Latest Bandings at the Rehab Center

Andrew has been out to band some raptors before their release back into the wild a couple of times lately for our friends at the Avian Reconditioning Center and now they were ready to release some more. During this time, we have been helping to train Allison Miller in the hopes that she can be qualified to band them on their own.

We love heading out there but it is a good distance away and it would be more convenient if someone was able to do it whenever they are ready to set a bird free which can sometimes be at a moment's notice.

We had several species to band today and the first up was one of the last American Kestrel still on hand. We banded a bunch of them last month.



Next up was a species we have not banded here in a while. Eastern Screech Owls. We occasionally catch them in the wild at the banding station. Today we had four adorable young birds ready for jewelry. Most were waiting by the door to their enclosure.



Allison brought out the first Eastern Screech Owl. Notice the thick gloves they wear to grab the birds to avoid any injury. Raptor talons and beaks are super sharp and strong.



Once she retrieved a bird, she would hand it over to Andrew (no gloves for him!) so she can do the actual banding procedure.



After being banded and the data recorded, the Eastern Screech Owls just want us to go away.



On to the largest birds of the day. Great-horned Owls. Here, Allison applies the band to the first subject.



Scott brought in the next Great-horned Owl. Andrew's son, Patrick, had the photography duties for these big guys, all juveniles.



Great-horned Owl have extremely strong claws to grab their prey. Also a deadly set of talons you don't want to be caught up in!



The last Great-horned Owl is brought...



...and Allison applied another band while we check that everything is secured properly.



You can see the band on this bird's leg and now we have a lot of birds about ready to be released.



Allison is doing a great job with the banding so we now just wait for the paperwork to clear and she will be on her way to taking over. We are now discussing the possibility of doing a banding demo for their next Owl Fest in November. We would only be catching our typical small bird species but it would give the public a chance to see the banding process in action.

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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, August 3rd.
All nets will be opened by 6:20 A.M.

OwlFest

Besides banding duties at Lake Lotus we often help out at outside events around Central Florida. Last November 9th was the Owlfest event put on by our friends at the Avian Reconditioning Center. It was a rousing success and this year Richard brought along nest boxes which sold out!

Helping out that day were Alease, Lynn, and Maria.



All had a great day. Our next event will be at the Orlando Wetlands in February.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, November 17th.
All nets will be opened by 6:25 A.M.

Raptor Banding at ARC

Following our quick couple of hours at the banding site on Saturday we had to make our appointment over at the Avian Reconditioning Center (ARC) where Allison has been wanting to get some raptors banded before they are released back into the wild. An American Kestrel and Barred Owl were brought into the facility, have been healed, are healthy enough to be set free. We would soon learn there were a couple other surprises ahead.

This is also a day to get Allison some extra banding practice so that she can do it on her own in the future. The American Kestrel was brought in for its band and we couldn't resist a couple shots. We have to band indoors just in case the birds try to escape so the lighting is not the best.



American Kestrels are very skittish in the while so getting a shot of them in their natural setting can be difficult. The colors on these birds is amazing.



We thought the owl would be next but our surprise was that there were also a couple of Cooper's Hawks waiting in the wings. Since Allison was doing the banding, Andrew had to turn the camera over to Christine so he could hold the raptors.



First, one Cooper's Hawk...



...then the other.



Finally, the Barred Owl was brought in. Andrew measures the bird's tarsus to make sure the proper band size is used.



Bands for Barred Owls are sometimes a difficult task. Instead of a simple band, they are lock-ons and take more skill. This turned into a 3-person chore but in the end the banding was successful and the owl was taken back to the mew and will be released soon.



A well-rounded banding day. We began by getting the smaller birds in the area as the Common Yellowthroats returned and then we end by getting much larger birds banded at ARC. Time to get a little rest before we head back to the banding site Sunday.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, September 15th.
All nets will be opened by 6:35 A.M.

Swallow-tailed Kites at ARC

Three posts in one week?! Busy, busy...

While Andrew was working on Net 21, Richard and Christine were called over to the Avian Reconditioning Center (ARC) to band a couple of Swallow-tailed Kites. The juvenile Kites had fallen out of their nest and were brought in for rehab. Now it is time to release them so the folks at ARC asked Richard to come out and band them for future reference.



Richard banded the first Kite. The band is safely secure.



Allison Miller who volunteers at ARC got to band the second Kite.



Mark Holms, another ARC volunteer, and the woman from the Center for Birds of Prey, where the birds were brought to, prepare to release the young raptors.



One bird makes it to the rooftop to decide on the next move. That dragonfly had better be careful!



Also at the ARC facility was a juvenile Black Vulture in for some rehabing of its own. Isn't it cute?



Another successful band and release. Swallow-tailed Kites begin preparations for their long journey to South America during August and most are gone by September. Good luck, kids! Er...Kites...
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, August 11th.
All nets will be opened by 6:15 A.M.

