Last Day of 2023

A very chilly start to the day but we got right to it.

As the Sun rose, the steam was coming off the river. The rains from the last big front washed our bridge away and we set more logs to get out to Net 21 again.



All of our birds were recaptures, including a Northern Cardnial and a Carolina Wren. Then we did get a recaptured Western Palm Warbler out by Net 21.



Our final bird of the day was a House Wren. Looking pretty but its band was covered in mud, making it difficult to read the numbers until we cleaned it off.



A new front is moving down this weekend but should clear by Sunday. Hoping things will trend upward from here until Spring.

Today's Totals

Birds Processed	New	Recaptured	Total
Northern Cardinal	0	1	1
Carolina Wren	0	1	1
House Wren	0	1	1
Western Palm Warbler	0	1	1
Totals	0	4	4

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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, January 7th.
All nets will be opened by 6:50 A.M.

No Banding Until After Christmas

Big storm is forecast to bring heavy rains and high winds all weekend. Even if the rain lets up a bit the winds are going to render the nets usless. Merry Christmas.

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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, December 31th.
All nets will be opened by 6:45 A.M.

Two To Tango

On a positive note, we doubled our capture rate from last Sunday. We got 2! Checking our records shows that we have pretty quiet Decembers every other year. That is where we appear to be now. Birds were virtually non-existant after 8:30.

We did get a Gray Catbird first thing in the morning.



Then, as we were about to close up, we recaptured a Carolina Wren first banded a few years ago.



It is looking doubtful for next Sunday as a large swath of rain and wind is headed this way. Currently scheduled for the whole weekend. Be sure to check back to see if we are able to go. If not, we won't be back until New Years Eve.

Today's Totals

Birds Processed	New	Recaptured	Total
Gray Catbird	1	0	1
Gray Catbird	1	0	1
Totals	1	1	2

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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, December 17th.
All nets will be opened by 6:40 A.M.

Zzzzzzzzzz....

We arrived to a bit of fog and mist as we set nets and actually opened 15 minutes early. Then we waited. And waited. Annnd waited.

2 hours later we captuered our lone bird of the day. A female Ruby-crowned Kinglet.



Hoping this front stalled to the North clears so we can get the rest of the remaining migrants down here for next week.

Today's Totals

Birds Processed	New	Recaptured	Total
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	1	0	1
Totals	1	0	1

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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, December 10th.
All nets will be opened by 6:40 A.M.

At Least We Had Liquid Sunshine

We were watching the radar all night. Reporting was that it was not going to be raining until the afternoon. Yeah... We still got there and set up fine and thought nothing of it. Mainly because we had more bear things to deal with. Net 15 was tilted and we hoped that was going to be it. However, Net 13 was bent to the ground and we had to reset completely at daybreak.

While we were doing that, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet dropped in like a falling leaf nextdoor in Net 9. Our first of the season. Later on, we caught another one that we first banded in January.



Connie came in with a Common Yellowthroat next. An adult female.



While we taking that bird back, Jenny was extracting a recaptured House Wren.



Then the rain began. Not horrible. Just constant sprinkles that forced us to close the nets for a half an hour. Waves of sprinkles were coming in for the rest of the day but we managed to stay open until the end of the scheduled day. We spent some of the time rescuing the bridge that washed away during the last rains. As we were exploring the flora and fauna a Gray Catbird decided to join us.



Since we were able to open Net 21 this week we did end up with a very fiesty Western Palm Warbler. A nice addition for a gloomy morning.



Sunday is going to be another mix, weather-wise, but we hope to have a better capture rate now that the remaining species should be arriving before Winter.

Today's Totals

Birds Processed	New	Recaptured	Total
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	1	1	2
Gray Catbird	1	0	1
House Wren	0	1	1
Western Palm Warbler	1	0	1
Common Yellowthroat	1	0	1
Totals	4	2	6

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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, December 3rd.
All nets will be opened by 6:30 A.M.

A Couple of Bright Spots

We arrived after 4 1/2 days of rain. The river was nearly cresting the banks but did cut of Net 21. The whole area was still pretty wet. We still had a couple interesting birds join us today.

Our first bird was a recaptured Northern Cardinal who was processed and released before Connie brought in the Birds-of-the-Day. First up was a our first Orange-crowned Warbler in 3 years. Typically, they hang out in the Willows by Net 21 but this one was a hundred yards up the river in Net 14.



Not far from that, a Wood Thrush was in Net 12. We have had several this year which is rare.



A recaptured juvenile Carolina Wren was processed and then we recaptured a Brown Thrasher banded 4 years ago.



As we considered closing nets, Alex was heard calling that there was a bird in Net 15. It was a female Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. They are difficult to capture. They see the nets and often just stop and fly over them.



Robins are finally back and we await Waxwings, Goldfinches, and Yellow-rumped Warblers. The latter is the only speices we do catch in the Winter. Nets are always half-full!

