Orlando Wetlands Festival, 2025

2 years later and we are back at the Orlando Wetlands Festival. Weather was foecast to be very overcast with low winds. NOT! The early morning was fine, and yeilded some nice captures, but just around 9:30 the winds cranked up and we had mixed clouds all day. However, we did have a nice mix of species today and a welcomed a return visitor and some other nice surprises.

As usual, the most captured species out here are Yellow-rumped Warblers (Myrtle subspecies). Here, Jenny (back in action after having her baby) is holding one for all to see after banding it.



Time to start letting the visitors release our birds.



A female Northern Cardinal hit the nets shortly after the warblers.



Next up was a Gray Catbird.



Another visitor got to release the Gray Catbird.



Another migrant was added to the list. An Ovenbird.



Then one more. A Western Palm Warbler.



The Western Palm Warbler was banded and released.



Then the first surprise of the day, although we were kind of expecting it. Our Yellow-breasted Chat hit the nets in the same area it has before. We have now captured this bird 4 times in 7 years during the festivals. Loves it out here!



The Yellow-breasted Chat was released back into the wetland. Will we get it again in 2 years? Time will tell.



Then the wind picked up and things got quiet. We finally managed to capture an Eastern Phoebe.



Even some volunteers got to release a bird or 2.



Every now and then we get a chance to walk around the Orlando Wetlands property. A little break from staring at blowing nets.



We captured a new House Wren later in the day.



Our next surprise hit at the end of the nets. It was a Painted Bunting. We could also determine its sex as a male because its blue feathers were beginning to come in. Males and females are nearly identical when hatched. The females stay green while the males turn into a rainbow of color.



A happy guest releases the Painted Bunting.



Another visitor releases a Yellow-rumped Warbler.



Our final surprise of the day was an adult female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker! This makes only the 2nd one captured at the Wetlands.



Nelida's son releaed the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Both boys are really starting to stretch out!



You think anyone was interested in this beautiful bird?



Another Gray Catbird gets banded and released.



Our last bird of the festival was another Ovenbird.



As we were leaving for the day we took a group picture at the wetlands photo prop. From left to right, top to bottom: Andrew, Lynn, Susan, Kate, Connie, and Jenny. Kate helped paint the prop years ago. Another successful event.



After relaxing from the festival, we will be back at Lake Lotus next Sunday. Migration is about to start picking up.

Today's Totals

Birds Processed	New	Recaptured	Total
House Wren	1	0	1
Gray Catbird	3	0	3
Painted Bunting	1	0	1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	1	0	1
House Wren	1	0	1
Ovenbird	2	0	2
Eastern Pheobe	1	0	1
Western Palm Warbler	1	0	1
Yellow-rumped (Myrtle Warbler)	7	1	8
Yellow-breasted Chat	0	1	1
Totals	18	2	20

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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, March 2nd.
All nets will be opened by 6:45 A.M.

Windy Fest Ends with a Bang

It was our pleasure to once again be invited to do demonstration banding at the Orlando Wetlands Festival this year. Glad to have the invasive fencing absent from two years ago but the winds, gusting to 30 mph at times, dampened expectations and captures through the day. However, we did capture several birds. One deserves special mention but you will have to wait until the end as we did.

Gray Catbirds were very vocal as we set nets before dawn and the first bird of the day we captured was one of them. Though we didn't get a great shot, this one does show something we teach for aging. Catbirds are born with white/pink interiors of their bills. Once they are adults it becomes black. Can you guess the age of this bird?



Next up was a male Common Yellowthroat flying against the wind.



More surprising was a male Painted Bunting caught a short time later. Rainbows in the morning are always a treat.



Andrew was watching a female Painted Bunting for quite a while as the morning wore on an she fed 2 feet behind Net 34. Eventually, she headed into the nets giving us a complete set.



One of the festival's early visitors got to release our female Painted Bunting.



Before the festival officially opened, Richard got his bird boxes situated near the bus drop-off not far from the banding table behind him.



Down in the "Critter Crawl" pond between our net set up, Momma American Alligator was lurking as we got things set but headed to the bank once the day got a little warmer. Oddly, she stayed there in the sunlight all day making her on of the most popular photo ops of the festival on this side of the activities.



Just around the corner, a few baby American Alligators were hanging out in a smaller pond.



Out in the cells, migrating American Coots mingled around with our local Common Gallinules.



Christine found a Purple Gallinule nearby.



White Ibis were flying over most of the day but some were hanging out with Glossy Ibis in the cells.



With the high winds all day we had ample opportunities to watch Black Vultures forming kettles overhead. A few Turkey Vultures joined in from time to time.



While some of us were doing a quick tour of the cells, and Ovenbird was captured and processed by Jenny.



We watch nets flapping in the wind for quite awhile most of the day. At one point, the volunteers began to rush from one area to another and it seemed like maybe a new bird had hit a net. Nope. They were more interested by a newly emerging Dragonfly from the demonstration vegetation vats across the lanes.



At one point today, Connie found a Rainbow Scarab Beetle, our local dung beetle in Florida.



Lunch was well behind us when we caught another male Common Yellowthroat.



Fortunately, a group of visitors was nearby (actually spotted the bird in the net before us) and one of the young ladies got to release the Common Yellowthroat.



Then, our last male Common Yellowthroat was brought in for a band.



Only a few people were around but this couple got to observe and release the Common Yellowthroat.



