Session 18 Begins

Welome to the sauna!

Wide spread and hours-long rains last night brought us cooler weather but very wet and drippy conditions as we began our 18th banding session. Damp mornings lead to a quiet few hours before birds want to move around. It gave us some time to spruce up the needed net lane fixes and some trimming. Thanks to the rangers for mowing and removing certain blockages before we got back in business.

We only caught migrants today (not complaining) but the first 'capture' of the morning was a shock. And one of our nightmere thoughts.

Connie called in to report a Great Blue Heron was in the net at the end of the lanes. BTW, that was Net 24. The rains got the river so high, we could not get out to Nets 21 and 26. Might be weeks before we can get out there.

The heron was trapped by its bill. Connie did not want to get too close, opting for a photo before calling for help.



Andrew arrived soon afterward and as he an Connie advanced toward the bird, it began to get aggitated and freed itself and headed for the swamp uninjured. Whew. Can't think of dealing with that deadly bill close up. Great Blues are a formitable predator, eating everything they can catch. Fish, snakes, rats, and even baby alligators. Glad we didn't have to try getting it all the way out.

Soon, we began to get some migrants as the day dried a bit. The most captured species were Ovenbirds. We caught 3 new birds and one recapture.



Our one other migrant was a Northern Waterthrush.



More Fall-like weather is moving in and we hope to get a lot more migrants next week. Thankfully, we have no hurricanes on the horizon during the peak season. Lets get more fun birds from here on out!

Today's Totals

Birds Processed	New	Recaptured	Total
Northern Waterthrush	1	0	1
Ovenbird	3	1	4
Totals	4	1	5

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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, September 14th.
All nets will be opened by 6:50 A.M.

Earth Day, 2017

Well, we showed up. Too bad the birds did not. It was a very quiet banding day for the 10th annual Lake Lotus Earth Day celebration and it was a new set up for us with a total change of guard since our last appearance two years ago. Several of us arrived at 7 AM to get things set up for the day.



Nets were set but nothing was flying about. Our local Barred Owl fledgeling was set up directly across from our 2nd net. We worried that maybe it would be a problem with a raptor so close to our nets but baby sat around hissing all day and never posed a threat to any possible captures through out the day.



In years past, we were surrounded by the calls of begging Northern Parula chicks as we we sat through the day. Today, we only had one over our double net setting in the woods. It was very vocal and was first seem flittering its wings in the branches overhead begging Dad for food.



It seemed like the chick was going to sit in wait but it soon flew from place to place as it followed Dad as he gathered insects.



Sometimes it was chipping, sometimes it fluffed up for a bit.



At one point it found a place in the open and was sitting surrounded by potential food. Just to the right is a spider. Still time to learn picking them off.



Dad was gathering insects frantically and was a bit harder to get in focus. It was surprising that we never got him in the nets as he fed up and down the the lanes often diving mere inches from the them before returning to stuff bugs into the mouth of his baby.



The male Northern Parula spent several minutes scaring small moths out of their hiding places, one by one, and once he had a full bill would deliver them to baby.



Meanwhile, our baby Barred Owl woke up for a little while was was shown off to a few visitors.



It was very quiet all over the property. Eventually, we captured our first bird of the day. It was a Northern Cardinal that was first banded 4 years ago and captured in Net 21 near the lake.



Out at the pier, a few baby American Alligators are hanging out in the shallows.



At the base of the pilings, a small turtle warms up in the morning sunshine.



A Tricolored Heron spent time plucking minnows for breakfast along the reeds.



Another baby American Alligator was nearby waiting for its breakfast.



Out on the sand bar, an Anhinga dries out in the morning breeze.



Just behind it, a Great Blue Heron plucks snacks from the mouth of the river just past our last net on the regular side of banding.



Just after that jaunt to the pier, we captured a Carolina Wren. It was first banded last May.