A Few Migrants and a Bald Eagle Release

Finally made it back out to Lake Lotus after missing a week for freezing temperatures and one for the Orlando Wetlands Festival. We were in a tight window for the morning as rain was creeping in from the Gulf but we managed a few hours and ducked out just before the sprinkles began.

Nothing extraordinary was captured. A couple Catbirds, a couple recaptured migrants (Hermit Thrush and another Catbird), a new Caroline Wren, and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Otherwise, it was fairly quiet. Many birds seen and heard but not much flying. However, there are many signs that the turn back North is occurring. Especially since we are hearing Northern Parulas singing to beat the band!

We waited to post this week as we knew that there was a more special event taking place this week. Our friends Scott and Carol McCorkle at the Avian Reconditioning Center had a couple birds ready for release that they wanted banded. First up was a Red-shouldered Hawk which was banded and made ready for release.



Then the star of the day. An adult Bald Eagle. Scott holds the hooded raptor and Carol and Maria hold the leg steady as Richard gets the band set.



A shot of the attached band. These bands are so large they require a riveted type of aluminum for such a big bird.



The proud crew poses for a shot before heading out for the bird's release.



The eagle was taken to a spot in Mount Dora for release. Richard removes the hood as Carol secures the bird.



The most enjoyable part of rehabing raptors. Setting the healthy birds free again!



Off it flies into the Florida sky. We wish it all the best for a long and healthy life.



May be dodging the rain again by Sunday but hope to start capturing migrating birds which are staging for their trip back North.

NOTE: No banding on the 4th. Rains are scheduled for the morning.

EXTRA NOTE!!!: Daylight Saving time starts next Sunday! Please set your clock accordingly.

(Yet another) NOTE: No banding on the 11th. Rains and high winds are here this morning. Getting ridiculous!
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, March 18th.

All nets will be opened by 7:15 A.M.

Bald Eagle Banded at ARC

We got a request to band a Bald Eagle at the Avian Reconditioning Center as they were planning on releasing it back into the wild. Richard and Christine headed out today and went about the process.



The Eagle was an injured individual and thought to be a migrant from the Mt. Dora area just to the North. It is thought that the bird was injured in a tussle with another eagle as its talons were all scraped up.



Now that the injuries seem to be healed, the bird was banded and was planned to be released back in the Mt. Dora area very soon.

UPDATE: The Bald Eagle was released successfully!

Banding a Northern Harrier

Our friends at the Avian Reconditioning Center had been rehabing a female Northern Harrier for quite a while. It was finally time to set her free as she seemed healed well and there were sightings of other Harriers moving down for the Fall.

Richard and Christine got the privilage of doing the banding last week. Here, Scott holds the bird as Richard begins to apply the band to the bird's right leg.



Next, Richard secures the band and the bird is ready to be set free on the next opportunity.



Carol emailed us on the 29th and reports, "...we released her today and she flew & flew & flew.....it was beautiful!"

Farewell little lady!

Raptor Banding

Not at Lake Lotus today but the gang was still busy banding.

We got the call to return to the Avian Reconditioning Center to see if we could band some raptors that were to be released back into the wild soon. Several species were represented plus a special 'bonus' bird we were not told of prior to arrival. I got there with the boys before 10 AM (much to their reluctance to wake on a day off) and Carol had to move one of the other birds that was not being banded so we all got a nice close up of a Barred Owl before things got underway.



Soon, the raptors were be gathered up and brought in for their new jewelry. First up was our surprise bird. A Burrowing Owl fledgling! A rare treat.



Next, it was time for the Cooper's Hawks. Several birds were ready to be banded and the boys got their first chance to watch the banding here. They have come with me banding at other locations to see smaller birds banded before but have had fewer chances to see larger birds up close. Except for the Cooper's Hawk I brought into the house after catching out back a couple years ago...



Carol brings out one of the Cooper's and shows us how some of the tail feathers were injured.



Then the bird gets its own special leg wear.



Allison, one of the volunteers today holds the next bird in line as Richard applies the band.



A beautiful bird close up.



Another special treat for the morning. A young Eastern Screech Owl.
Too cute!



The last species of the day, American Kestrels. We had three females to band before their release.



A closer look at a Kestrel. The images are darker as we need to close the door so these speedsters don't escape our grasp.



Banding was done but I had to take a look at a couple other birds in the cages. There was a nice Barn Owl fluttering around the enclosure.



Just behind the Owl was a very vocal Harris Hawk brought down from Tennessee. Scott hopes to teach it along with their resident Harris Hawk in the future.



More birds will get our attention for banding in the near future. Can't wait. Always an interesting time.

The Avian Reconditioning Center has a web site and are open to the public on Saturdays. Check for news and directions there. They also have an Adopt-a-Bird program if anyone is interested in helping with the funding to care for some of these remarkable birds.