Finally Back

All reports of high winds were correct. In fact, if we didn't have to get poles for the upcoming Orlando Wetlands Festival we would have slept in again. High winds makes catching birds even harder than usual. We did get afew by the end of the morning.

The biggest surprise of the day was the removal of the fallen oak downed by Hurricane Milton.



Our first bird of the morning was a recaptured female Northern Cardinal.



As we wandered down the net lanes we noticed a lot of new blossoms are opening as we near Spring like Earthsmoke and Wild Radish (pictured here).



We were removing leaves from the nets all day. On one check of Net 2, another small object was amongst the leaves. A female Ruby-crowned Kinglet.



Out near the lake, we eventually captured a Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle Warbler). Jenny surprised us by bringing out Tom and their new baby, Solomon. She got to get back in the swing of banding our warblers today.



As we were beginning to close up, we got one more Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle Warbler). Both were females.



Saturday 02/22 is the Festival and we will be banding from 7 to about 3. We most likely will not band the Sunday at Lotus. We will have had a long day and it is looking like rain, anyway. Come on out to the Orlando Wetlands Festival for a great time.

Today's Totals

Birds Processed	New	Recaptured	Total
Yellow-rumped Warbler	2	0	2
Northern Cardinal	0	1	1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	1	0	1
Totals	3	1	4

______________________________________
Next (planned) Banding Day: Saturday, February 22nd.
All nets will be opened by 7:00 A.M.

Odd Day

There can be mornings where we will catch birds all in the first couple of hours or have them spread out throughout the morning. Today was odd as we had half our birds right at dawn and then the other half as we were preparing to close up.

The other odd thing was that the first half of birds were all recaptures, like the 3 Carolina Wrens we processed.



Two recap Northern Cardinals joined the tally.



Then a recaptured Hermit Thrush.



The juvenile White-eyed Vireo that we first banded last week decided to drop in for another visit.



Then things grew way too quiet for the next 2 plus hours until, out at the newly placed Net 26 near the lake, a female Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warbler joined the crew.



Next, we got a female Ruby-crowned Kinglet.



Just as we were preparing to close up, a family of Tufted Titmice swarmed Net 15 and 3 were brought in. There was one recaptured and two new birds.



So, fun then boring then fun. Never know how these Winter weekends will go. We do plan to be out next Sunday but there is a chance we could get rained out. Be sure to check the blog before you decide to join us on the 29th.

Today's Totals

Birds Processed	New	Recaptured	Total
Carolina Wren	0	3	3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	1	0	1
Tufted Titmouse	2	1	3
Northern Cardinal	0	2	2
Hermit Thrush	0	1	1
Yellow-rump (Myrtle) Warbler	1	0	1
White-eyed Vireo	0	1	1
Totals	4	8	12

______________________________________
Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, December 29th.
All nets will be opened by 7:00 A.M.

Back After Our Unexpected Delay

We were finally able to get back out and band again. This time of year is fairly quiet and instead of getting most of our birds right after dawn, they were spread out until the end.

Our first bird of the day was a recaptured Carolina Wren. We caught another unbaded one later in the morning.



Then we got our first migrant, a new Hermit Thrush.



Next, a female Northern Cardinal



Mid-morning, we captured a House Wren.



The ladies were checking nets and saw what they thought was a leaf in one. Nope. A female Ruby-crowned Kinglet.



As we were closing nets, we captured two more migrants. A male Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle sub-species)...



...and a Western Palm Warbler.



Hearing other species around the property so perhaps next Sunday we can get some of them. Flicker would be nice...

Today's Totals

Birds Processed	New	Recaptured	Total
Carolina Wren	1	1	2
House Wren	1	0	1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	1	0	1
Northern Cardinal	1	0	1
Hermit Thrush	1	0	1
Yellow-rump (Myrtle)Warbler	1	0	1
Western Palm Warbler	1	0	1
Totals	7	1	8

______________________________________
Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, December 15th.
All nets will be opened by 7:00 A.M.

