With a heavy heart, I have decided to NOT band at the Lake Lotus Earth Day event. Rains are forecast for the majority of the day accompanied by high winds. Chances of catching birds and telling others about it seem low. When folks see a rainy forecast for the day I would bet that most will not venture out to the park in the first place.
Oh, well. We will try to be at our regular spot next week.
______________________________________
Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, April 29th.
All nets will be opened by 6:15 A.M.
Showing posts with label Earth Day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Earth Day. Show all posts
Saturday, April 21, 2018
Monday, April 27, 2015
A Quiet, Windy Earth Day
We had no Earth Day celebration at Lake Lotus last year but it was brought back by the city of Altamonte Springs this year. We arrived at 6:30 A.M. and began setting nets. Before we were done with all 7 nets we had a female Cardinal in the very first one near the banding table. The weather was forecast for rain and wind most of the day. We got lucky on the rain side but it was gusting pretty strong from start to finish.
The event began later this year. 10 A.M. is getting close to the time we go home on our usual banding days and we caught most of our birds before the general public was let in. Besides a group on a reserved morning hike, few others got to see the sunrise out on the pier.
There was not a lot of bird action the previous day as Andrew hauled gear across the river so it was nice to see that Phyllis had a migrant Ovenbird out next to the river.
Back out on the pier, one of the resident Limpkin flew up to the railing to survey the humans that got early today.
Down in the lake a Great Blue Heron strode through the shallow water.
The wind grew stronger as the hours continued on. This Vicroy spent several minutes struggling against it until it finally was able to find purchase and rest out of the gusts for a while.
At the mouth of the river, a Tricolored Heron was busy finding breakfast up against the shoreline.
Meanwhile, another Limpkin pried a shelled snack from the sand.
We caught a number of dragonflies today including this interesting one we identified as a Blackwater Clubtail.
Susan discovered a Caterpillar on the edge of the boardwalk. Unfortunately, it was an ex-caterpillar now that the eggs of a parasitic wasp that were laid upon it have apparently hatched.
Becky brought in a feisty male Northern Cardinal. Probably the mate of the female we captured earlier.
Avery was busy finding insects near the banding table and beyond. One of the dragonflies around today was this Great Blue Skimmer.
He then found a small skipper.
Later, Andrew also found what appears to be the same species but located in another part of the property. We decided that they were Ocola Skippers.
Along the banks of the river we found some Twin Flower trying to hide beneath some other foliage. The ant had no trouble finding it.
Out along the boardwalk near the Window on the Lake the Buttonbush plants are in full bloom and attracting a large variety of insects like this green fly.
Higher up, a Monarch probes across every bit of surface methodically.
Deeper in the woods a Common Yellowthroat worked his way toward the lake.
The Poison Ivy is looking mighty healthy right now and the berries, once ripe, will be a treat for the birds in the area.
In a very shady part of the boardwalk we had been hearing Carolina Wrens all morning. We finally had a chance to watch a couple of them as they foraged and photos confirmed that these are some of the birds we have banded in the past, perhaps during a previous Earth Day demonstration.
A woman came by to ask if Richard and Christine had any bat houses among their nest boxes but they did not. There was a bat house near one of our nets and somehow no one seemed to have discovered that a skeletonize bat was clinging to the structure. Odd.
We had a pair of American Alligator sightings today. Adrian was close by but we didn't have our cameras with us at the time. Later, Pat was found basking farther up the Little Wekiva below where the banding table is on the opposite side.
Near the pathway where we had the majority of our nets set we noticed some Blue-eyed Grass in bloom. Pretty little flower.
Soon, we noticed a couple of other blooms nearby. They had the structure of Blue-eyed Grass but some were white...
...while others were yellow. Yellow Blue-eyed Grass?
Next to the banding table, a Red-bellied Woodpecker would sneak through the woods and peer out every now and then before leaping for a ripe blackberry growing along the edge of the grassy expanse next to the roadside.
