At Least Some Migrants Are On Time

We mentioned that the first two weeks of October paled in numbers compared to...ever..in our banding history. Checking on our records, Indigo Buntings arrive this week. They did! Also seen were the first Palm Warblers and Eastern Phoebes even though we did not band them today.

The dawn chorus was loud but all we managed to capture was a single House Wren once the singing subsided just after sunrise.



Megan was one of our new visitors and she got to release a few birds, including the new House Wren.



Next up was a somber Common Yellowthroat. It was a juvenile male.



Our other early visitor was Sandy, got to get up close and personal as she released other birds, including the Common Yellowthroat.



An early Ovenbird appeared in the nets, not long afterwards. We were having a good start to the morning as migrants began to flow in.



With all of the grass seeds around, it was not unexpected to begin catching buntings. The first one of the morning was a female Painted Bunting.



Our records have always shown that Indigo Buntings arrive in mid-October. The past two years we were hobbled by hurricanes and did not get a lot of them. Today they arrived right on time. Our first bird was an adult female.



That birds was followed shortly in the same net and was a juvenile female. Once they were both banded, they were heard calling to one another for a while right behind the banding table before heading back toward the food along the river.



Gray Catbirds are starting to flow back in and we watched many of them feeding across the river on Beauty Berries.



We got a second Ovenbird as the day worn on and we always love to see them in the nets.



Our final visitor of the morning got to release the Ovenbird.



The next Common Yellowthroat was an adult male.



Then, we got an adult male Indigo Bunting in Winter plumage. A nice contrast to the earlier females. In late Spring, they are molting into full breeding mode and totally bright electric blue as they head back North.



A second House Wren was captured as the day began to wind down.



Yet another adult male Common Yellowthroat flew in near 10 AM.



Our final bird of the day was a recaptured juvenile Carolina Wren first banded in August.



Things are getting back on track but we should have had Swanson's Thrushes today. Weather is all over the place and we are still forecast to be in the low 90s for the next week. Hotter than ever this late in the year. Whispers are that is will drop 10 degrees the following week. Fingers are crossed that it is so.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, October 21st.
All nets will be opened by 7:00 A.M.