

Soldier on we do...

With pretty good results, however! One of our visitors made the first capture of the day. A noisy House Wren that was hanging out in the grasses near Net 11 decided to make a move for it and was quickly gathered up.

We later ended up with one of the many sightings of the morning by capturing a Common Yellowthroat.

The main birds of the day were Ruby-crowned Kinglets that finally began to settle lower in the trees. We captured several today, all females. Making her photo debut to the blog, Grace brought her camera to get some shots like this one of Maggie, given the bulk of the banding today as Andrew took GPS readings, selecting a band for our newest Kinglet.

Graces Dad gets a shot of his daughter working the camera.

Tiny and prone to get the chills worse than other birds Ruby-crowned Kinglets are our top priority for banding during the Winter sessions so as not to stress them too much before release.

Always a joy to see up close.

We have banded a lot of the Titmouse flock over the years and can see the bands on the previously captured birds as they revisit and it is nice to get a new bird every now and then.

This bird was particularly fussy and biting at every chance.

We love these birds. Especially since they often signal a feeding flock of birds in the trees. Hear a Titmouse and you start scanning for anything else joining them in relative silence.

The gang gets a shot of the newly banded Titmouse as it rests on a nearby branch before rejoining the main group.

Hard to pick a Bird of the Day so there has to be two. First up, a late male Black-throated Blue Warbler was captured. Note: most birds captured today were in a similar area and mostly retrieved from Net 11. Interesting.

By this time of year, most Black-throated Blues are farther along in their trip to the South. Glad we all got good looks today.

BOTD Number 2: A gorgeous male Myrtle Warbler! Our first rare capture here, even though they frequent the park across the river, it is one reason we have planted many Wax Myrtles on which they feed and one reason they were given their name. We expect more captures of this species in the future.

Most folks simply refer to them as Yellow-rumps. For good reason as illustrated here. We band and have to report by their correct name (there is a subspecies called an Audubon's Warbler) so we still call them Myrtles. A great capture.

Suppose to be a little warmer next week. Winter birds are settling in. Robins overhead. Can't wait.
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Next Banding Day: Sunday, November 14th.

All nets will be opened by 6:20 A.M.

Trick or Treats?

2010-10-31T13:01:00.000-07:00

So, what would it be today. Here it is Halloween morning and we wonder if will get a trick or low numbers or a treat somewhere along the way?

More of the former. Very few birds flying today. grand total of 4 birds captured was all we could manage for the morning. Good flying weather, high humidity, winds changed direction. Who knows what the reason actually is.

Our first catch was a female Northern Cardinal. Twigs were at the ready to avoid bites.

Stephen watches as Grace helps to record the data for the Cardinal.

A bit later we got an Ovenbird to up the tally to 2.

Grace brings in our Catbird for the morning.

Andrew weighs the bird in the bag before continuing the processing of information.

The star of the moment. A young Catbird as told by the light inner bill color.

Balsam Apple vines are producing fruits down near the end of the trail and opening to reveal its seeds.

Next to Net 3 we found an abandoned cocoon in the oak tree. Most likely belonged to a Polyphemous Moth.

Maria bot a nice shot of the berries on the Yaupon Holly tree we planted a couple of weeks ago.

We recaptured the young male Common Yellowthroat we banded last week as we were closing up for the day.

Next week is predicted to be the coldest of the season. In the 40s. Brrrrr.... Maybe we can get some Wintering birds.
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Next Banding Day: Sunday, October 31th.

All nets will be opened by 7:10 A.M.

Banding a Northern Harrier

2010-10-29T20:22:00.000-07:00

Our friends at the Avian Reconditioning Center had been rehabing a female Northern Harrier for quite a while. It was finally time to set her free as she seemed healed well and there were sightings of other Harriers moving down for the Fall.

Richard and Christine got the privilage of doing the banding last week. Here, Scott holds the bird as Richard begins to apply the band to the bird's right leg.

Next, Richard secures the band and the bird is ready to be set free on the next opportunity.

Carol emailed us on the 29th and reports, "...we released her today and she flew & flew & flew.....it was beautiful!"

Farewell little lady!

Orange Audubon Visits

2010-10-24T17:53:00.000-07:00

We opened dark and early, as usual. Several of our volunteers seemed to enjoy the full moon and took photos while setting nets. Humidity was up as the winds had shifted from the North to from the Southeast. Radar was indicating a lower amount of bird movement overnight.

As Maria arrived, she found a burrow by the front fence. Gopher?

We had our fingers crossed for at least some birds to show to the anticipated arrival of members of the Orange Audubon a bit later in the morning. Early birds don't wait, however, and we had to process a few birds before the visitors showed up. Including a couple of Indigo Buntings.

Then things got quiet. REAL quiet. We took the group down the net lanes explaining the set up and did a little bird watching and gave some history along the way. Once we moved out of the way of Net 9 a waiting bird made its break for it. Right into the net. We had one of our Brown Thrashers to show off.

Andrew prepares to process our Brown Thrasher

One of the visitors was Milton Heiberg, one of our well-known local photographers. He graciously contributed several photos for this post. Click on his name back there to open his site in a new window.

Andrew tightens the band on a previously banded Brown Thrasher

Things were really slow compared to the beginning of the month, as expected, but it was a while before we got our next birds. We finally managed another Ovenbird (the first was just after sunrise and was a recapture) and the gang gathered around for a lot of photos.

A newly captured Ovenbird gets it's own special number

These chunky warblers are very silent in the hand but rather striking to look at. Especially when you can get a close-up of their head stripe.

Next up, a Gray Catbird. Though a common visitor during the Fall through Spring, this season it seems that their numbers are down a bit.

The OASis members were not too disappointed by the shortage of bird. At least we had a few banding opportunities to share with them.

Milton Heiberg focuses in for a shot of the Catbird to be extracted from the bird bag.

Cameras were clicking away throughout the morning.

Our newest Catbird poses once more before being released.

As we like to point out, when the birds aren't flying we study the area around us for flora and fauna. Almost stepped upon, Bill found an Imperial Moth along the trail. Nice spotting!

Imperial Moth

Not often seen but they are local breeders. Beautiful moths.

Other insects were discovered along the net lanes. Remind us to be careful the next time we start pulling plants again!

We continued our trek up and down the trail. Each time revealed different birds to watch ("Kingfisher!", "Red-bellied Woodpecker!", "Tufted Titmouse!") and more info to be given out by the banding group.

Richard offers flyers on native plants

We finally decided to wrap up the day about 10 AM. Fortunately, we captures a couple more birds just as we started to fold nets. Interestingly, Andrew found a normally high-feeding bird very low in one of the nets at the end of the net lane.

American Redstart

As we pointed out, most of the time one usually sees these birds from beneath as they feed in the mid to high story in the trees. The female must have been chasing an insect all the way toward the ground.

Tour leader Gallus Quigley gets to hold a Redstart for the first time

Plenty of insects are around for this good looking girl. She should make the most of it in this bountiful habitat.

As the main group made the way back with the Redstart, Maria was busy extracting a bird from Net 11. One quick glance made it appear as an adult female Common Yellowthroat. Closer examination revealed otherwise. Once we could see the whole face...