Lynn found a lovely white caterpillar munching away on a leaf.
The only bird we captured during the actual Earth Day schedule was brought to the table. Fortunately there were a lot of folks around to witness our prize.
It was a Northern Parula. It already had a band on it.
Turns out we banded this bird nearly two years ago on the opposite side of the river. It was captured in Net 10 which is basically directly across from where we netted it today.
We always try to allow someone from the crowd to release our banded birds. It is a thrill for people of every age. Most birds take off quickly once it has a chance. This Northern Parula was no exception. Now you see it in the hand...
...and in a split second it is a blur and back into the trees.
While we didn't get as many birds as we had hoped it was Earth Day we were observing so at least we found enough Nature in other areas to make it a fun day. The rain hit as we were taking down the last net so the timing was perfect. Here's hoping for a day of nicer weather next year.
Thanks go to everyone who showed up and helped today. Not yet mentioned, Alease, Augustine, and Ike. Can't do these things without the volunteers!
______________________________________
Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, May 3rd.
All nets will be opened by 6:15 A.M.
The event began later this year. 10 A.M. is getting close to the time we go home on our usual banding days and we caught most of our birds before the general public was let in. Besides a group on a reserved morning hike, few others got to see the sunrise out on the pier.
There was not a lot of bird action the previous day as Andrew hauled gear across the river so it was nice to see that Phyllis had a migrant Ovenbird out next to the river.
Back out on the pier, one of the resident Limpkin flew up to the railing to survey the humans that got early today.
Down in the lake a Great Blue Heron strode through the shallow water.
The wind grew stronger as the hours continued on. This Vicroy spent several minutes struggling against it until it finally was able to find purchase and rest out of the gusts for a while.
At the mouth of the river, a Tricolored Heron was busy finding breakfast up against the shoreline.
Meanwhile, another Limpkin pried a shelled snack from the sand.
We caught a number of dragonflies today including this interesting one we identified as a Blackwater Clubtail.
Susan discovered a Caterpillar on the edge of the boardwalk. Unfortunately, it was an ex-caterpillar now that the eggs of a parasitic wasp that were laid upon it have apparently hatched.
Becky brought in a feisty male Northern Cardinal. Probably the mate of the female we captured earlier.
Avery was busy finding insects near the banding table and beyond. One of the dragonflies around today was this Great Blue Skimmer.
He then found a small skipper.
Later, Andrew also found what appears to be the same species but located in another part of the property. We decided that they were Ocola Skippers.
Along the banks of the river we found some Twin Flower trying to hide beneath some other foliage. The ant had no trouble finding it.
Out along the boardwalk near the Window on the Lake the Buttonbush plants are in full bloom and attracting a large variety of insects like this green fly.
Higher up, a Monarch probes across every bit of surface methodically.
Deeper in the woods a Common Yellowthroat worked his way toward the lake.
The Poison Ivy is looking mighty healthy right now and the berries, once ripe, will be a treat for the birds in the area.
In a very shady part of the boardwalk we had been hearing Carolina Wrens all morning. We finally had a chance to watch a couple of them as they foraged and photos confirmed that these are some of the birds we have banded in the past, perhaps during a previous Earth Day demonstration.
A woman came by to ask if Richard and Christine had any bat houses among their nest boxes but they did not. There was a bat house near one of our nets and somehow no one seemed to have discovered that a skeletonize bat was clinging to the structure. Odd.
We had a pair of American Alligator sightings today. Adrian was close by but we didn't have our cameras with us at the time. Later, Pat was found basking farther up the Little Wekiva below where the banding table is on the opposite side.
Near the pathway where we had the majority of our nets set we noticed some Blue-eyed Grass in bloom. Pretty little flower.
Soon, we noticed a couple of other blooms nearby. They had the structure of Blue-eyed Grass but some were white...
...while others were yellow. Yellow Blue-eyed Grass?
