Spookily Quiet

The day before halloween and the pre-dawn set up was eerily still. Barely anything was moving. Nocturnal insects were not calling or chirping. Just dark. And quiet.

We did not have a lot of activity today but there was a familiar species arriving right on time. The first two birds we captured were Hermit Thrushes. The first was a new bird and the second was a bird we first banded last December.



Next up was a female Black-throated Blue Warbler. We haven't caught a male in weeks.



Christine and Connie were out at the nets for a while but eventually returned from Net 21 and brought back an American Redstart.



Eastern Phoebes were calling all over the property, especially down by the lake. None wanted to come down to participate in our endeavors.



Only a couple of Gray Catbirds were heard today and we captured one just before the nets were folded away.



In the same net, a House Wren flew in, too.



This bird put on a nice display and allowed us to photograph all of the upper feathers. One point of ID we point out about wrens is that House Wrens are born with white spots on their wings and lose them as they become adults (as this bird is) while Carolina Wrens develop white spots as they age.



The crew was discussing Bald Eagles and if they were nesting yet. Andrew has a pair that nest near his house and swung by to find the female at the nest. Last year they failed for the first time to rear a brood. Hopefully, they can get back on track this season.



Our first Myrtle (Yellow rump) Warbler was seen today and Palm Warblers have been increasing in number so we are hoping to begin banding them soon. Maybe next week?

NOTE: Next Sunday is the time to Fall Back for Daylight Saving Time. Check those clocks!
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, November 6th.
All nets will be opened by 6:15 A.M.

Variety Into the Next Transition

We had a nice flow of birds today with many species. The weather was a crisp 54 degrees and the wind gradually increased toward the end of our outing. Our first bird of the day was a male Cardinal we first banded last August.



Second was a surprise unbanded Carolina Wren, a juvenile.



Many young Gray Catbirds were around today and we banded several.



Narrowly edging out the Catbirds were the chattery House Wrens.



Most of the Common Yellowthroats have seemed to have moved through as we caught only one juvenile male this morning.



We have been wondering how long before we would catch our first Eastern Phoebe of the season as they have been so vocal the past few weeks. Today was the day!



An adult White-eyed Vireo was captured about the same time.



Next to the Vireo was a female Black-throated Blue Warbler. Three were caught during our day.



A very colorful Ovenbird was banded. Very orange and olive.



Now that the river level is dropping, the resident Limpkins are returning to feed in the sandy bottom.



There was a discussion early in the day about what species should be returning. The last bird of the morning was one of those we were expecting. Our first Swamp Sparrow of the season down by the lake. Right where they should be.



Nice to have the cooler temperatures returning. Still more species should be coming back in for the Winter as we transition past the peak migration period. Kinglets are making noise along the river. Still waiting for the Palm and Yellow rumped Warblers to show up on property.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, October 30th.
All nets will be opened by 7:05 A.M.

Just in Time for Indigos

Saturday
Making up for lost time after Hurricane Matthew flooded half the banding site, we set nets on Saturday and Sunday this weekend. Good choice. Saturday was a nice mix of birds. As usual, we began the day with Common Yellowthroats.



What we were really hoping to get were Indigo Buntings and they cooperated right at dawn.



All age ranges of Common Yellowthroats were caught again today. The top photo is a female and this is a juvenile male.



Making a slightly delayed appearance were Gray Catbirds. They were our highest total of species captured this morning.



At one point we caught three Indigo Buntings in one net. A female, a juvenile male, and this male. Perhaps a traveling family?



A Black-throated Blue Warbler female joined the festivities.



Ovenbirds are fewer than earlier in the month but we managed to band one today.



Another female Black-throated Blue Warbler was banded. Last year we caught mainly males but this year we have more females.



One House Wren escaped early in the day but this one stuck around long enough for a photo and some jewelry.



Nice to have an American Redstart in the nets. They usually stay higher in the canopy but occasionally they chase an insect lower to the ground.



Did we mention we had a lot of Gray Catbirds? Nice to have them back and mewing from the bushes.

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Sunday
We were glad for Saturday's birds. Sunday turned out to be only a third as busy. Fortunately, the very first bird of the morning was the Bird-of-the-Day. The very first Marsh Wren we have ever had the pleasure of banding! You might think we would catch them by the lake but this bird was halfway up the river.