First year Male Common Yellowthroat

Young males differ from females by the incoming black feathers around the chin and cheek area. Another documentation here, Common Yellowthroats hate the sound of digital SLRs about the take a photo. They are the most sensitive species we have found and most of the pictures taken with those cameras look about like this!

The OASis crowd headed for the park proper across the river and we headed home. Not a bad day but things are easing into the Winter residents being the only thing around. We have a short time to capture some more migrants before then but we will also get ready to do more site work and wish for a warmer Winter than last year!

Thanks for stopping by to all of the Audubon members. We hope you had a great time. Swing by anytime.

Next week we start in the dark of Halloween but in the morning. Looking for some treats.
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Next Banding Day: Sunday, October 31th.

All nets will be opened by 7:00 A.M.

Indigo Buntings Rule

2010-10-17T16:29:00.000-07:00

A very interesting day. We installed many native trees today up and down the net lanes in hopes of turning our little patch of nature back into a Florida friendly spot instead of the once infested with invasives plot it was just a couple of years ago. Species introduced today included Walter's Viburnum, Red Cedar, Wax Myrtle, another Red Mulberry, Simpson's Stopper, Yaupon Holly, and Wild Coffee.

We have placed species together in front of different net sites and hope to monitor how each species might bring in different birds to different areas. We shall see.

This day began like the past couple of weeks with a Brown Thrasher being caught right around dawn. Seems that they head out as one of the first species of the morning to get going.

Also continuing the trend of late, this was yet another younger bird as witnessed by the duller yellow eye. Once these birds become adults their eyes are brilliant yellow.

As usual, a majority of our captures happen very early in the morning. Here, Maria gets one of our Indigo Buntings (more on them later) into a bag with help from William, one of our occasional young volunteers.

Missing from last week were the Gray Catbirds. Not that they were missing from the area but we did not catch any last week which was odd. This time of year they are numerous in the bushes and at the table. This young bird was a welcome sight.

A little later we caught another and Abe got chance to band this one.

Carolina Wrens are most sparse this time of year. All of the hatchlings are well on their way like this recapture which was born earlier in the year and is just now achieving its adult feathers. 2 Weeks ago it still retained younger plumage.

It is always nice to hear the Phoebes back in the area. Even better when you hear them and then they hit the net soon afterwards!

We find no fat deposits on this bird. Probably just settling in from a very long flight to join us for the Winter.

Common Yellowthroats are still around but not in the large numbers as a few weeks ago. The males always bring out the oohs and ahs.

Tufted Titmice are not uncommon at all around the river. We even see the previously banded birds still feeding along with the families every now and then. However, it seems to be a difficult task catching them in the first place. Today we got one of the unbanded family members.

One of our favorite birds to handle and watch as we go about our weekly routine.

We often come back to the observation of clues to evolution when handling birds. We can not resist making the comparison to dinosaurs when staring at some species' feet. Very dino-like.

You should see young birds in the nest. One might swear they are looking at a young dinosaur begging for food. Like this image Andrew took in his yard 6 years ago of a Cardinal chick next to his kitchen window.

As for the Indigo Buntings, they made up 85% of our captures today! We saw William helping load one into a bag earlier and once back at the table he and the others band one of our first of the day.

More odd was the fact that all of the Indigos we caught today were females. Not a male in the bunch.

Even more unexpected was this very young hatch year bird. Note the yellow gape at the base of the bill.

No matter how young, many birds like to take a nip at the banders before being released back into the wild.

With so many buntings to process we get a chance to let some volunteers release some of the more calm birds. William got a chance to release a few buntings this morning.

Other views of note were Maria's usual finding of a dragonfly in one of the nets. They take a lot of gentle care to remove and set free.

Maria also discovered some berries along the trail. We use to see these out at Wekiva State Park but never tracked down the species. With our trusty help from Randy and Mary we learned that they belong to Smilax pumila. Great to have an ID after all these years.

Time to go home. Apparently Andrew needs to keep a close watch on his chair. Seems young William wants to take over. Keep up the interest, William! One day this could be all yours. Someone needs to carry the flag.

We look forward to a visit from members of the OASis (Orange Audubon) next Sunday. Hopefully we can show them some interesting birds as we give them a tour of our always improving site.
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Next Banding Day: Sunday, October 24th.

All nets will be opened by 7:00 A.M.

A Bunting Kind of Day

2010-10-10T17:21:00.000-07:00

Not a blockbuster day but definitely not a disappointment. The most interesting result of the day was that the majority of our captured birds were buntings, Indigo and Painted. Perhaps these grasses are paying off.

We get an early start. All of our nets are opened at least 30 minutes before sunrise every Sunday. Most of our birds are then captured from sunrise to a couple hours afterward and then things go quiet. With migration upon us we start getting birds in the dark. Today, the first bird captured was a Brown Thrasher and we had to utilize our headlamps just to read the band numbers.

Captured in the same net as the Thrasher was our first Cardinal of the day. This male was near another in the net but the other male escaped before we could get to it. Happens sometimes.

Later in the day we captured a female Cardinal. You might notice that both Cardinals are gripping twigs. We do this to keep them occupied so they don't clamp down on our tender flesh.

Then the buntings began to wake up. Andrew banded the first female Painted Bunting as Grace and her Dad, Bill, looked on. Though we caught many Painted Buntings, all of them were females. Everyone was hoping for a bright male. Oh, well.

Grace was reluctant to release one of the early birds but soon was willing to give it a go. Andrew points in the direction the bird should be released as Grace prepares to let it go. This bird was a female Indigo Bunting.

After the first rush of the morning captures, Susan and Grace head out to look for more birds.

Speaking of Indigo Buntings, they were plentiful and calling all over the riverside. Here, a female is lit up by the morning's golden glow.

We have captured Fall Indigo males before but none so bright as this one banded today.

It was still retaining a lot of indigo feathers on its breast and belly. Soon, the males will be much more dull brown.

As mentioned, we got no male Painted Buntings but we find the females just as gorgeous.

We also captured a number of Common Yellowthroats, mostly adult males. Love these birds even though they can cause us a difficult time getting them out of the nets. They tend to spin and get more tangled than other birds.

One male had a bent toe. It was rigid and was probably injured when the bird was younger. Otherwise, the bird was totally healthy and was a mature bird so the toe abnormality does not seem to cause any problems for this bird.

Another interesting adult male showed up a bit later. This male had black feathers going into the breast area and even had black feathers on the belly. Loads of black feathers! Compare where the black feathers normally stop on the bird two pictures above.

We had a nice visit with Frank, one of the rangers from the park (standing between Susan and Charles). He got to see several of the birds that were being banded and also was there to check up on a problem encountered earlier in the week.

The problem? While Frank was clearing some brush to try and get access to spray some of the Skunk Vine he was stung by a Yellow Jacket and got all swollen in the neck for a few days. Ironically, we knew nothing of this but right before Frank arrived Andrew was pulling out some Skunk Vine and was unknowingly standing right over the insect's nest before he knew it. He was stung 3 times and had to tear his shirt off to dislodge the rest of the attacking bugs.

