A Few Migrants

What to expect today? No telling with the odd migration schedules this past year so we set out as usual. Our first bird of the morning was a recaptured Hermit Thrush.



Next up was our frantic female Northern Cardinal preparing for the new nest. The 3rd time we have captured her in the last few weeks.



A new arrival was a male Northern Cardinal looking for territory.



We later recaptured an Ovenbird that has been Wintering over on the property. A Nice bird to get during a slow morning.



Our latest visitor, Oliva, got to watch us process the bird and release the Ovenbird.



Captured with the Ovenbird were a couple of juvenile Carolina Wrens in Net 2.



As we closed up nets we peeked down to the river to discover Pat, one of our regular American Alligators, grabbing some sunshine below the banding table.



Spring migration is close at hand. Hoping to get some travelers along the way.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, March 31st.
All nets will be opened by 6:45 A.M.

Loud/Quiet

We arrived into a gloomy day after a week off and hopeful for some new birds. However, despite the loud dawn chorus, we only captured two birds. One was a Brown Thrasher.



The only reason the Thrasher was captured is because it was following the panic calls of our new Mamma Northern Cardinal. This is the 3rd time she has been caught and she is still as feisty as the first time.



It appears that the rangers were out last week and took Andrew up on saying to feel free to hit the Guinea Grass hard. The area between Nets 12 and 9 are devoid of nearly all of it. Connie took that as a welcome spot to drop in some plants across from the main garden.



Since the rangers could not get down to the end of the lanes with equipment, Andrew hacked away at the grass there in anticipation of migrating Waterthrush that should be heading home this next week.



That loud chorus at dawn was soon followed by quiet surroundings for the rest of the morning. Only a couple of flocks of high flying Yellow-rumps were seen and few other birds were heard as we walked the lanes.



Spring is now upon us and we can hope for increasing bird numbers as migration turns North for a while.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, March 24th.
All nets will be opened by 6:55 A.M.

Whatever

No fog today, but a nice start with a proper Dawn Chorus for the first time in a while.

We started off with a net full of Northern Cardinals. Three, in fact, in Net 11. One escaped as we approached and we saw a female watching the territorial battle across the river. One of the captures was a new Cardinal which is unusual for us after all these years.



Gray Catbirds are proving elusive this season. Thankfully, we caught one today.



Thrushes have been even fewer and far between this session. We caught two today. One was banded last November. The Bird-of-the-Day, though, would have to be the 2nd Hermit Thrush first banded as a juvenile 4 and a half years ago. It was caught in a net just 50 yards from where it was first captured demonstrating how birds travel such long distances to return to the same area year after year.



Myrtle Warblers are nearly nonexistent this year. There are a few that are hanging out near the lake. They are staying at the tips of the trees and are not feeding close to our nets.



As Richard was tending to future tree planting sites, he discovered an almost complete snake skin shedding, probably a Black Racer. The eye and jawline were included in the shedding. Newly arriving birds, such as Great-crested Flycatcher, will use such discarded items as nesting material.



A female Northern Cardinal, most likely the one we were seeing earlier, was caught a bit later. She was also a new bird to the area.



Birds are signing the songs of Spring. Still, bird rates are lower this year and fewer flocks are moving around the area. Odd. Hope we can get an increase of Spring migrants into April.

Note: No banding March 10th. Spring Break is demanding a bit of time off.
St. Patrick's Day it is!
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, March 17th.
All nets will be opened by 6:30 A.M.