Bear-ly Anything

Black Bears have been here way before any of us humans. Heck, there is a Bear Lake not more than a couple miles of the banding site. But when they get in the way it is kind of annoying. This morning, bear activity was present every where.

The first thing we found (besides the gate being pulled inward) was our table. This thing was donated by Andrew's wife since the beginning of this journey and has withstood hurricanes and a fallen tree earlier in the year. This week, it succummed to a bear apparently standing on it. We still used it as much as we could throughout the day.



Things got worse as we began to set poles. Net 1 was done from last week and had to be reset, but we also found 7 other poles bent down along the lanes. It was a morning of maintenance.



We began cleaning up the table area when Jenny noticed something rather odd. The bear had actually bitten one of the bug spray cans we had in our bucket. Why bite that?



And to verify our thoughts, scat was all along the lanes. Stay out, bear!



Kind of a good thing we had things to fix up. Birds were very scarce today. And 2 weeks without a Cardinal? Odd. But we did finally capture our 2nd Louisiana Waterthrush of the Session. Usually, they are gone by August. We'll take it.



Later on, we found a small turtle near Net 5. Turtles often lay eggs along the lanes but the raccoons usually dig them up. This one survived. Lynn refound it and got a great photo of this baby Soft Shelled Turtle.



Earlier, as we were cleaning up after the bear nonsence, we heard a couple of Acadian Flycatchers near the table. Just before we ended the morning, we caught one! The last one we had was just about a year ago. This is their time.



Only two birds is really strange this time of year. Hopefully, we will get a nice bunch next week.

Today's Totals

Birds Processed	New	Recaptured	Total
Louisiana Waterthrush	1	0	1
Acadian Flycatcher	1	0	1
Totals	2	0	2

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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, September 17th.
All nets will be opened by 6:45 A.M.

Session 16 Begins!

Just in time to start banding, a cool front sagged into Florida bringing us drier air and a beautiful day. The extra rain did raise the river enough to keep us from Net 21, though.

Andrew walked the lanes the week before and found the grasses up to waist high and a tree down blocking Net 7. The rangers were not sure if they could get out there due to Hurricane Idaylia getting close and they had to have sand bag filling duties.



The storm ended up staying to the West along the Tampa and panhande side and the rangers had time to clear the lanes before we began. Thanks to our friends for all of their efforts!



Our other, non-human friends, the Air Potato Beetles, have begun to wake and take care of the invasive vines.



The Air Potato vines are being skeletonized more and more throughout the area.



Can't not mention the first round of getting down the lanes. The early walk is usually spent clearing webs of Tropical Orb Weavers as we get things set up.



We were all glad to be back on the property. Some more than others!



We actually had to wait a awhile before the birds decided to get out of bed. After about an hour we got our first birds: 2 unbanded Carolina Wrens.



Like the bird with Nalida, we captured 6 Common Yellowthroats in a tight group moving past. 5 juvenile males and one female.



Then, the Ovenbirds arrived. We had 3 today. Right on time.



A next surprise was our next bird that usually come through in August, which we have given up due to heat. A Louisiana Waterthrush graced us and got a band today.



Then we captured a female Black-and-White Warbler.



Our last bird of the day was barely resting in Net 18. A male American Redstart. It was full of fat and tired, just arriving from the North.



Andrew was checking nets not long from closing up and found a large wasp in Net 5 with some prey. Turned out to be a Cicada Killer (Sphecius speciosus) with a cicada in its grasp. Most of us gathered to watch it finally free itself and the bug and drag it back to its burrow. Once there, it will lay eggs on the insect and let the offspring feed on it before leaving the nest.



It was a nice day and great return for Session 16. Lets see what the year brings us before Fall officially begins! Looking forward to cooler weather weather not too far away.

Today's Totals

Birds Processed	New	Recaptured	Total
Carolina Wren	2	0	2
Louisiana Waterthrush	1	0	1
Common Yellowthroat	5	1	6
Black-and-white Warbler	1	0	1
Ovenbird	3	0	3
American Redstart	1	0	1
Totals	13	1	14

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

Migration Still On

With the OK from the park rangers, we headed back out for another round of banding and got things set at the appropriate time. However, with a County-wide curfew in effect until 5 AM, that early start up might have to slip in the coming weeks. The Sun does not care about start times. If the curfew continues it may be that we start opening closer to sunrise than we usually do. But, we will do our best.

This week we started with a nice beginning with the first bird being rather unexpected. A Louisiana Waterthrush at dawn. Odd, really. Could it be an interesting morning?



Then we captured a couple of Carolina Wrens during our next run.



Gray Catbirds are still getting anxious and moving about. We caught 5 today. Some were new and some were recaptures..



Lisa played a great role today by helping to get more practice and processing birds throughout the day.



Probably our Bird-of-the-Day, a first-year male American Redstart was caught and brought back by Connie. Typically, Redstarts are seen here in their familiar plumage easily defining females from males. First year males start off looking like females and then begin to show signs of transition easily noticed by black splotches around their eyes and throat. A great find and the second banded here.



On her travels up and down the lanes, Connie found a couple of interesting fauna. First was a Bagworm Moth cocoon.



Next, she noticed a Giant Swallowtail caterpillar floating down from the trees. Knowing that their host plant is citrus, she asked where she could place it. Oranges do reside here and we searched until finding one behind Net 9 and placed it gingerly on an appropriate leaf.



Ovenbirds are still active in the area and we captured and saw/heard more as the day progressed.



We have caught a single female Northern Parula over the past couple of weeks so it was nice to get a male this morning.