Marsh Wrens are the size of House Wrens but have an eyebrow like a Carolina Wren and a distinctive white pattern on their nape.



Only one Indigo Bunting caught and only a couple others heard calling.



All bird numbers were down today, including the Common Yellowthroats.



Becki showed Connie how we age most of our Gray Catbirds. Young birds have a white to pink interior roof of their bills which turn solid black as they become adults. Thankfully, most Catbirds like nipping your fingers so you can easily see inside.



Christine found a Black Racer sunning by the front gate...



...while Becki spotted a pair of Royal River Cruisers mating near the river.



Good thing we added the extra day of banding. Our first of the season Ruby-crowned Kinglet was seen and cooler weather is predicted next weekend. Going to feel like Fall. Might even hear the first Robins flying over by then, too.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, October 23rd.
All nets will be opened by 7:00 A.M.

Banding Minus Some Good Nets, Pt. 2

We decided to band on a Monday for once since Andrew officially has Monday off from work. The water has come down a little more. We can see the path across the river and the water is no longer flowing directly into the park.



More House Wrens found our nets this morning. One was a recaptured bird we first banded as a juvenile 2 years ago.



A female Black-throated Blue Warbler was caught just behind the banding table.



A very colorful Swainson's Thrush added to our migrant numbers.



We weren't expecting a Northern Waterthrush today. Most of them have gone South already. Not complaining!



A male Black-throated Blue Warbler was next. He was extremely fluffy.



Yet another Gray-cheeked Thrush joined the Banded Club. Glad we are back to an active thrush season.



We were able to shift Net 9 back into position since the water has dropped to Net 13. Still hurts to have 6 productive nets out of commission. Indigo Bunting are taunting us just out there by the water.



See? Munching on seeds right across from where Nets 13 and 22 would be open. Sigh.



We caught a new Carolina Wren. Harder to do these days. We have banded so many.



We are giving Bird-of-the-Day to a local. Blue Jays are heard all the time but seldom caught.



The plans are for banding all weekend one more time hoping the water will be low enough to get the other nets up and make up some of the birds we missed.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Saturday, October 15th and Sunday, October 16th.
All nets will be opened by 7:00 A.M.

Banding Minus Some Good Nets, Pt. 1

OK. Time for the first day of banding after Matthew. The end of the nets lanes are still under water and a tree rests in Net 15's spot but we will see what we can manage to catch and release. All 13 volunteers that showed to help were anxious for the return of some Fall migrants.

Seems we have waited too long but we finally began to see the return of Gray Catbirds right at dawn.



For some reason, we were surprised to see the return of House Wrens, too. Forgot about them for a bit but we captured three right off the bat.



Substantially larger, a Swainson's Thrush soon followed.



Maria, Christine, and Susan pause for a moment before the next run in front of Net 15 and The Tree. Hopefully, the rangers will be able to remove it soon.



Using the dock as a guide, we can tell that the water has subsided about a foot overnight. The water you can see behind the dock is the pathway to the dock.



One foot of flood retreat still will not us to advance past Net 14. Andrew did manage to shift Net 9 onto drier land to add to the net totals.



Lynn ventured out into the water on the lanes to get some of our pictures. She stopped at shin-deep.



Rebecca counts butterflies and dragonflies as well as birds and she found a Three-spotted Skipper in the grasses.



She likes this shot the best showing the interesting white patch on the inner wing.



She alos got a shot of one of the several Indigo Buntings in the area. We typically catch them where the flooded areas are right now so we are still waiting for our first capture of the season. Perhaps next week will allow us to open in the prime area for them before they head farther South.



We caught a few Black-throated Blue Warblers during the morning. Still stunningly beautiful every time.



It was a busy crowd out today!



Another House Wren receives a band.



Avery enjoyed a short climb on our downed tree as he searched for critters.



Despite their abundant numbers on the property, this is the first Northern Cardinal we have captured in several weeks. They are staying higher in the trees and back in the woods.



Common Yellowthroats are still flowing through but also staying in the flooded areas for the most part.



Several volunteers had an exciting end to the morning. A Short-tailed Hawk zipped by overhead!



Still one more day to post about when we can get to it. We are planning one more full weekend so we can make up for some missed birds. If the water allows...

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Next (planned) Banding Day: Saturday, October 15th.
All nets will be opened by 7:00 A.M.