Near the scene of the crime, Susan prays for the Skunk Vine to release our orange tree. That or she was just waiting for another bird to bring back...

One of our other favorite birds (O.K., they are all our favorites) was captured today. A White-eyed Vireo.

Sure, it looks real pretty but it was very feisty. It kept nipping at Andrew throughout the entire banding process.

We just wanted another nice photo so it had to be...controlled a bit more.

One last pet is given to this Yellowthroat before being released. A great end to a beautiful morning.

Next week we install a lot of native plants along with the banding. The transformation of the environment continues in earnest and we can't wait until the results start paying off in the future.
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Next Banding Day: Sunday, October 17th.

All nets will be opened by 7:00 A.M.

A Little Slower

2010-10-03T17:21:00.000-07:00

A great day yesterday but what would today bring? Winds were still pushing in from the North and the radar showed that most birds already moving farther South. We hoped for a pretty good catch rate, at least close to our high totals from Saturday.

It was a little slower today but we were still getting the expected migrants, such as the Gray Catbirds. Here, Grayson watches while Andrew bands our first Catbird of the morning.

Maggie got a really pretty photo of the Catbird. We enjoy them now but for how long? Soon they will be so common that we will become disinterested. At least from overexposure. We will miss them when they depart.

Common Yellowthroats were again the main species today. All ranges of plumage again and the males are always so brilliant in color.

We enjoy looking at the color changes from bill to crown of these adult males.

At times we forget how attractive the females are, too. When you stop to look at them they really are more olive on their backs. In flight they seem just a brown blur.

Thrushes are fewer this year so it is always exciting to band one in between the more common birds right now.

Most warblers stay higher up this time of year so it is great to get a specimen like this female Black-throated Blue Warbler.

Sometimes confusing in the field, Black-throated Blue Warblers are quickly identified by their 'window' on their wings.

Continuing our catches from yesterday were more House Wrens. They can now be heard in the bushes around the banding area, as well.

A first of the season bird was caught today. We were just talking about Eastern Phoebes and here we got the first one to arrive for the Winter. They will increase in numbers soon.

As things were winding down and the winds were picking up the gang found a surprise in the trees besides some birds. A Black Racer was hanging in the branches next to Net 5! An awesome sight.

Winds are continuing to head in from the North. Could reduce the number of birds for next week since they are being ushered out very easily right now. Wintering birds should arrive shortly.

We also have more plants to install provided from our ranger friends across the river. Always something to do!
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Next Banding Day: Sunday, October 10th.

All nets will be opened by 6:50 A.M.

I'd Say Migration is On

2010-10-02T13:14:00.000-07:00

Andrew was watching NEXRAD radar all Friday and liked what he saw. Birds were moving through the state in massive numbers all day long. Unable to stand the suspense, he decided to add a Saturday to the banding schedule. Good thing. We set an all-time high bird count for the banding location with 33 birds! 35 if you count the two that got away.

Not long after official sunrise our banding table looked like this. That's a way to start your day!

Catbirds are finally here. We usually begin to capture them in September but they were running late. We captured 5 today.

The most captured species, however, goes to the Common Yellowthroat. We captured 15 ranging from females...

...a couple juvenile males...

...and a couple adult males.

We weren't even thinking about Indigo Buntings this morning but we captured 2 of them. Our first this season.

Hanging in a net with a couple of Yellowthroats was a feisty White-eyed Vireo. Their numbers are picking up.

Another Veery joined us for some special jewelry. Not a lot of thrushes around so far.

Northern Waterthrushes have been around this whole session this year. They are often found hunting in the swampy areas near the lake.

We got to view one last week but getting to hold a Painted Bunting is a thing of wonder.

We caught 3 Ovenbirids today. Lucky if we can get one on any given banding day.

Right on time, we captured our first House Wren of the season. These are fun little birds to watch and listen to. This was was talking some strange song as it was being banded.

Another White-eyed Vireo dropped in later in the morning.

Last, but not least, our only official recapture of the day (a couple birds flew directly into nearby nets after being released at the table) was this beautiful Brown Thrasher.

Here's to tomorrow being just as exciting.
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Next Banding Day: Sunday, October 3rd.

All nets will be opened by 6:50 A.M.

Buntings Are Back!

2010-09-26T15:59:00.000-07:00

After thanking Karl last week we had to suffer the capping of the next weather front which pretty much shut us down bird-wise for the weekend. It was initially predicted that the Gulf weather would form into a storm and thump us but instead we got just a shield of clouds keeping things quiet for us.

As usual, the birds woke before sunrise. We recaptured a Carolina Wren which was born earlier this year and is almost into its full adult looking plumage. We have been recapturing it since just after it was born so it is nice to see the progression into a more mature look.

That capture was our first and Maria got a shot of the Moon opposite the sunrise as we finished setting nets not long before.

Things grew quite soon afterwards and we worried if the strange front had shut us out for the day. However, another Ovenbird was captured. This time an adult. Always a good looking species.

Near the end of the day we had a nice recapture of a female Cardinal. It appears it is the largest Cardinal ever captured as...wait. It is being held by Maggie.

And here she is in the bigger view.

One of the more interesting captures was that of a Northern Waterthrush. Not because of it being captured but for being captured way up near the table. They have been prevalent near the pier every week so it was more exciting to get one captured close to the table.

One great change was that we finally caught an adult male Common Yellowthroat. Younger males and females head here first so it was nice to finally get the adult males about now. A good looking boy, too.

Making our day, though, was the capture of a Painted Bunting.

This young female is the youngest we have ever banded in the basin. We have had a few adult females and males over the years but it is very rare that we catch a very young bird. She was very tired.

She was set free after being banded and headed off into the park. Soon, however, she found her way back into the same net where she was first captured. We extracted her and set her free back toward the park proper.

This let us get some photos before it was released, again.

Maria was around as we set out to make decisions of where to put new plants this year. We are close to making the net lanes a birders visual hangout. One change this year was letting the Guineagrass grow to see if we could bring back some buntings. It seems to be helping as the crew had great earlier looks at a male Painting Bunting feeding on the seeds near the river.

Good enough birds on a tough day to band (weather was not too helpful today) but we did find something interesting on the way out of the area. Hanging in the edges of the Guineagrass along the net lanes was a bunch of eggs laid by Lady bugs.

They seem to be as enticing as the seeds along the stalks all around the lanes.

Peak is peaking soon...
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Next Banding Day: Sunday, October 3rd.

All nets will be opened by 6:50 A.M.

Thanks, Karl!

2010-09-19T18:42:00.000-07:00

They're baaaaaack!

Hopes were up after watching the radar which showed Hurricane Karl making landfall to the West and spinning the birds our way. Texas routes were blocked and winds were perfect for directing the migration to our clear skies. Would it be enough? Well, our 5th bird of the morning gave us hope.

