Goodbye April

Forecast will probably be wrong again, but I can't stand the stress of watching chances all night into the dawn anymore.

They say rains through the morning. I am sleeping. Do the same.

Maybe May will be more friendly.

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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, May 2nd.
All nets will be opened by 6:15 A.M.

No Banding April 18th

Out of abundance of caution, (yeah, getting to that stage at this age...) we will not be banding tomorrow. Rain chances start at over 40% at 5AM and the winds will be increasing thorough the morning. Hate that this is the trend this year.

Plus, who knows what effects I might have after my 2nd shot today.

Spring Migration is upon us, but it looks like most birds are heading up through Texas this year thanks to this stubborn front laying over us for the next few days. Fingers crossed for next week!

Enjoy the rain.

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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, April 25th.
All nets will be opened by 6:20 A.M.

On the Positive Side...

...we need the rain, Forecast is not shifting away from rain and possible thunderstorms. Calling it in ahead of time. Sleep in. 2021 is not providing the best for banding so far. Sigh... We will try again next week. BUT...Andrew gets his second COVID shot Saturday. If there are any weird side effects, we may not band then, either. Stay tuned.

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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, April 18th.
All nets will be opened by 6:30 A.M.

A Steady Easter and an Uncommon Visitor

Andrew arrived first, as usual, and began setting nets. When he got to Net 14, he was greeted by the symbol of the holiday: the Easter Bunny. Sure, it was just our local Swamp Rabbit but it was very unphased by his presence and was determined to continue where it was headed and hopped just inches from him as it made it way down the 'bunny trail'. An interesting start to the morning...

Gray Catbirds were the most numerous birds of the day and they were all new captures. They are getting restless and feeding before they head North soon.



Second most captures were Carolina Wrens. It is time for new broods, but none of our birds showed brood patches.



Strangely, we have been missing House Wrens for quite awhile. Today we got one recapture, first banded in November.



Bird of the Day was an unexpected Swainson's Warbler down at Net 16. They are showing up as 'rare' across the state and we do band a few of them from time to time.



Our last bird of the day was our last Gray Catbird. It was the only Catbird with visible fat in preparation for migration.



Long range forecasts suggest rain for next weekend, but we know that can change at any time. Check back Saturday night to be sure if we are heading out.

Today's Totals

Birds Processed	New	Recaptured	Total
Gray Catbird	5	0	5
Carolina Wren	2	1	3
House Wren	0	1	1
Swainson's Warbler	1	0	1
Totals	8	2	10

NOTE: To ensure the safety of our volunteers and the general public, new visitors are discouraged from attending banding at this time. The few of us who remain will update the blog as long as we can and hope to see new faces in the future. Thank you for your understanding during this unprecedented time.

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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, April 11th.
All nets will be opened by 6:35 A.M.