Gray Day

Our first trip back in the new year and it was a hit or miss for the rain. Very gray, but the wet stayed away for the entire day. So did most of the birds.

Andrew had his Spidy-senses tingling on the way in. Would it be a semi parked? Parking area closed? Sure enough, a new addition to our parking situation was there. Mattresses and sofas.



Our first bird of the New Year was a recaptured female Northern Cardinal first banded last May. Our Cardinals sport what the volunteers call a "tantrum stick" to keep them from biting the banders. It is featured in our new logo, too.



Second up was a recaptured Brown Thrasher. Then things got real quiet. Not a lot of birds were moving around today.



We did get a pair of female Ruby-crowned Kinglets in the nets next to each other half-way down the lanes.



Our new visitor, Megan, got to release one of the Ruby-crowned Kinglets.



Our last bird of the day was a new male Northern Cardinal. It was hatched here last Spring and is establishing his new territory.



The weather is on a major rollercoaster this month. Will we be able to band next Sunday? Perhaps. It might be too cold for some. We Floridians are not happy with temps in the 30s, nor do the birds. We shall see.

Today's Totals

Birds Processed	New	Recaptured	Total
Northern Cardinal	1	1	2
Brown Thrasher	0	1	1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	2	0	2
Totals	3	2	5

______________________________________
Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, January 21st.
All nets will be opened by 6:50 A.M.

Zzzzzzzzzz....

We arrived to a bit of fog and mist as we set nets and actually opened 15 minutes early. Then we waited. And waited. Annnd waited.

2 hours later we captuered our lone bird of the day. A female Ruby-crowned Kinglet.



Hoping this front stalled to the North clears so we can get the rest of the remaining migrants down here for next week.

Today's Totals

Birds Processed	New	Recaptured	Total
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	1	0	1
Totals	1	0	1

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

At Least We Had Liquid Sunshine

We were watching the radar all night. Reporting was that it was not going to be raining until the afternoon. Yeah... We still got there and set up fine and thought nothing of it. Mainly because we had more bear things to deal with. Net 15 was tilted and we hoped that was going to be it. However, Net 13 was bent to the ground and we had to reset completely at daybreak.

While we were doing that, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet dropped in like a falling leaf nextdoor in Net 9. Our first of the season. Later on, we caught another one that we first banded in January.



Connie came in with a Common Yellowthroat next. An adult female.



While we taking that bird back, Jenny was extracting a recaptured House Wren.



Then the rain began. Not horrible. Just constant sprinkles that forced us to close the nets for a half an hour. Waves of sprinkles were coming in for the rest of the day but we managed to stay open until the end of the scheduled day. We spent some of the time rescuing the bridge that washed away during the last rains. As we were exploring the flora and fauna a Gray Catbird decided to join us.



Since we were able to open Net 21 this week we did end up with a very fiesty Western Palm Warbler. A nice addition for a gloomy morning.



Sunday is going to be another mix, weather-wise, but we hope to have a better capture rate now that the remaining species should be arriving before Winter.

Today's Totals

Birds Processed	New	Recaptured	Total
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	1	1	2
Gray Catbird	1	0	1
House Wren	0	1	1
Western Palm Warbler	1	0	1
Common Yellowthroat	1	0	1
Totals	4	2	6

______________________________________
Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, December 3rd.
All nets will be opened by 6:30 A.M.

Orlando Wetlands Back in Action

The Orlando Wetlands Festival returned after 3 years and we were there to represent. Winds were NOT on our side and gusting steadily all day. We did get 15 birds by the end of the festival, which was not too bad given the conditions. It did seem like all of our visitors had a great experience and our newly printed shirts, brochures, and stickers played a big part in the overall public outreach positive reaction.

Sit back. It is going to be a long post but worth it.