Yep. Common Yellowthroats (COYE) are back! This adult female was caught near the pier at dawn. Several others flew around the nets but they were there and more were yet to come. Also caught right at dawn were 4 other birds. The first was a Carolina Wren. This was recapture we first banded earlier in the year as a hatch year. Its feathers are getting nice and bright and almost into the adult mode. Note the emerging secondaries which will bring in the adult style spots.

In the net right next to the Wren was holding a new Brown Thrasher.

Farther down the lane, moments later, we found an Ovenbird in Net 12.

Looking good. On to the rest of the nets. In Net 13: a recaptured Cardinal was squawking like crazy. The early morning light really brings out the red in our big male.

Next, another COYE. This time a juvenile male.

Then another...

Andrew checks for fat. All but one COYE had fat on its breast.

Then a surprise. Our first Veery finally arrived. 2 weeks late.

Again, we check for any fat deposits.

But back to COYEs! Fully half our our captured birds today were young male or adult female Common Yellow throat. The flood gates are opening!

However, as fast as the morning began a few birds were remaining at their roosts. Having the Yellowthroats made the morning a success.

One more for the day. Another young male.

Our last interesting find of the morning as we folded up nets. Maria found a leaf with odd discs stuck to it.

Thanks, again, to Randy and Mary who were excited to see this shot as the had never seen a leaf covered on both edges with these Katydid eggs. Looking closer you can see tiny holes which indicate thatsome young bugs have already emerged. Very interesting indeed.

This weekend may prove more difficult. A front is moving toward us and could dampen the upward trend. Catbirds should be about here, though.
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Next Banding Day: Sunday, September 19th.

All nets will be opened by 6:45 A.M.

More of the Same. Not Much.

2010-09-12T21:59:00.000-07:00

At least we got one more bird than last week. Another fly-over night left us with few birds on the ground. Lots of local birds calling but not a bunch of activity at net level.

We did recapture our Cardinal with the messed up left eye from a couple weeks ago. At least it is surviving for now despite the swollen lid.

We did manage to capture 2 more Ovenbirds. Other warblers stayed high above us all morning. Our first young Ovenbird was complete except for the missing tail!

Charles brought his grandson, Grayson, out this morning. He was a very enthusiastic volunteer and got to bring our second Ovenbird back to the table with Andrew in tow.

Our bird gets a new band and a close-up...

...then is given to our young helper for release back into the woods to head on towards its migration goals.

Grayson helped with his young eyes to spot a Ring-necked Snake as we headed back up the trail. These tiny, non-venomous snakes are often seen scurrying through the leaf litter this time of year.

With a lack of birds there was a lot of invasive clearing still to do. Especially now that the Skunk Vine is finally blooming. We will have to clear as much as possible before the birds start dispersing the seeds in the Spring.

A large number of bugs were viewed today. Like this Assassin Bug.

However, it should probably watch out for the lizards! Green Anoles are being displaced by Cuban Anoles in our state so it is always nice to see some of the natives during our travels up and down the net lanes.

Oh, yeah. Maria killed a Damselfly today. How could she? It was so cute...

Closer and closer to full-tilt migration!
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Next Banding Day: Sunday, September 19th.

All nets will be opened by 6:45 A.M.

Birds Make a Break For It

2010-09-05T13:23:00.000-07:00

Saturday night showed a ton of birds moving into the area. Hurricane Earl had pulled away from the Atlantic coast and opened the skies for the first time in a while. Birds took advantage of this and winged South. NEXRAD radar looked like this at 9:30 PM Saturday night.

We got to the banding site at our usual time (before dawn) and set nets and hoped for the best. Then, next to nothing. All morning. Not even fly overs of any good numbers or feeding flocks that we had been observing for the past couple of weeks. Where were the birds?

Here is the NEXRAD at 11:00 AM Sunday morning. That is where the birds are. Already all down by the Keys and launching into the Gulf.

Oh, well. Birds go where they wanna.

We did recapture a young Carolina Wren fairly early and did hear the Barred Owls calling for the first time in a while.

A bit later, Andrew was staring at the trees trying to ID the birds flying up high. There was yellow up there but he couldn't pin it down to any particular species.

Soon afterward, he did find our first Ovenbird of the season nearby. Ovenbirds have been seen and heard for the past 3 weeks but this is our first catch this Summer.

I would apologize to our visitor, Dennis, for the lack of birds (though we did view a good array of species in the trees) but, again, as I say, "Birds go where they wanna go".

Still a lot of good reports coming in from around the state so we hope to capture some more interesting birds as we ease toward peak Fall migration. Nets are always half-full!

NOTE: A Palm Warbler was captured at Tomoka so they are finally here!
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Next Banding Day: Sunday, September 12th.

All nets will be opened by 6:40 A.M.

Variety is the Spice...

2010-08-29T22:17:00.000-07:00

A little less humidity. Just a smidge less. Still a lot of sweat. Who could really tell with the return of a breath of fresh air in the form of Maggie and Abe, returning from too much fun out West. We also had a pretty good selection of birds in the trees and in the nets to keep us busy all morning.

We were watching a lot of good birds flying by or feeding in the treetops before we began catching birds. One of the first was another young Carolina Wren. Adult feathers are on the way.

Soon, we had a striking example of an adult Red-eyed Vireo.

Just before that we had the Bird-of-the-Day earlier than expected. Our first Acadian Flycatcher to band at Lake Lotus!

It took us a bit to make sure what we were staring at. Flycatchers are hard. Plus, the Eastern Wood Pewee was seen right near the spot where this bird was captured so we had to work to shake that ID out of our minds.

After measuring wings and tail feathers and bill size it became clear this was an Acadian. A great catch for us all.

Later, the crew processes another new capture.

Over the river, Maria noticed one of the many Ruby-throated Hummingbirds feeding around the Virginia Creepers.

We always have our share of laughter out at the site but this was a special moment. We captured a Mourning Dove, our 4th at this location, and banded her as is normal. She was then handed off to Maggie for release. Instead of flying off she just sat in Maggie's hand.

Andrew joked that maybe she should place the bird on her shoulder or head. Maggie complied. So did the dove! It soon flew off back up the net lanes.

It wasn't too long before we got another great bird. A male American Redstart.

This gorgeous bird was as bright a spot in the day as its plumage. It was also carrying a ton of fat. Migrants are increasing daily.

Closing out the birds for the day was another excellent catch. A male Black-throated Blue Warbler. Always a joy.

Other images of the day included this fresh looking Clouded Skipper hanging out on the grasses...

...a nice cropping of fungi (loads of fungi are sprouting up thanks to all of the rains of late)...

...and as we were closing up nets to head home we found this orange katydid. Of the genus Amblycorypha, this species is usually green but in rare cases is a more pink-orange in coloration.

A nice end to an interesting day. Hurricane Earl should pass us by this week and change up the winds for next week. Should be about time for our first Veery of the season soon. Can't wait.
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Next Banding Day: Sunday, September 5th.

All nets will be opened by 6:35 A.M.

Things are Stirring

2010-08-22T14:56:00.000-07:00

Yes. Sauna again. I tried to keep it from happening but, alas...

