Winds of Change

Back after a week off for Spring Break, we set nets on this Easter morning before dawn as usual. Right at dawn we were catching birds at a good rate. First up was a Hermit Thrush in Net 7. Just as soon as we got Net 19 opened a House Wren and Northern Cardinal flew into it.



Next up, a male Common Yellowthroat.



An adult Carolina Wren joined the mix soon afterward.



Susan happened upon a Common Green Darner and got some shots before placing it in the Sun to continue the warm up.



Then the day went quiet and the winds began to increase. We couldn't find the Limpkins in their usual spots. Soon we relocated the pair. Both up on the fishing pier railings.



Down below, a handsome Pied-billed Grebe poses before a dive.



Almost overlooked, a female Wood Duck glides toward the shore.



We have been hearing a wonderful noise again in the area. Great-crested Flycatchers have returned.



Besides the Great-crested Flycatchers we also heard our first of the season Chimney Swifts twittering overhead. Those hardy "Wheep!"s of the flycatchers were all over, though.



Bob spotted one of the Barred Owls fly in with a large prey item. It was soon relocated across the river and our newest volunteer, Lynn, got a shot before the bird was spooked by some park visitors. It was determined the prey was a large (very!) rat.



Not long before leaving we captured a couple of Yellow-rumped Warblers.



One the way our to the cars we had a pair of Swallow-tailed Kites soaring above us.



One Swallow-tailed Kite even seemed to be carrying nesting material.



Migrants are being reported more and more. Perhaps we can capture some next week.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, April 7th.
All nets will be opened by 6:40 A.M.

Migration Seems to be Turning

The weather is still up and down but we headed out and wondered what we might catch today. For the first time in a long time we had nearly no wind in the area. Unfortunately, that seemed to lead to the most warblers staying out in the willows or way up in the tree tops. We still had a nice selection after the day was complete. A nice example was a Yellow-rumped Warbler caught at a low level early on.



A sure sign of the migration taking a turn was the capture of a previously banded Ovenbird. They have been absent for a while.



Here, Becki holds up the bird for a shot before we get all the data down.



We soon caught a second Ovenbird so they do seem to be on the move.



It was slow and steady out at the site but it was nice to get a Western Palm Warbler molting into Spring plumage as the day wore on.



It had been quite a while since we have captured a Northern Parula so it was nice to get this female today.



Northern Parula breed in the park and by Earth Day next month the trees will be full of fledglings calling to the parents all over the place. Our newest volunteer, Phyllis got a nice shot of the bird before releasing it.



Later, the Barred Owl pair was spotted by Bob and they stayed along the edge of the river for quite a while.



Common Yellowthroat were seen all over near the end of the net lanes today and we managed to get one of them before the day was through. This adult female was a nice addition to the tally for the morning. They should become much more active as the weeks go by. Many males were seen and heard today.



Richard brought out the ladder to check the nest boxes we have set up and, as usual, there are many Flying Squirrels taking up the places where we would rather have birds nesting.



We are off next Sunday for Spring Break but will hopefully be back out for the next round while Spring Migration takes hold.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, March 31st.
All nets will be opened by 6:45 A.M.

The Morning After

Back at the banding site after the Birdapalooza event yesterday, we sacrificed sleep (Daylight Savings Time also kicked in) and headed into the morning ready for whatever might greet us. Just after we set nets and got the table in order, we only had to walk a few feet to see our first bird on the day in Net 3. A Northern Cardinal.



We had a visitor on hand. Phyllis joined us and supplied some photos along the way. Back at the table, we recorded the info for the Cardinal which was banded previously just down the lane so it is still on territory.



Our next bird was a recaptured Swamp Sparrow we banded earlier in the year.



Charles, Christine and Andrew record the next set of data.



Up next, a Gray Catbird flew in. Finally, a new bird for the day.



As Phyllis remarked, it only takes seconds to get the band on a new bird, which is quickly released safely back into the wild.



Another recapture, a female Northern Cardinal.



Over the river, a Barred Owl flew in for a bit and then we sighted the other of the pair preening in the branches.



We had a Red-shouldered Hawk hunting around the banding table all morning and at one point we watched it with some sort of prey to eat. It was hard to tell, but we are speculating that is was a frog.



Out on the lake, a Pied-billed Grebe foraged near the fishing pier.



Closer to the net lane, a Red-bellied Slider soaked up the sunlight for most of the morning.



Yellow-rumped Warblers were still around but mostly staying out in the willows hawking insects over the lake.



Still, we managed to capture a couple of them before the day was over.



As we closed the nets for the day, we began to hear the high-pitched calls of Cedar Waxwings. They were in the oaks near the Barred Owl sightings and were gleaning from the branches.



A nice morning out by the lake. Birds are beginning to move North and we hope to begin capturing more migrants for the next few weeks.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, March 17th.
All nets will be opened by 7:00 A.M.

Lake Apopka Wildlife and Birdapalooza Festival

Today was the 1st annual Lake Apopka Wildlife and Birdapalooza festival held at Magnolia Park on the shore of Lake Apopka. We were asked to put on a banding demonstration by the Orange County Audubon recently and decided it would be a good thing to join in on. Overall, it was a good day. Tweaks will be made to increase our captures for the next event. Reports are that around 4.400 vistors made it out for this first happening.



We began setting nets just after 7 AM and had everything in oder by 8 AM. The crew relaxed for a few moments to enjoy muffins and prepare for the crowds. Andrew, Bob, Richard, and Susan were on hand to man the event.



Our friend, Paul Hueber, was there to take a tally of birds seen in the park and reports from tour goers.



Our first bird of the day was a Carolina Wren with a very prominent brood patch. She must have a nest started nearby.



Down near the lake, an Eastern Phoebe flitted through the trees.



Flying in directly toward us, a pair of Mottled Ducks landed near the shore.



Myrtle (Yellow-rumped) Warblers gathered and scooped up insects among the reeds, as well.



Back at the table, we captured a couple of Northern Cardinals. Many birds of this species were around today and we ended up banding several of them. It will be interesting to see if we recapture any of them next year. Cardinals give a good bite, thus the stick to give them something else to focus on.



Back at the lake, Forster's Terns cruise the shoreline.



Despite their name, Moon Glorys begin to bloom in the early morning and brighten up the paths along the lake.



Our friend Carol McCorkle from the Avian Reconditioning Center in Apopka gave a presentation on stage. She brought out one of their Bald Eagles to start the show.



One of the birds out in the crowd was a Red-shouldered Hawk which suffered an injured eye and will remain in the ARC facilities for care.



Next up was a Barn Owl. One of our most interesting, and secretive, owls in Florida.



The last bird in Carol's presentation was an American Kestrel. Tiny bird. Big appetite.



We caught another Yellow-rumped Warbler and had some guests around to watch the banding process.



We allowed on of the guests to release the bird.



Soon, a male Northern Cardinal to add to the list. They were hiding in the brush all day.



The last hiking tour of the day stopped by just in time to see a banding demo.



After the bird was banded and released, Susan provided more information about tracking banding birds.



Up by the fence, Palm Warblers were beginning to feed in the grass. Always impressive to see these birds transitioning into their Spring plumage.



Andrew was making one last check of the nets when he heard something drop into the branches overhead. Squirrel? Nope.



A Yellow Rat Snake was 'hanging out' it the tree searching for food. Finally, it showed its face from behind the leaves.



All in all a great day for the 1st annual event. We will make some tweaks by next year and look forward to our involvement in 2014.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, March 17th.
All nets will be opened by 7:00 A.M.