Next to the banding table, a Red-bellied Woodpecker would sneak through the woods and peer out every now and then before leaping for a ripe blackberry growing along the edge of the grassy expanse next to the roadside.
Lynn found a lovely white caterpillar munching away on a leaf.
The only bird we captured during the actual Earth Day schedule was brought to the table. Fortunately there were a lot of folks around to witness our prize.
It was a Northern Parula. It already had a band on it.
Turns out we banded this bird nearly two years ago on the opposite side of the river. It was captured in Net 10 which is basically directly across from where we netted it today.
We always try to allow someone from the crowd to release our banded birds. It is a thrill for people of every age. Most birds take off quickly once it has a chance. This Northern Parula was no exception. Now you see it in the hand...
...and in a split second it is a blur and back into the trees.
While we didn't get as many birds as we had hoped it was Earth Day we were observing so at least we found enough Nature in other areas to make it a fun day. The rain hit as we were taking down the last net so the timing was perfect. Here's hoping for a day of nicer weather next year.
Thanks go to everyone who showed up and helped today. Not yet mentioned, Alease, Augustine, and Ike. Can't do these things without the volunteers!
______________________________________
Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, May 3rd.
All nets will be opened by 6:15 A.M.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Earth Day, 2013
Hello, All.
Andrew here. Going to break character for a bit to say a few things.
If I never say it enough, I am extremely grateful to every volunteer that comes our way. Past and present. I put out the word that we would gather at 6:15 AM to prepare for Earth Day and I was pleasantly surprised to find five folks waiting in the rain for me. We had to stand out there for a bit before we could enter the park and everyone gave their all. The rain ended and we set nets quickly as a group. As the day progressed, we cared for the nets and birds and provided great info to the public. As rains returned later, we disassembled everything quickly and efficiently, easily protecting the birds and our gear.
Thanks, gang! Job very well done. Special thanks to Richard for remembering to get us in a group shot. We always forget.
The Banding Crew From left to right: Phyllis, Becki, Andrew, Richard, Christine, Bob, Susan, Lynn. Not pictured is Charles who had to leave early.
Now, the full story...
We arrived in the rain and waited for Frank to let us in to load out gear. We got everything under cover and decided to distribute poles. The rain stopped so we set the rebar, poles, and nets. We actually were able to stay open until almost 2 PM before the rain returned. We quickly captured a banded Gray Catbird. Interesting part is that we first banded that bird 2 years ago after catching it in the same net site and...on Earth Day. The photo below is of another Catbird caught later.
Next up was a Carolina Wren. This was also a recapture that we banded a couple months ago across the river. The rest of the Wren family was feeding all over but never made it into a net.
Warblers were calling n the trees, including several Black-throated Blue Warblers.
It seemed to take forever but we finally caught one.
Two minutes later we caught a second. Such a beautiful bird.
We thought we had one of the other Carolina Wrens at one point but when it was approached it was clear we had something even more fun. A female Indigo Bunting!
There were several calling from both sides of the river but it is fairly late to be hearing this many.
Things grew a bit quiet so there was a little time to do a little looking around the lake. Lynn found a female Northern Cardinal that appeared to be gathering nesting materials. Better still, she has a band!
Out around the fishing pier a couple young American Alligators were hanging out in the shade. One was deeper in the vegetation.
The other was posed up in a nice position.
It seemed strange that there were no Red-Eyed Vireos around today. Just after that thought, one began singing over the boardwalk. The power of suggestion.
Over at the butterfly garden, Lynn discovered a pair of Monarchs on the ground.
One of the other vendors was a butterfly expert and she confirmed they were simply mating. Maybe not simply...
Ranger Cindy helped to find a soon to emerge Monarch.
Nearby in the Coral Honeysuckle was a cool Katydid almost perfectly blended against the leaves.
Lynn also found a fierce looking insect.