We were watching a male Black-throated Blue Warbler near the table for quite a while and wished for it to hit the nets but continued on with our chores. Soon, a first Spring Black-throated Blue Warbler was brought in from a net at the far end of the lanes. First spring males are indicated by a few white feathers on their throats.



Our final bird was an adult Black-throated Blue Warbler in Net 5. We think this is the bird we were watching early in the day.



Today's Totals

Birds Processed	New	Recaptured	Total
Gray Catbird	2	3	5
Black-throated Blue Warbler	2	0	2
Carolina Wren	0	2	2
Ovenbird	2	0	2
Northern Cardinal	1	0	1
American Redstart	1	0	1
Louisiana Waterthrush	1	0	1
Northern Parula	1	0	1
Totals	10	5	15

NOTE: To ensure the safety of our volunteers and the general public, new visitors are discouraged from attending banding at this time. The few of us who remain will update the blog as long as we can and hope to see new faces in the future. Thank you for your understanding during this unprecedented time.

Stay clean and safe!
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, April 26th.
All nets will be opened by 6:30 A.M.

Spring Migration Must Be On...

No fog or wind for once as we head into the new morning and continue our renewal of Net 21 for a while. What did we find...?

The dawn brought us a couple of recaptured Hermit Thrushes that Shannen got to process during her last weekend here for a while before she is taken off to new work. Looking forward to her return as soon as she can and wish her the best as she moves along to a new project.



We watched and listened to newly arriving warblers as our possible last cold front pushed through. Our next bird was a recaptured adult male Black and White Warbler.



One of the next signs of the arrival of Spring Migration, after the Northern Parulas, is returning Louisiana Waterthrushes. Good thing that we set Net 21 because that is where we always get them on their way back North by the lake.



We quickly noticed that this Louisiana Waterthrush had an injury from its previous ventures. Two of its talons were missing. However, it was a very robust and healthy bird so we decided it was quite capable of carrying on.



Along our day we recaptured "Split-bill", a Gray Catbird we banded a few weeks ago and continue to process. It was followed by our last bird of the morning, an Eastern Palm Warbler molting into Spring plumage.



All the World is discussing COVID-19 but we will be back in the woods next Sunday as planned. The health officials suggested that you stay away from large crowds and do something more safe. Like walking in the woods where we find ourselves every Sunday. Feel free to join us away from the toilet paper buying madness and breathe free for a few hours.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, March 15th.
All nets will be opened by 7:05 A.M.

Moving Closer to Peak Migration

Weather is on the verge of becoming comfortable in the early hours of the morning and set nets as usual and waited.

Connie called us at the table to report a rodent in the net. When we arrived, it was clear it was a mammal. A Flying Squirrel! It seemed that it was trapped in the net, but photos show it was just using the net as a place to crawl around on and not trapped at all.



The Flying Squirrel still didn't seem to want to move on, especially with several humans now surrounding it. It finally liked the fact that Andrew was holding the net taught at some point and made its way all the way to the top of the net before hopping into the nearby oak. Interesting start to a morning...



Our first actual capture was a new male Northern Cardinal, the second in as many weeks.



Next, a juvenile Carolina Wren molting into its adult feathers.



Seems like they are rather late this year. We usually catch Waterthrushes in August as one of the easiest migrants. This is the second week we have caught both species starting with a Louisiana Waterthrush.



Then we had a spate of Ovenbirds. Three, in fact.



As for the Waterthrushes, we completed the pair just like last week with a Northern Waterthrush.



Last week, Andrew had been mentioning a bird that should be here by this time of the year. It was odd that we had not seen any most of the morning. Usually, they are one of the first caught in the morning when they start stirring. However, it took almost to the end of the day for one to hit the net. Our first Veery of the season. Right on time.



Just before we closed up for the day, we recaptured a Tufted Titmouse. It was first banded in 2017. It was also recaptured...just last weekend. It is with the entire family but we only get this bird over and over. Maybe next Sunday.



It is finally beginning to feel like Fall. It is just next Monday. Time to get ready for a hopeful peak migration at the first of October.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, September 22nd.
All nets will be opened by 6:45 A.M.

A Sprinkling of Migrants

We were spared the wrath of Dorian but now we wait to see how the next weekend plays out. New models forecast a probable new system forming before we try to head out on our following Sunday. Time will tell and check back here if we have to cancel the 15th.

Meanwhile, we started our day by catching our next migrant. Another female Common Yellowthroat.



The next bird in was a local. A juvenile Brown Thrasher. You can easily tell juvenile birds by their duller colored iris. Adult bird irises are super yellow.



This young bird is heading into its next molt and we can see the pin feathers coming in on the wings.



Next up, a new adult Northern Cardinal. Always surprised we haven't banded them all before. It was also going into a new molt as you can see around the face.



Richard brought in a new Wax Myrtle to place behind Net 19. Long time readers will notice that they dug out the large Camphor tree a few months ago. This tree will hopefully bring in more migrants to the area. Alyssa helped dig the tree in as Kate and Richard supervised.



Connie followed up by watering the new addition to the property.



The air was very helpful for birds to continue to head South so we were not surprised to be waiting for anything to decide to stop by. So, we were very happy to finally capture a Louisiana Waterthrush. We usually get them in August as they are one of the earliest migrants in our location. We will take it.



Heard on property for the past few weeks, but not captured, we next gat a Northern Waterthrush minutes later. Wish we could have had them both in hand as we have before to compare. You can see the differences between both by scrolling up and down. Louisiana Warblers are brighter white and Northerns are more buff.



Check back in Saturday night/Sunday morning to see of we can band Sunday. Fingers are crossed as we edge toward typical peak migration.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, September 15th.
All nets will be opened by 6:40 A.M.