Today's Totals

Birds Processed	New	Recaptured	Total
Carolina Wren	0	1	1
Wood Thrush	1	0	1
Northern Cardinal	0	1	1
Brown Thrasher	0	1	1
Orange-crowned Warbler	1	0	1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	1	0	1
Totals	3	3	6

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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, November 26th.
All nets will be opened by 6:30 A.M.

Waiting For the Next Wave

Things are settling in for the season and still a little quiet.

Our first bird right after dawn was our 2nd Swamp Sparrow in two weeks. Odd thing is that is was in Net 8 which is right next to the woods. Why is a Swamp Sparrow coming out of the woods? Should be out by the the water. Strange.



Next up, a Hermit Thrush recapture banded exactly one year ago in the same spot it was first caught. We are very interested in this kind of data showing birds show site fidelity over the years.



Juvenile Carolina Wrens are out and about. Like this recaptured bird.



A recaptured female Northern Cardinal arrived soon afterwards.



House Wrens have been laying low and we only got one today.



Hermit Thrushes should have been here a few weeks ago. Our second was a recapture from 3 years ago, also in a net where it was first captured.



Then, a male Northern Cardinal recapture hit the nets.



Finally, another juvenile Carolina Wren, first banded this Spring, was processed.



We hope this front clears in time for next weekend and brings more migrants our way. It should be a nice day, weather-wise, regardless.

Today's Totals

Birds Processed	New	Recaptured	Total
House Wren	1	0	1
Hermit Thrush	0	2	2
Northern Cardinal	0	2	2
Carolina Wren	0	2	2
Swamp Sparrow	1	0	1
Totals	2	6	8

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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, November 19th.
All nets will be opened by 6:20 A.M.

A Quiet (but interesting) Start to November

We hit a slow spot after the great run through October. Now we wait for the next wave. There was still fun to be had.

Our first bird was a juvenile Gray Catbird. It posed nicely to dislay the inside of its bill. We use this to quickly age Catbirds. When they are young the lining is white-ish/pink and by the time they are adults it becomes completely black.



A lone female Indigo Bunting was up next.



While half of us were spread out through the property it seems like there was a bit of excitement back by the table. There was a pair of Bald Eagles having a disagreement and one of them hit Net 3! Jenny tried to keep it in but it soon extracted itself and flew off, leaving us a little net repair. Loads of Eagles are arriving to nest and fighting for territory is fierce.

Then things grew quiet for a while so we busied ourselves with some vine trimming and bird watching. Eventually, we caught a Swamp Sparrow. For the last couple of years this species and stayed right at the lake's edge. This bird came up the river to join us.



Our new visitor, David, got to release the Swamp Sparrow.



George has been here several times and finally mustered the courage to release his first bird. It was a Common Yellowthroat. (Psssst! He liked it!)



As we were closing up, we could hear Lynn yelling at Net 7. It soon became apparent it was because a bird was biting her as she was attempting to extract it. The angry bird? A recaptured Tufted Titmouse. They like to bite.



But Tufted Titmice are very cute when they want to be.



Hopefully, next Sunday will pick up more. We are still waiting for several species to arrive.

Today's Totals

Birds Processed	New	Recaptured	Total
Common Yellowthroat	1	0	1
Gray Catbird	1	0	1
Tufted Titmouse	0	1	1
Indigo Bunting	1	0	1
Swamp Sparrow	1	1	2
Totals	5	2	7

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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, November 12th.
All nets will be opened by 6:15 A.M.

Nice Mix at the End of October

The humidity was up again today but that did not deter us. The mosquitoes, though, were happy and very aggresive all morning. Cooler weather should be here soon.

First bird just after dawn was a female Indigo Bunting.



Soon after that, a very angry recaptured Carolina Wren.



Common Yellowthroats ruled the day. and we had all ages and both sexes. This is a juvenile male.



We got a couple of Gray Catbirds. They were staying mainly back in the woods.



We primarily catch Western Palm Warblers but today we got a rarer, more yellow, Eastern Palm Warbler.



Next up, a handsome Swainson's Thrush.



It has been a while since we have captured a female Black-throated Blue Warbler. A nice surprise.



White-eyed Vireos that migrate through the area are usually adults and full of fat. Today was a juvenile also loaded with fat.



Most people consider this male Painted Bunting to be Bird-of-the-Day. What do you think.



An unbanded Northern Cardinal turned out to be a juvenile most likely hatched here in the Spring.



Our final capture was another candidate for Bird-of-the-Day. A Wood Thrush.



A nice end to a busy month. Hope we can keep the numbers up through November.

Today's Totals

Birds Processed	New	Recaptured	Total
Common Yellowthroat	5	0	5
Carolina Wren	0	1	1
Gray Catbird	2	0	2
Wood Thrush	1	0	1
Swainson's Thrush	1	0	1
Indigo Bunting	1	0	1
Painted Bunting	1	0	1
Eastern Palm Warbler	1	0	1
Black-throated Blue Warbler	1	0	1
White-eyed Vireo	1	0	1
Northern Cardinal	1	0	1
Totals	15	1	16

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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, November 5th.
Remember it is time to FALL BACK!
All nets will be opened by 6:10 A.M.