Nothing left to do but to get to it. Ovenbrids were heard calling all over the place today but they really weren't moving around much. We had to watch other birds fly by or over the area. Could have used a capture of an Ovenbird as the past couple of years but we could not do it.

Still catching the other locals, though. Like more young Cardinals. This female is showing a lot of new feathers coming in all around her body and still shows dark spots on the her bill as typical of young birds.

This slightly older male also shows new feathers coming in but the bill is more uniform in color.

We had a couple of guests today. Alice and Kris had a great time hanging out with us and we enjoyed them being there. Guests are always welcome at the site and they can always head over to the park proper afterward.

The day was not chock full of captured birds but we did have enough to keep everyone involved. This shot from Alice shows Andrew hauling back two birds back to the banding table midway through the morning.

In one of those bags was another Cardinal. A pretty girl.

The other bag contained out first migrant of the day. A Northern Waterthrush. Two weeks in a row.

As we walked the lane in search for captured birds, Richard was being all sexy and tending to our new plantings. New plants are looking good, too!

In between the new mulberries, a plant was noticed growing near the lanes. Turns out to be a Partridge Berry. Supposed to be a favorite of some birds and hopefully it will fill in the barren spots around our new trees.

Soon afterward, we captured a Carolina Wren. Most everything we are catching are young birds. Alice got a shot of this bird being banded by Andrew.

Showing the molting process on these young birds is nicely illustrated by this shot of the secondary feathers pushing through the shafts.

One bird we had hoped to catch (and maybe we have) was a one of the pair of Brown Thrashers flying right over the nets near the pier. Next time...

Andrew had to stop by the site the previous Friday and found a Carolina Chickadee. First ever sighted by us here. Today, we had several near 10 AM. They were hanging out with the Titmice (as is typical) and we managed to capture one of the birds today.

Soon after releasing the Chickadee, Andrew went toward Net 2 to see what all the birds were fussing about. He soon found the Eastern Wood Pewee he found last Friday and the Yellow-throated Vireo our visitors found last week. Same spot for both birds at around the same time!

Right near the Vireo, a Downy Woodpecker dropped into the picture. Still wish there would have been more light for both birds.

Rounding out the day, Susan and Maria were transfixed by movement across the river from the banding table. They discovered a blooming Button Bush which was being visited by our first sighting of a Silver Spotted Skipper. Nice!

Overall, a fun day shared with new friends and some great birds viewed and banded.

Someone send us a Cerulean Warbler, would ya?
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Next Banding Day: Sunday, August 29th.

All nets will be opened by 6:30 A.M.

More Visitors Than Birds

2010-08-15T17:44:00.000-07:00

We are ready for Fall. This blanketing humidity is ridiculous! Even the birds were staying in the shade. Only 3 birds today which was less than the number of visitors we had. That is OK. Company makes the day go by faster.

After we set nets we headed back to the banding table to get ready for the day. Who needs coffee when you discover a scorpion relaxing in one of the folding chairs? Luckily, Maria had her headlamp on as she opened chairs and noticed our first visitor of the day.

Andrew donned the work gloves and gently took the scorpion over to a rotting log. The scorpion quickly crawled under a piece of bark and settled in. Whew. We are awake now!

Our first bird of the day was a young male Cardinal. It was initially thought that it was completely missing its left eye. Closer inspection revealed that it was still there but the lid was closed over. Perhaps a virus or collision with a thorn. We don't know.

The right eye was fine and the bird seemed otherwise healthy. Hopefully, we will capture the bird in the future to see if it improves.

As mentioned earlier, we had a lot of new visitors today. Kathlin read about us online and wanted to stop by and see some birds up close and famed East Coast photographer, and long-time acquaintance, Thomas Dunkerton brought out the family for a morning in the sauna.

Our next bird was a young Carolina Wren. Note the yellowish gape at the base of the bill and the missing white wing spots these birds acquire as they age.

Andrew blows on the birds body to check for any fat that may be present. Being a young, local bird we assumed we would find none as was the case.

Our newly banded bird gets a gentle petting before being released back into the woods.

Later, the crew checked nets and found a female Cardinal in Net 16. Christine removes the bird as some of our visitors watch the process.

Other finds of note were the numerous fungus species. At least some living thing is enjoying the extra-moist conditions of late! A lot of these umbrella looking mushrooms were scattered throughout the area.

Every now and again we would find fungi that resemble our nearby Spaceship Earth at EPCOT.

Fungus come in all different colors. We have even found some in blue but these yellow versions stand out nicely along logs on the sides of the net lanes.

We hadn't heard the Barred Owls for the past couple of weeks but one was very accessible today toward the pier. We kept an eye out for it scouting the nets for smaller prey.

We also planted 3 new trees today. Another Wax Myrtle and two Red Mulberry trees. Can't wait for those to mature and provide food for the birds and bring in more sights for future visitors across the river.

Migrant reports are on the rise. Many Red-eyed Vireos were viewed and a Yellow-throated Vireo was seen near the banding table. We should be capturing more birds as the weeks progress.
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Next Banding Day: Sunday, August 22th.

All nets will be opened by 6:30 A.M.

Session 3: Day 1

2010-08-08T22:39:00.000-07:00

Day 1 of our 2010-2011 Session began with another walk into the sauna. Heavy rains the night before cooled the land a bit but the humidity was still weighing on us and the sweating began promptly at 5:45 AM. Cicadas were buzzing away as the clouds relaxed overnight. Rain was forecast for later in the morning so we crossed our fingers and set nets to see what was new in the area.

Our first bird was new, but local. A young Carolina Wren. Second bird was also a young bird but this time the species was a White-eyed Vireo! They have been few and far between this year and this little bird has molted off its tail.

Later on we captured yet another Carolina Wren juvenile. You can see the new feathers coming in along the wings.

Along the riverside, the Scarlet Mourning Glory patch is expanding and attracting a lot of butterflies.

Nearby, the tangerine trees are setting fruit. Can't wait for the harvest in the Winter!

Pokeberry bushes are loaded with fruit right now. A good feast for the birds.

Several adult Lubber Grasshoppers were seen along the trails today. A lot of people suggest killing them but we let them be.

A large colony of Ant Lions was discovered today and garnered some attention for a while.

They primarily exists by catching and eating ant, of course, but Charles and Maria watched as a spider wandered too close and was grabbed. It was pulled under the dirt but managed to escape.

We had some time to soak in the morning (while we were get soaked with sweat) but how can you complain when you can watch the relaxing river drift by?

We did catch a juvenile Northern Cardinal but the Bird-of-the-Day arrived just in time. Our first migrant: a Northern Waterthrush.

Beginning of last season we caught a few Louisiana Waterthrushes and hoped for one today. Any migrant is good, though. Northern Waterthrushes are told from the former species easily by looking for the speckles on the throat. Louisianas are unmarked.

Six birds today (we are counting the Brown Thrasher that escaped) doubles last year's start. Hopefully, this trend continues and we have a bumper crop of birds to band.
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Next Banding Day: Sunday, August 15th.

All nets will be opened by 6:25 A.M.