The final species of the day was a female Downy Woodpecker.
With every bird brought to the table a crowd quickly gathered to hear about the birds, how and why we band, and to get close-up photos.
Each time, a visitor is chosen to release the bird which instantly creates huge smiles and awe and, hopefully, another mind sparked to consider the fragile existence of birds and nature and to possibly lead some to a lifetime enjoyment of birds.
The rain returned and we headed out. A nice variety but the crowds were lower this year, perhaps due to the changing weather conditions. Everyone we interacted with seemed to have a great time and we look forward to next Earth Day and we return to 'our' side of the river next week.
______________________________________
Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, April 28th.
All nets will be opened by 6:15 A.M.
Andrew here. Going to break character for a bit to say a few things.
If I never say it enough, I am extremely grateful to every volunteer that comes our way. Past and present. I put out the word that we would gather at 6:15 AM to prepare for Earth Day and I was pleasantly surprised to find five folks waiting in the rain for me. We had to stand out there for a bit before we could enter the park and everyone gave their all. The rain ended and we set nets quickly as a group. As the day progressed, we cared for the nets and birds and provided great info to the public. As rains returned later, we disassembled everything quickly and efficiently, easily protecting the birds and our gear.
Thanks, gang! Job very well done. Special thanks to Richard for remembering to get us in a group shot. We always forget.
The Banding Crew From left to right: Phyllis, Becki, Andrew, Richard, Christine, Bob, Susan, Lynn. Not pictured is Charles who had to leave early.
Now, the full story...
We arrived in the rain and waited for Frank to let us in to load out gear. We got everything under cover and decided to distribute poles. The rain stopped so we set the rebar, poles, and nets. We actually were able to stay open until almost 2 PM before the rain returned. We quickly captured a banded Gray Catbird. Interesting part is that we first banded that bird 2 years ago after catching it in the same net site and...on Earth Day. The photo below is of another Catbird caught later.
Next up was a Carolina Wren. This was also a recapture that we banded a couple months ago across the river. The rest of the Wren family was feeding all over but never made it into a net.
Warblers were calling n the trees, including several Black-throated Blue Warblers.
It seemed to take forever but we finally caught one.
Two minutes later we caught a second. Such a beautiful bird.
We thought we had one of the other Carolina Wrens at one point but when it was approached it was clear we had something even more fun. A female Indigo Bunting!
There were several calling from both sides of the river but it is fairly late to be hearing this many.
Things grew a bit quiet so there was a little time to do a little looking around the lake. Lynn found a female Northern Cardinal that appeared to be gathering nesting materials. Better still, she has a band!
Out around the fishing pier a couple young American Alligators were hanging out in the shade. One was deeper in the vegetation.
The other was posed up in a nice position.
It seemed strange that there were no Red-Eyed Vireos around today. Just after that thought, one began singing over the boardwalk. The power of suggestion.
Over at the butterfly garden, Lynn discovered a pair of Monarchs on the ground.
One of the other vendors was a butterfly expert and she confirmed they were simply mating. Maybe not simply...
Ranger Cindy helped to find a soon to emerge Monarch.
Nearby in the Coral Honeysuckle was a cool Katydid almost perfectly blended against the leaves.
Lynn also found a fierce looking insect.
The final species of the day was a female Downy Woodpecker.
With every bird brought to the table a crowd quickly gathered to hear about the birds, how and why we band, and to get close-up photos.
Each time, a visitor is chosen to release the bird which instantly creates huge smiles and awe and, hopefully, another mind sparked to consider the fragile existence of birds and nature and to possibly lead some to a lifetime enjoyment of birds.
The rain returned and we headed out. A nice variety but the crowds were lower this year, perhaps due to the changing weather conditions. Everyone we interacted with seemed to have a great time and we look forward to next Earth Day and we return to 'our' side of the river next week.
______________________________________
Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, April 28th.
All nets will be opened by 6:15 A.M.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)