Back Home. Migrants Returning to Find Territory.

We are in a rollercoaster of temperatures for the past and future week but this morning was cool but not too chilly. Winds held off for most of the morning. The dawn chorus was short but sweet as the Northern Parulas are beginning to arrive in large numbers and filling the air with their loud trills.

Our first bird of the morning was a House Wren.



That was soon followed by a Gray Catbird.



As Jenny was banding the Catbird, she noticed something odd. This juvenile had a split lower mandible. No idea why, but we have witnessed a lot of different birds with deformed bills and they tend to survive quite well for many years.



One of the members of the UCF Audubon Chapter, "The Knight Hawks", released the Gray Catbird.



Our last early morning bird was a recaptured Hermit Thrush.



We had a pretty large crowd this morning.



Even when there are no new birds at the table, there are plenty of local and arriving birds to watch along the lanes. Red-shouldered Hawks are nesting near Net 9 and warblers are moving North right about now. Andrew even refound the female Rose-breasted Grosbeak hiding down at Area 21. We might set a temporary net there next Sunday.



While checking the nets, some of the kids discovered a sloughed off snake skin near Net 7. Most likely a Black Racer.



Ou last bird of the morning was a Carolina Wren. Most of the birds around today were flying high or feeding in the upper story. That may change as more bird migrate in in search of food on their trip North.



One of the other purposes for the Knight Hawks visit was to collect trash in the banding area. A lot of Floridians in the past used to dump garbage in the woods in the 50s and 60s since there was no real collection system in rural areas back then. Every rainfall reveals more discarded trash left by folks who just didn't care from the 50s through the early 80s. Huge thanks to the Knight Hawks for helping get many bags of trash out of the banding site!



We have a cold snap this week and then another warm streak in early March. Hoping to begin capturing migrants next week. Could this be our last chilly Sunday until next Winter? High is suppose to reach 90 March 4th! Then, again, there are talks of us getting back to the 40s next weekend. Buckle up.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, March 1st.
All nets will be opened by 6:20 A.M.