Final Sprucing Up Before Sunday

2010-08-01T17:59:00.000-07:00

Our last maintenance check on the nets lanes was performed today in the stifling heat and humidity. Sweat was unavoidable and copious. But we soldiered on for a few hours to reposition net poles (to fit the brand new nets) and to plant the first of our native trees that are ready to help meet our goals of improving the environment and, hopefully, make this a great place for the birds.

Ranger Gary showed up right as we did and began mowing the net lanes so we don't have to wade through high weeds. What a great sight to walk into.

We installed the new nets and enjoyed the clean cut views.

All the way down to the pier.

As for the new trees, we planted 3 Yaupon Holly in the area where that first net lane picture was taken above.

Wax Myrtles are going in near the pier. We planted 4 today and will install up to 17 more as the year progresses. Can't wait for them to mature and for us to get a chance to maintain them and bring in the birds, which love Wax Myrtles.

Many insects were in the area, of course, but this Viceroy was making its presence known by hanging out when not chasing away other butterflies. Fun to watch.

Down by Net 14, a grouping of Scarlet Mourning Glory is spreading over the last year and attracting much attention from Spicebush Butterflies.

Another great sight is that of the berries ripening throughout the area. Black Cherry, Beautyberry, Elderberry, and the Muscadine grapes are laying out the banquet table for the incoming birds.

A not so welcome sight, a large Armoured Catfish is nesting up river near the banding table.

Everything is in place for the start of the new season. Might be hot but we hope the banding will be even hotter!
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Next Banding Day: Sunday, August 8th.

All nets will be opened by 6:20 A.M.

Our Next Season Begins August 8th

2010-07-28T05:21:00.000-07:00

We have checked the net lanes once and will do one more check this weekend before starting up the 2010-2011 banding season. Warblers are already being seen in the area and we are excited to get back out and see what we can find.
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Next Banding Day: Sunday, August 8th.

All nets will be opened around 6:20 A.M.

Raptor Banding

2010-07-07T12:54:00.000-07:00

Not at Lake Lotus today but the gang was still busy banding.

We got the call to return to the Avian Reconditioning Center to see if we could band some raptors that were to be released back into the wild soon. Several species were represented plus a special 'bonus' bird we were not told of prior to arrival. I got there with the boys before 10 AM (much to their reluctance to wake on a day off) and Carol had to move one of the other birds that was not being banded so we all got a nice close up of a Barred Owl before things got underway.

Soon, the raptors were be gathered up and brought in for their new jewelry. First up was our surprise bird. A Burrowing Owl fledgling! A rare treat.

Next, it was time for the Cooper's Hawks. Several birds were ready to be banded and the boys got their first chance to watch the banding here. They have come with me banding at other locations to see smaller birds banded before but have had fewer chances to see larger birds up close. Except for the Cooper's Hawk I brought into the house after catching out back a couple years ago...

Carol brings out one of the Cooper's and shows us how some of the tail feathers were injured.

Then the bird gets its own special leg wear.

Allison, one of the volunteers today holds the next bird in line as Richard applies the band.

A beautiful bird close up.

Another special treat for the morning. A young Eastern Screech Owl.
Too cute!

The last species of the day, American Kestrels. We had three females to band before their release.

A closer look at a Kestrel. The images are darker as we need to close the door so these speedsters don't escape our grasp.

Banding was done but I had to take a look at a couple other birds in the cages. There was a nice Barn Owl fluttering around the enclosure.

Just behind the Owl was a very vocal Harris Hawk brought down from Tennessee. Scott hopes to teach it along with their resident Harris Hawk in the future.

More birds will get our attention for banding in the near future. Can't wait. Always an interesting time.

The Avian Reconditioning Center has a web site and are open to the public on Saturdays. Check for news and directions there. They also have an Adopt-a-Bird program if anyone is interested in helping with the funding to care for some of these remarkable birds.

Wrapping Up our Second Session

2010-06-20T19:18:00.000-07:00

Well, the heat was down but it is almost preferred than having soaked feet beginning before dawn. It rained heavily throughout the area most of the night but cleared for our latest banding attempt. Once the Sun came up the grasses all looked like this.

Trees were dripping all morning. When the squirrels weren't causing small rain showers as they ran through the oaks we could still find some pretty views.

With all the extra water the river was up again. However, it is now a lovely color of chocolate milk!

Talked to rangers Frank and Gary and they say there is construction a bit up river but the silt is still flowing around the barriers. Must be Oompa Loompa Union 48...

Looking up river near the banding table, you can see that the silt is to blame as the water coming from Bosse Lake is as clear as ever as it reaches the Little Wekiva.

Birds were few and far between. Figure they are avoiding the extra wet conditions plus there are not as many insects out for the same reason. We did recapture a Blue Jay early on. The only other bird banded today was a adult male Mourning Dove.

As such, we continued some maintenance and made more discoveries. Like this probable last bloom of the Button Bush.

As that shot was being taken we noticed a Tiger Moth keeping dry.

The dragonflies were out hunting and besides our typical pondhawks there was a nice species we believe to be a Great Blue Skimmer.

The Elderberry plants have been spreading more and more as we remove the other, invasive species. This year is a bumper crop of berries already and the blooms are still going strong. Lots of food for Fall migration.

Other berries were found along the trail. Most likely, they belong to a Smilax laurifolia, or Greenbriar.

Close by, a lone yellow flower, a Chapman's Pea (Chapmannia floridiana), brightens the shaded greens.

Next to net 5 there were a bunch of tiny mushrooms sprouting up from the decaying leaves...

...while overhead the sun paints rainbows on the spider webs.

Lastly, we did have another bird sighting. A beautiful Green Heron was hunting along the edge of the muddy river. Always a joy to watch.

As the title of this post alludes to, this week wraps up our second full session of banding at Lake Lotus. We will take a 6 week break before beginning banding again in early August. We will return from time to time to keep the net lanes clear but other than that we will get some rest and avoid the heat for a while.

There may be a couple of posts along the way focusing on highlights from the past session. Stay tuned!
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Next Banding Day: Sunday, August 8th.

All nets will be opened around 6:30 A.M.

More Cardinal Babies

2010-06-13T18:17:00.000-07:00

Expectations were downgraded as this high sits on top of us, bringing unseasonably hot weather and not much is moving through the state. It is also fledging time so birds here are busy feeding their young and are otherwise not as active.

So, Andrew brought his axe to remove some of the larger invasive trees while we waited to see what the day would bring. Luckily, we did catch 6 birds today starting with this Brown Thrasher right around sunup.

Right after that we got our first young Cardinal of the morning.

We followed up that bird with the next Brown Thrasher of the day.

This time of year we usually catch a lot of Carolina Wrens but this year they are avoiding the nets. We hear them all over the place but it took a few hours before we even got one and that was a recaptured adult. So, we go back to Cardinals! Maria and Ivana had to wrangle a rather feisty male recapture that showed how strong a bite can be.

Charles found a more calm Cardinal soon afterward. Fortunately, the young ones don't know how to bite so hard yet.

That wraps up the birds for today. On to the plants and wildlife! Near Net 3 Maria found a bunch of leftover egg shells. Probably turtle.