We drew a crowd to see the bird and one of our visitors got to release the Carolina Wren. It promptly flew away from the crowd...and into the demo net. At least everyone got to see how we catch birds!



Andrew went over to the opposite side of the river to retrieve an SD card (stay tuned for that post!) and returned to be confronted by Momma Barred Owl while trying to get back to the other side of the river. Photo op? Sure.



Once the card was retrieved, he noticed something moving through the leaf litter. It appeared the be a wasp riding a caterpillar at a very rapid pace. Caterpillars can't move that fast. Once he saw the image on screen something else was evident. The wasp was dragging the caterpillar which was apparently stunned by venom and probably now the food source for the wasp's larva.



Back at the table, a crowd had gathered, but for what? A Rough Green Snake was slithering through the grass and Nick was holding it to show to the visitors. It was released and made its way back to safety away from stomping feet.



As time wound down on the day we caught one more Carolina Wren also a recapture banded after hatching on property last Spring.



Another lucky guest got to release the Carolina Wren back into the woods.



This was the slowest Earth Day we have worked over the years. There are just not many birds in the area right now. It seems weather conditions have moved Spring Migration up the center of the country. Radars show most migrating birds are traveling up Mexico and into Texas and farther North. Maybe the birds that travel up the East Coast are just running late? Time will tell.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, April 30th.
All nets will be opened by 6:15 A.M.

New Year Begins

It was good to be back out to begin the year after the holidays and a very cold week following them. Warm blankets were mush better than spending a morning at freezing plus 12 MPH winds making it well below freezing. If there were any birds around, I am sure we would not have caught too many of them. Now we are back to start the New Year and we began with a lot of recaptures including Gray Catbirds.



A couple of Hermit Thrushes were also caught on the first run, both recaptures also.



The most surprising start to the morning was a pair of Ruby-crowned Kinglets before dawn. These tiny birds usually wait until the day is bright and insects are moving more freely. However, both were in the tandem of nets 9 and 13 right before 7:15 AM. Here is the male, showing streaks of ruby in the head feathers.



Just after 8, things grew completely quiet. A trip out to the lake did not even reveal too many sightings save for a Great Blue Heron hunting on the edge of the vegetation in the water. Little Green and Little Blues were out there later, too. A Common Gallinule called between the Limpkin squawks but nothing else was evident unless you had binoculars to spy a distant Forster's Tern on the very far side of the lake.



Kate found a cocoon next to Net 10. We find them from time to time and are pretty sure that they are the cocoons of Polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus). They are very large and found in the area and are a type of silk moth. If you see one hanging out on a wall they are spectacular.



We had a couple from Minnesota visit us today. They get to band up North and wanted to stop by while they were here on their trip to Central Florida. We got out to Net 21 later in the morning and Susan was extracting a House Wren (as scores of warblers flew over the net). Andrew was disappointed it was only a wren with all the other birds flying through but our visitors were more than happy with a close-up view of a fairly common bird to us in the Winter.



Chris got to release the House Wren after the bird was banded and the data recorded.



We were all hoping that the Titmice we were hearing would be coming closer to the table as they usually do as Chris and his wife, Laurie don't get them up North. Here they are regulars at feeders and we have banded many of them. They stayed over in the park today, though. There was another surprise waiting below. Christine walked to the river side below the table and noticed something in the water. One of our American Alligators had moved upstream. The first time in quite a while.



Just before we left for the day the American Alligator came up onto the sandy bank to catch more sunlight. Last year was so wet this spot was not often exposed. After some observation, it appears that this gator was smaller than the one in the past that used to claim this spot, dubbed Pat. It was definitely much smaller than Leslie that lurked near the lake. We present to you Adrian. Andrew is crazy. He names the gators...



As we rolled up the nets, there was one more Ruby-crowned Kinglet waiting in Net 9. Another new male.



Laurie got the release our last banded bird of the day. It seemed slow but records show it was a typical January day here in Florida. We hope you had fun and glad to have had you out!



