Seminole Audubon Stops By

Odd start to the day. As Andrew was setting nets way before dawn, he was flushing birds out of the grasses and bushes all the way down to the marsh. The dawn chorus was strong including sounds of Indigo Buntings calling in the dark. Once the sunrise hit there were birds moving but it seemed that all of the migrants decided to hit the cold front and take off.

We lost one bunting in the nets early but then all we began to capture were local birds, including a recaptured juvenile Carolina Wren. We were pleased to have several visitors from Seminole Audubon arriving and Leslie got to release our first bird of the morning.



Next up was a new male Northern Cardinal, released at the table so it wouldn't bite visitors.



Then we had a new migrant House Wren that did not want to pose pretty for the cameras. Blink much?



Common Yellowthroats were heard all over today but we only captured one adult male.



Gray Catbirds are finally moving about. Surprisingly, the first we captured was an adult bird. Usually we only get juveniles this time of year.



Some White-eyed Vireo do stick around all year, but this time of the season finds many migrating individuals. This bird was a nice example, showing fat deposits as it was coming through from up North.



We next recaptured another juvenile Carolina Wren born this Spring on property.



Then, our next Gray Catbird. As expected, a juvenile.



While Andrew was checking Net 2, he nearly stumbled upon this Box Turtle making its way up the trail.



Rouge Plant, (Rivina humilis), is now growing on our side of the river. It has always been along the opposite side of the river and we were given permission to bring some over but it has now sprung up on its own. Catbirds, and other fruit loving birds, enjoy the fruiting berries.



As mentioned at the opening, Indigo Buntings were heard calling and being flushed from the grasses before dawn. They were then seen flying over for most of the morning. Eventually, we caught our first bird of the day which was a juvenile female. Note the gape still along the base of the bill.



Gray Catbirds got restless as winds picked up. Most of the area was quiet for much of the morning and we assume most birds were taking advantage of strong winds leading them to there Wintering grounds.



Marguerite was hesitant to release a bird earlier in the morning but she relented for our second White-eyed Vireo. Truth be told, it was the first one we banded earlier in the day that found different net a while later.



An adult female Indigo Bunting was brought in next. Compare it to the juvenile and note the blue on the shoulders, which the juveniles do not show.



Along the lanes, Christine discovered a moth in distress. It was an Imperial Moth, (Eacles imperialis), that was at least extremely tired but then again released to fend for itself.



Alyssa is continuing to add plants to Olivia's Garden. Last week it was a milkweed. Today she brought in several other perennials and plumbago to add into the space. Maria started this space and we are making the dream a reality of a proper garden space. Next up: Porter Weed. Along with the Cedars, this should soon be a lovely bird and pollinator friendly area.



Alyssa also found caterpillar under a leaf. Still trying to figure out which species.



The final bird of the day was another House Wren. This is the perfect time to get acquainted with them and they will stick around until late Spring.



Still wondering if the warmer weather up North will release bigger migrants flows differently than previous years. The next cold front moves down just before the weekend. Should be a very pleasant Sunday.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, October 28th.
All nets will be opened by 7:05 A.M.

More Spring Migrants

There was a fair amount of rain on Saturday so the area was soaked by morning and overcast all day. Our first bird of the morning was an Ovenbird. It was just last week that we were wondering when they would turn North. This was a very bright adult.



Lynn, a new visitor, got to release several birds through out the day, including the Ovenbird.



Several Gray Catbirds were heard on the property but we only captured a new one for banding.



Down by the marsh, a Carolina Wren hatched and banded last May stopped by for a visit.



Baby Barred Owl was very vocal today. At one point Mama stopped by to feed it.



It took us a bit of time to figure out what the meal was. Later on we found the remains of a frog beneath the limb.



We had hoped that the Barred Owls were done looking for food. Turns out they were still hungry and took advantage when a Brown Thrasher flew toward Net 12. Poor thing had no chance against such a skilled hunter. Time to post Owl Watch again...



A strong song was rising out near the lake. It took a couple of minutes to locate the singing bird. It was even more difficult to get a photo of our first male American Redstart of Spring.



A little farther on we found a large blooming of this little yellow flower on some sort of ground cover. Anyone have an ID?