Lurking around the path between Nets 4 and 5 was a beautiful Argiope (Black and Yellow Garden Spider) displaying its intricate web structure.

Here is another round of "Where is the Toad?". Can you see it? Many small toads were hopping toward the river across our net lanes.

Along the river, the ever-present Dragonflies hunt for a meal.

Back at the table, we found an underwing moth hiding in the vegetation. Wish we had a better photo but it moved far too quickly for a great shot.

Nearby, the Swamp Lilies are back in bloom. This is the only bunch of this species we find along the banks.

The Beauty Berry plants are blooming and generating new fruit for the upcoming migration season. Mockingbirds, Catbirds, and other birds enjoy the berries and the insects that hang around them in the Fall.

Tread Softly plants are blooming most of the year. Their name comes from the fact that the plant is studded with sharp spines along its length.

Near Net 2, a Wild Potato Vine shows off its gorgeous flowers.

Finally, we observed the abundant fruits of the many wild Black Cherry trees along the river. More food for the upcoming migration season!

More discoveries as Summer gets closer. Been here for several weeks here. Whew! Hot...
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Next Banding Day: Sunday, June 20th.

All nets will be opened around 6:00 A.M.

Mainly Babies

2010-06-06T21:35:00.000-07:00

That time of year again. Finally.

Last year we were catching a lot of Carolina Wren chicks. Not yet this year but the Cardinals seem to be doing well. First bird of the day was a young male banded by Maria.

Speaking of Carolina Wrens, we did catch an older bird which appears to be a new adult but was probably born here last year. Guess we missed one.

Many other birds are caring for their young. Like this pair of Downy Woodpeckers.

Of course, we still have to keep an eye out for the Barred Owls. The young were calling before dawn and then we started to see the hunting adults later on.

This bird flew down to a spot on the river for a closer look at something along the banks and eventually grabbed its prey and flew off.

On 'our' side of the river just opposite the owl was a run of flowers we have determined to be cut-leaf Evening Primrose. They ranged from a mixed orange...

...to a pure yellow. Pretty!

For a total tangent, Maria discovered a small toad.

The Cicadas were telling us it was about time to head home and as we were folding nets we heard a loud ruckus near Net 11. Just across the river, woodpeckers, Jays, Titmice and a Red-shouldered Hawk looked toward the commotion occurring near the Elderberry.

The reason for all the attention was the fact that we captured two birds at the same time. A Cardinal and our first Red-bellied Woodpecker for this site. In fact, the reason this net was placed where it is is due to the Elderberry plants and knowing that Red-bellied woodpeckers eat the fruits of this plant. Only took them a year to start with this bunch!

Back at the banding table, we got to the Cardinal first. It seems our new little boy has a bit of a problem with his bill. Hopefully we can monitor it as he ages.

Still, he is a handsome addition to the neighborhood.

On to our newest species. Andrew adds the band to our first Red-bellied Woodpecker.

Then the bird gives us the raspberry! Such a pointed tongue it useful for prying out grubs and other insects from tree trunks.

The feathers are always a joy to behold when seen spread out. So often they are seen just edging around trees.

The day was ended. Whew! Interesting. New birds and a lot of invasives removed along the way. During the day and on the way out we noticed the the cold Winter may have help some of the local plants. For instance, the Muscadine Grapes bloomed like mad this Spring and the fruits are really filling out right now. Good food for the upcoming migration.

The last find of the day was a grouping of these small purple flowers. Fairly sure they are Blue Twinflower. There are a few in one spot near the fence. A lot of interesting plants right there.

Back into the heat next weekend! Maybe some new Wrens are ready to head out...
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Next Banding Day: Sunday, June 13th.

All nets will be opened around 6:00 A.M.

Who Needs Birds?

2010-05-23T19:03:00.000-07:00

A very quiet day. Only two birds today, both recaptured Carolina Wrens. One was an older adult and one was one of the younger birds we banded last year about this time.

In other news...seems the bears are still around. There was a report of two bears roaming a nearby neighborhood and two of the net poles were bent to the ground and had to be replaced.

How else can we be sure? Poop.

On the insect front, many species were discovered. Starting with a blue damselfly.

Then a Blue Dasher dragonfly.

Lurking in the fennel was a new find here. A young Lubber Grasshopper. It will grow to about 3 inches in length when it reaches adulthood.

Fritillary numbers are on the rise and searching for more Passion Vine to lay their eggs upon.

Another good find was this Buckeye butterfly visiting the grassy edges.

Discovered at dawn, several white moths appeared to be mating near Net 8. We believe them to be Agreeable Tiger Moths. Thanks, Mary!

We found these eggs on some plants. Friend Mary also says they are eggs from a parasitic wasp. Probably an Ichneumonoidea species.

One of the more spectacular spiders found in our area is the Argiope or "black and yellow garden spider". Beautiful and almost always stationary, they weave a complex web with distinctive bright centers and lie in wait for prey. Apparently it worked here.

We often get a chance to chat with the rangers from across the river and sometimes they come over to check on our progress. Maria got them to smile for a shot as she spoke to Frank and Gary on their morning rounds.

Flower news, now. Mist Flowers are blooming again along the riverside. A nice change of color among the green radishes and grasses.

Nearby, the Button Bush is also in full bloom. Growing to over 6 feet in height, this plant shows off brilliantly this time of year. Maria thinks it resembles the ball that drops in Time Square on New Years.

The stranger in the mix is the begonia that we find from time to time. Probably washed down the river in the past, they take root and try to flourish once they land on the banks. We have found many over the years.

Can't band next weekend but we will be back for a couple more weeks before the Summer break. Should be time to start capturing new baby birds leaving the nest. Last year we caught 8 young wrens at one time and hope we can begin to trace the new brood when we return.

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Next Banding Day: Sunday, June 6th.

All nets will be opened around 6:00 A.M.

Interesting Catches

2010-05-16T19:57:00.000-07:00

You can tell it is going to be an interesting day when the first thing you catch is a Flying Squirrel!

That is what Maria found when she opened Net number 3 this morning. A squirrel jumped into the net as she was opening it up. It was confused for a bit and them tumbled from panel to panel and then eventually made it back to the ground and headed back to the nest box in the tree where it was probably sleeping in the first place.

Better than caffeine! Andrew got such a jolt last year in the dark as another one jumped into a net before dawn.

Bird chatter was extra loud as it was last week long before dawn but subsided not long after the Sun rose. We still recaptured a Carolina Wren and caught a very young Brown Trasher probably just out of the nest. We were studying it so much that we neglected to get photo but it was the youngest on record for us.

As Andrew returned the Thrasher to the possible nesting area, he noticed a large parcel in the net nearby. A Barred Owl!

Fortunately, we keep a pair of thick gloves at the banding table and Andrew volunteered to give the extraction a try. The results were happy.

Once back at the table, Richard applied the band. We believe this is the eldest of the two chicks hatched this year.

We returned to the area where the owls hang out and released it toward the nest tree. The owl flew into the tree overhanging the river and shook off the incident.

That done, we got back to busy work around the area removing Camphor trees and exploring the flora and fauna. The Painted Leaf plants are really taking off!