We have been working on tshirt plans for years and we got our designs ready and printed just in time for the demonstrations. Later in the day we gathered to show our new shirts as a group.



Should have taken a photo with us all turned around to show the back design. Here it is in case you missed it.



We arrive before dawn to set rebar and poles for the nets and then begin to capture and process birds long before the fest starts. We caught a couple of Gray Catbirds right after sunrise.



The next bird was a total surpise. A Prairie Warbler! We have never captured one here iover all these years.



Since the festival was not yet open, we let one of the volunteers release the bird.



Everyone milled about between checking nets and waited near the table before the official 9 am start.



Next up was a Carolina Wren.



One of the first visitors got to release it.



Then, what do you know? Our old friend is still here for another Winter. Yes, THE Yellow-breasted Chat! We have now caught this bird 3 times over 5 years during the last three festivals.



Our next visitor was here among a good-sized group and she was given the opportunity to hold and release the Chat.



Time for a tour of the new boardwalk and things found while walking through the first leg of it.



Black-bellied Whistling Ducks have exploded in numbers since we were first here. They are everywhere!



A few Blue-winged Teal were feeding in small spots here and there.



Roseate Spoonbills are gathered more near a hammock up the way, but one was here closer to the walk.



A cluster of Purple Aster was wrapped around a tree in the water.



Patches of Bur Marigold lit up the green from time to time.



Out of nowhere, a Marsh Wren popped out of the vegetation, as they tend to do, and posed for a pretty photo.



Rafts of American Coot cluck and feed all over.



There is another leg of the boardwalk but we had to head back toward the banding table. Just up the path, a young American Alligator crawled out of the pond to catch some sunlight.



At the end of that pond, a Glossy Ibis probed around for a snack.



Around the corner, a Little Blue Heron was on its morning hunt.



A shock of Tick Seed blooms in the cattails as we alost reached the net lanes.



Oof. The wind is still here...



Still catching birds, though. One of our next guests got to release a newly banded Gray Catbird.



Our next Carolina Wren was a bit of an oddity.



Can't recall ever catching a bird missing an eye. Otherwise, the bird seemed to be in great health and even returned near the table later flicking up leaves in search of food.



Ruby-crowned Kinglets were heard most of the morning but they are difficult to catch even on calm days.



There is that smile ew never tire of when folks get more in touch with Nature.



Andrew was extracting our next bird at the end of the lane.



It was a Western Palm Warbler



See, almost always a big smile.



When Andrew comes silently to the table there must be something special in the bag. He never lets out the surprise until the last second.



We captured a Downy Woodpecker! After the band is on and the other information is recorded, our next lucky child gets instructions on holding technique.



After a quick photo, she released it back into the woods.



Then a bit of a catastrophe occured. For the first time ever, one of the tour busses snagged one of our nets. The driver veared to far to the right. Tom and the driver spent some time removing the net from the rearview mirror. The net was ripped and was a total loss. The City of Orlando did reemburse us for a new one.



Our final Gray Catbird was captured and banded. Before release, Jenny took the bird up to the visitors that couldn't make it down the small hill to the table. Think they appreciated it?



Then our next guest gets instructions on holding the Gray Catbird.



A quick spread of the fingers and the bird is away!



With that we began to pack the gear and head out for this year. It was an overall great day and we can't wait to get back out next time. Will it be next year or two? We don't know at this time. The City of Orlando will let us know when they are ready.

Note: Daylight Savings Time begins next Sunday at midnight.

Remember to Spring Forward!

Today's Totals

Birds Processed	New	Recaptured	Total
Carilina Wren	3	0	3
Prairie Watbler	1	0	1
Downy Woodpecker	1	0	1
Gray Catbird	6	0	6
Yellow-breasted Chat	0	1	1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	1	0	1
Myrtle Warbler	1	0	1
Western Palm Warbler	1	0	1
Totals	14	1	15

______________________________________
Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, March 12th.
All nets will be opened by 7:10 A.M.