Speaking of yellow, a Prairie Warbler was feeding in the willows but would not stay still for a focused portrait.



Nearby, a female Black and White Warbler was more cooperative.



Meanwhile, Mama Barred Owl was looking sleepy after her 2nd breakfast of the morning.



We captured 2 Northern Cardinals today. One was a new bird and the other was banded a couple of years ago. Males were chasing one another all around the table sites.



As most of the crew was roaming the net lanes, Bob, Lynn, and Richard processed another Ovenbird.



Our final bird of the day was the first Northern Waterthrush of the season. A Louisiana Waterthrush was also seen close to the lake.



As for the trail cam, last week was nearly all Raccoons. This week it was strictly Opossum.



More cool air and rain coming. Wonder what will show up next Sunday.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, April 15th.
All nets will be opened by 6:30 A.M.

A Nice Start to November

A fun mix of birds and observations today. Yesterday Andrew brought in a sign for Maria's newly emerging butterfly garden. Unfortunately, the rangers don't want anything seen from the other side of the river so we will have to find a more discrete spot soon.



As usual, the dawn chorus include mewing Gray Catbirds and we typically catch them pretty early.



Then come the Common Yellowthroats skipping through the grasses along the river and into the nets nearby.



Sometimes a clumsy damselfly or dragonfly gets caught, too, but we can easily remove them most of the time.



Only one Ovenbird bird today. Oh, the cuteness factor!



A couple of species began arriving right on schedule. Our first of the season Hermit Thrush was in Net 1 in the center of the net lanes. "Tail, tail, tail!" I hear you say?



We captured a couple of Western Palm Warblers near the lake where they feed in the marsh and then head toward the willows.



We thought that we would be over run by House Wrens today as they were calling and singing all over yesterday but the Common Yellowthroats actually edged them out in the final totals.



Mid-morning and the gang is bringing back another bird to the table. Must be Union work.



Another Gray Catbird extracted and banded. Only one capture this Fall has been an adult. All others are juveniles chasing each other all over the property.



A female Northern Cardinal we banded last August decided to say 'Hi' once more.



Earlier in the morning Maria spotted a spider in the gloom. Now with a bit more light we can get a photo to help us ID it later. Turns out to be a Redfemured Spotted Orbweaver, (Neoscona domiciliorum), in a rather tattered web.



Lynn found another spider preparing a new tin the Dog Fennel across from Net 13. A female Green Lynx Spider, (Peucetia viridans), was moving all over the place and the breeze didn't help get too many clear shots but we managed it, eventually.



Lynn has a knack for spotting Green Treefrogs hiding in the grass blades.



The palmettos hide something more sinister. Paper Wasps.



We have finally had a break from big rains so the river levels are quickly dropping. Know what that means...?



Time to start trimming the overgrown vegetation and try to get a new trail out to the lake! Especially now that the alligators have moved to other parts of the park.



Swamp Sparrows were also returning on time but stayed low by the water calling and we spotted one in the open for about 3 seconds. A female Common Yellowthroat did decide we were worth a closer look.



A view we have not had since near the end of last Session. The Window on the Lake is to the left and the wide open vista in before us waiting to be explored as the rest of our Winter visitors arrive.



One of the main things we had to cut through was invasive Primrose Willow. Too bad their flowers are so pretty and the insects love them. However, they can quickly overtake any exposed area very quickly and crowd out native species.



Our last new arrival for the day was actually on time, too, but rather unexpected. Orange-crowned Warblers tend to stay high in the willows and we don't get to band too many.



Why are they called Orange-crowned Warblers? Well, the males do sport a set of orange feathers just beneath the surface on there heads. This one was not as bright as we have seen in the past. . Females do not. Both have another easily identifiable feature: an extremely pointed, needle-like bill.



While we began to close up for the day we got one more bird. A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. This is another species that is difficult to capture and rivals Ovenbirds for that cuteness factor.



Our last observation was made along the trails. A Box Turtle. Not uncommon in these parts but why is it sporting a green marking? Part of a study or a prank?



Watching the skies for next Sunday. Should be another cold front on the way which is good. As long as the rains don't interfere for our few hours in the morning.
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Next (planned) Banding Days: Sunday, November 8th.
All nets will be opened by 6:10 A.M.