Clouds were beginning to thicken as the day was drawing to a close. Every now and then a sprinkle was felt and we decided to call it a day about 3 PM. As we started to close nets by the table it was clear there was something in the net at the end of the lane. Jenny yelled asking how to ID a certain bird as Susan thrusted her arms in victory of a Life Bird addition as guests looked on. Andrew took the bird out of the bag and confirmed our catch.

Two years ago, the last festival, we captured and banded a Yellow-breasted Chat. A Chat had been reported and seen for the past couple of weeks in the nearby area and we were hoping we could get some info on the bird. Could it be the same individual? Yes! Just as we were about to leave, here was our bird. As expected, everyone still in the area flocked to the table to see this beautiful bird.



Part of our research involves site fidelity (birds returning to the same spot year after year during migration) and this Yellow-breasted Chat is showing us that. Good protection, good habitat, good food. "I'm going near Disney World!" Welcome back, dear friend.



Two visitors were their way out of the festival after spending time heading here for the sole purpose of locating the Yellow-breasted Chat. Just so happened that they were by the net when the Chat flew in and was being extracted. Knowing this, Andrew called Lydia over and asked her to release the bird back into the scrub. A perfect end to a frustratingly windy day. Connections like that are the best part of festivals.



We need to mention that one of our volunteers, Kate, actually had a nice display by the bus drop off. A painting of Ospreys with chicks in a nest that she painted that was a photo board for visitor picture memories. From top to bottom, left to right: Connie, Susan, Kate (the artist!), and Christine. Great job, Kate!!



Sliding scale? Despite the 30 mph wind gusts, 8 bird captures was fairly surprising. Where were common birds like Cardinals? Weird. Great-crested Flycatcher out of season? Very weird. Yellow-breasted Chat recaptured? Spectacular.

Might have to call this a solid 7 after over a decade of festivals here. Next week we head back home as we inch toward Spring. Robins are already turing North...
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, February 23rd.
All nets will be opened by 6:30 A.M.

2018 Orlando Wetlands Festival

The Orlando Wetlands Festival returned after taking 2017 off and it turned into a worthwhile venture by the end of the day. Reports are coming in on the positive side from visitors and staffers alike.



We began setting nets before dawn and our first bird of the day as the Sun cleared the horizon was a Gray Catbird.



Fog was expected in the morning but we thought that would be before dawn. Instead, is was perfectly clear until around 8 AM. Looking down the road from our nets you can see the fog begin to creep in from the West.



When there is a break in the action we get a chance to explore the property bit by bit. Just past the nets we discovered a long trail of Otter tracks heading toward the main ponds.



Where the track ran out, a single Black-bellied Whistling Duck basked in the sunrise just across the water.



A couple of Black-crowned Night Herons were already in the nearby trees but more were flying in from the East.



Yellow-rumped Warblers are typically the more numerous captured birds at this event. Today we only caught one that was giving us an earful.



As we set nets, Rebecca heard a Yellow-breasted Chat calling back in the brush. She an Lynn tried to lure it into the open with no luck. Soon they hiked to try for other birds.



10 minutes later, Andrew heard a squawk and turned to see a Mockingbird swooping at one of the nets and back into the trees. Was that something relaxing in that same net? Yep. The Yellow-breasted Chat! The first we have ever captured and banded. Word soon spread and everyone waiting for the event to officially begin headed over to the table.



Yellow-breasted Chats are very shy. You can often hear them calling but they rarely come out into the open. Thanks, Mr. Mockingbird, for chasing it our way!



Shortly after 9 AM, the buses and tractors started rolling tours through the wetland and straight between our mist nets. We still managed more birds along the way.



Common Ground Doves are a bit large for our nets but we did get 2 out of the 5 in the area.



One female Ruby-crowned Kinglet hit the nets today.



Killian brought his sister along and she got a chance to release the bird. It was playing shy but left after it was handed off back to Andrew.



Some of the visitors were watching the nets for a while and soon alerted us to a bird at the end of the lane.



It was an adult female Black and White Warbler.



One of our young visitors got the opportunity to release her.



Nothing makes kids smile more than holding and releasing an amazing flying creature.



More birds from some of our short hikes. Limpkin were fairly obvious in many areas around the wetlands. Looks like there is plenty of food.



Out at the Cypress Hammock dozens of Roseate Spoonbills gathered to rest and bathe.



It is always nice to spot a Glossy Ibis this time of year as they flash and shimmer in the morning light.



Most of the American Coots are flocking together on the far side of the wetlands but a few linger closer to the main entrance.



A Snowy Egret grabbed a snack and flew up into a tree to enjoy it.



We were hearing Swamp Sparrows all morning. Only one braved the wide open.



Another lucky guest got to release the Swamp Sparrow back into the woods.



Northern Cardinals were teasing us all morning just past the net lanes but began to get closer later in the day.



Then the next Bird of the Day flew into the nets near the wishing well. It was brought back to Andrew. No one could make an ID as they headed back. Once out of the bag it was determined it had to be one of two vireo species. We consulted our books and determined it was definitely a Philadelphia Vireo. Reports are that this might be the first official record of this species in the Winter at the Orlando Wetlands in Florida!



The Philadelphia Vireo is also a Life Bird for everyone. One of our regular visitors got the honor of releasing it. (Update: this bird is still being seen daily since it was banded. It is staying in the same area.)



One more male Northern Cardinal was banded before the winds kicked up and we headed home.



Which made this American Alligator very happy. All it wanted to do was get out of this pond and head elsewhere. Your turn, Smiley...



Great day and glad to be back at the Wetlands. Trees are now going into full bloom so we hope to have a good morning back 'home' next Sunday.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, February 25th.
All nets will be opened by 6:25 A.M.