The Leather Flowers are finally coming into bloom along the trails and by the outer fencing.

Nearby, the Sensitive Briar plants are spreading out and showing their brilliant, delicate pink flowers.

Visiting the flowers are some butterflies, of course. Mainly smaller versions like this Common/White Checkered Skipper.

Adding more color were many Dainty Sulphurs.

Not year ready to change into an adult, this odd (maybe not well) looking caterpillar was looking for food in the bushes.

On another plant, something seems to be getting ready, itself. Probably a Bagworm Moth (Thanks, as always, Randy and Mary for insect help!) .

Resting on a stem was some sort of Scarab Beetle that caught our attention.

Here is a closer view which really shows the reddish-brown and gold markings.

Our final bug was actually rescued from a net and sat on our hands for a while for some shots. We ID it as an Indiana River Cruiser. New to us.

Those eyes were hypnotic!

But wait! We are here for birds and we did get yet another interesting one as the day was winding down. An American Redstart. We usually see many during the season but this one is a little late. Plus, it had a new plumage variation for us. It might appear to be a female. However, note the black feathers around the face and scattered elsewhere.

It is actually a First-Spring male. Later, it will acquire the familiar black and orange when it becomes an adult.

Finally, we got one last unexpected bird as we gathered the nets. Mourning Doves hang around but rarely get captured. They seem to have a good sense of the nets and will fly around them even when flushed when they are right next to them.

What makes this one interesting is that it is a young bird.

You call tell this by examining the feathers which are edged with light tan instead of the smooth blends of adults.

Whew! Many events unfolded that we never would have guessed as we rolled out in the pre-dawn hours. Maybe next week will bring more surprises. Here's hoping.

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Next Banding Day: Sunday, May 23th.

All nets will be opened around 6:00 A.M.

Loud but Quiet

2010-05-09T19:12:00.000-07:00

Birds were up extra early today, well before sunrise. We thought it was going to be a rather active day of banding based on that alone. Four Chuck Will's Widows were heard, the most ever at one time around Lake Lotus for us.

However, the banding was a near bust with only 2 birds captured throughout the morning. Our first bird was a new female Northern Cardinal. Still enjoy seeing the extra bright colors on the Cardinals here.

Our other bird was a recaptured Brown Thrasher. We actually banded this bird across the river during the recent Earth Day event.

Other birds were seen most of the morning but most were way up in the tree canopy. Except for this busy Red-bellied Woodpecker making a hole in a dead tree.

So, with a little time on our hands it was off to wander and discover new things in the area. Near the river was a large patch of fungus which was rather pretty.

Chomping away on a leaf was a Giant Leopard Moth (Hypercompe scribonia) caterpillar.

Another insect we found was this pretty little Stink Bug nymph.

Hanging out on a tree was a Lady Beetle crawling over some sort of growth on the leaves.

These growths (galls) caught our attention as they are all over certain trees. Then it was noticed that they are only on this particular kind of tree.

Now we wanted to find out more so I contacted Tom MacCubbin. Turns out that the trees are Red Bay. The galls are Red Bay psyllid galls. Tom explains in better detail, "They are very common and cause no more harm than what you see. The insect is the psyllid and there is only one generation a year but the damage to the leaves remains forever. We do not try to control this insect."

Thanks for the info, Tom!

Hanging on a vine on the edge of the woods was a cocoon. Not sure which critter it belongs to yet as it decided to emerge already. We are leaning toward the Polyphemus Moth.

Andrew finally decided that the Camphor trees had to go. The Camphor is an invasive and this year they are really growing fast. We will continue to hack away at them when we have a few minutes.

Hope to have more birds next week. Maybe the parents will let their kids out to play for a little while.

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Next Banding Day: Sunday, May 16th.

We will open around 6:05 A.M.

CSI: Lake Lotus

2010-05-02T19:21:00.000-07:00

The title of this post will be resolved near the end. Interesting day in the long run but nothing too out of the ordinary. Except for the reason for the title. Anyway...!

Not too bad of a start. Birds were calling early, way before dawn. Even Great-crested Flycatchers were calling in the dark and all the way back in Orlando, Blue Jays were calling before 5 AM. Odd. At Lotus, we had a nice moonrise not long after dawn.

We watched a Brown Thrasher escape the nets at 7 AM but managed to capture another later on. A Northern Cardinal was recaptured a bit later. We also got a couple more Gray Catbirds, probably the last of this season.

Titmice began calling and moving through the trees. One was captured while another called above wondering what was taking so long for its companion to rejoin the foraging. By the way, Titmice bite REALLY hard.

Richard did another check of the nest boxes. Though no birds were found nesting this week, we got probably the cutest Flying Squirrel shot ever taken.

As the morning was drawing to a close, Ivana helps Christine extract a Carolina Wren as Andrew heads to the end of the net lanes.

Once there, Andrew found another Carolina Wren in the nets to round out the bird captures for the day.

This particular Wren thought it was a Bittern for some reason and spent most of its time pointing North.

This time of year always provides more than just birds. Maria got a bunch of photos of insects found along the trail. Here, a Gulf Fritillary sips on a flower in the early light.

Out in the brighter Sun, a dragonfly pauses for a break before chasing more mosquitoes.

Last week we had a bunch of pupa on a Nightshade plant and it took a while to hunt down the species. This week we found the adults which lead to a positive ID. They are Blue-banded Lema Leaf Beetles!

Nearby, another beetle was discovered. This one is a Cottonwood Leaf Beetle.

Then, there was a caterpillar found near the river. Appears to be a Lateral Lined Army Moth (Spodoptera Latifascia).

On to the CSI explanation. Fair warning, if you are at all squeamish, please read no further. Just know that we will be back out next Sunday around 5:30 AM.

Still here? K.

Recent rains have brought down more trash into the river. The Little Wekiva actually starts way up in Orlando and many water ways drain into this small river that leads to Lake Lotus. Every now and then we get a lot of trash flowing into the river system and a lot of it gets tangled up in the the trees that have fallen across the river. Some as recent at from Tropical Storm Fay just before we began banding here.

Today there was a very large collection of trash noticed down below the banding table.

This fallen tree is actually the bridge that the Black Bears used to cross back and forth from the woods and the park proper. Tempting as it is, though, none of us is willing to walk out and try to clean things up. The water is actually very deep right behind the tree trunk.

Andrew did go down to start pulling some trash out of the water. Tadpoles hugged the shoreline but there was a smell in the air. A dead fish was found but this smell held something else about it.

Eventually, a glance just behind the trash line revealed another source of the odor. A severed limb of a mammal.

Further investigation makes us think that is may have belonged to an otter. Alligators live in the lake but remainders of prey shouldn't end up 'up' river. There are other lakes that lead to the river so who knows where this actually came from.

Info has been sent on to the rangers in case they have more thoughts. A weird end to the day but another proven case that there is always something to discover out here in this small area of a fairly urban area.

Next week may have us discovering more clues about nearly anything.
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Next Banding Day: Sunday, May 9th.

We will open around 6:10 A.M.