On a final note, my friend Todd Bernhardt has a new book out about the music of XTC, one of my fav bands. It is called Complicated Game. Check it out if you like some great new wave music from the 80s and how the lead singer, Andy Partridge, came up with most of it.



Time for Birdapalooza. See the note below. If we are not too tired, we will still head out to banding Sunday.

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Lake Apopka Wildlife Festival and Birdapalooza, January 21, 2017 On Saturday January 21, 2017 join Orange County and partners at the 5th annual FREE family-oriented Lake Apopka Wildlife Festival and Birdapalooza at Orange County’s Magnolia Park, 2929 S Binion Rd, Apopka, FL 32703. Enjoy guided bus tours (limited first-come seating), and guided walking and biking nature tours for children and adults on the Lake Apopka Loop Trail. For the entire family there are live animal demonstrations, bird banding, tree giveaways, music, airboat rides (for a fee), owl pellet dissections, entertainment by IBEX Puppetry, bounce houses, face painting, exhibitors, nature-oriented merchandise vendors and food trucks. Schedule is at http://www.birdapalooza.com and updates are on FaceBook at https://www.facebook.com/Birdapalooza/. In addition to this free festival, Orange Audubon Society offers birding and photo trips and keynote speakers on Friday and Sunday. See www.orangeaudubonfl.org/birdapalooza for details. If any questions, call 407-637-2525.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Saturday, January 21st at Birdapalooza and Sunday, January 22nd back at Lake Lotus.
All nets will be opened by 6:50 A.M.

Pea Soup

A dense fog dropped into the area as we arrived at the banding site before dawn. It made for an eerie setting for putting the nets up. There was no sound save for occasional drips from the trees as the condensation gathered. Would the birds sleep in? Eventually, our Barred Owl pair called to each other before reconnecting.

We almost didn't see our first bird in the gloom. It was at the end of Net 6. This is not a terribly productive net but it paid off this morning. It captured only the third Wood Thrush we have banded here.



An Eastern Phoebe was brought in from Net 21 by the lake. They are still calling all over the property.



Back next to the woods in Net 4 was a recaptured White-eyed Vireo we first banded a month ago. They tend to nip.



Things remained pretty quiet. Time for a trip out to the lake. Did we mention it was foggy this morning?



In front of the fishing pier was a small flock of birds. A juvenile Wood Stork, Snowy Egret, White Ibis, and Common Gallinules were feeding side by side.



A Great Blue Heron soon joined them. The river had deposited a lot of sediment in front of the pier. The water is getting more shallow here after every flooding rain.



An Eastern Phoebe was taking advantage of Primrose Willow stalks to perch and hunt from.



Over in the cattails, a Marsh Wren played peek-a-boo. The Willow tree next to the Wren was later filled with birds once the fog began to burn off, including Orange-crowned, Prairie, Myrtle (Yellow-rump), and Palm Warblers, Blue-headed, and White-eyed Vireo, Common Yellowthroats, and House and Carolina Wrens. Northern Cardinals were busy eating Tallow seeds.



Even when Blue-gray Gnatcatchers drop down right in front of you they don't sit for long. Too many bugs to snatch!



Bowl and doily Spider (Frontinella communis) are on property pretty much year-round but they are especially easy to see when the fog is around.



We captured a couple of House Wrens. This one was first banded 2 years ago.



We have been waiting for the first Ruby-crowned Kinglet in the net and today was the day.



We tend to capture more females than males so it was great to have that shock of red that gives the Ruby-crowned Kinglet its name in our hands.



As we were taking the nets down we captured two more birds. Gray Catbirds were mewing in the vegetation all morning but were not flying around too much.



This is the third week we have banded Hermit Thrushes. They are definitely back in the neighborhood.



Temperatures are slowly dropping as we head through the month. The upper 40s are forecast in about a week. Time to break out the jackets.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, November 20th.
All nets will be opened by 6:15 A.M.