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.

Picking up a bit

The weather is warming again and a fast moving front is approaching for later in the day. But it was a better day for us. In the first round at dawn we tied last week's capture total including the bird of the day right off the bat. Our first ever Chipping Sparrow! These little guys are not rare in the winter but they seem to prefer other areas, typically a bit more urban and at feeders.



We captured a few Hermit Thrushes today, including one recently banded a couple of months ago.



We caught three Gray Catbirds today. Oddly, they were all captured in Net 4 at different times. One of them was our white-chinned bird we first banded two years ago and it has been returning every year since.



We recaptured a striking male Northern Cardinal and managed to keep from getting a bite.



Across the fence at the 'neighbors', a Little-blue Heron was resting in the trees by the pond.



Out across from the pier, a Tricolored Heron was kind enough to pose in the morning light.



Then, suddenly, one of our Limpkins flew in to take the perch usually occupied by the cranky Anhinga.



Later, we recaptured a White-eyed Vireo first banded a couple of years ago.



Finally, a recaptured Carolina Wren rounded our the day.



One more week of banding before the holidays so we are looking to finish the year as strongly as possible.

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Before we go, our friends a the upcoming Birdapalooza Fest requested we post a message about the event where we will be presenting a banding demo for the 5th year.

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: Sunday, December 18th.
All nets will be opened by 6:45 A.M.

Getting Chilly With It

Looks like it might be a colder year this year. We got started today with the temperature in the low 40s. Last year we had to wear a jacket maybe one day all season. Oh, well. Perhaps it will bring us some interesting birds.

Today was Gray Catbird day. They were the most captured species throughout the morning.



House Wrens were calling in various locations but we only netted a single bird that was first banded two years ago.



Just when it occurred to us that we had yet to hear a single Eastern Phoebe, one found a net down the lanes.



We caught a couple of Hermit Thrushes. Both were juveniles and very fluffy against the cold.



Time for a trip out to the lake. Skies were super clear and Moon was nice and crisp.



Myrtle Warblers (Yellow-rumped Warbler) are increasing in numbers and are now found mainly coming through the marsh and out over the lake.



At the mouth of the river a Pied-billed Grebe fed in the shallow water in front of the fishing pier.



A Tricolored Heron joined the grebe after sneaking through the grasses.



Cattails are shedding and they are getting plenty of help from the increasing winds.



As stated, Myrtle Warbler numbers are increasing and we finally got our first one of the season.



Once we banded the Myrtle Warbler Richard called for a group photo.



On our final net check we got a handsome Swamp Sparrow to round out the day.



It should be a little warmer next weekend. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, November 27th.
All nets will be opened by 6:30 A.M.

Session 7 Ends

It was a fairly quiet end to Session 7 today. We call our full banding time Sessions which begin on the first Sunday in August (when the earliest of migrants return to Central Florida) through May. We then take June and July off to let the local nesting families raise their young while we avoid the worst of the heat. We will post a couple of more times before the start of Session 8 when we stop by to do some maintenance in July.

Not a lot of birds out and about today but we had a few nice encounters. For example, the Barred Owl chicks were heard well before sunrise just across from Net 15, close to the banding table. Usually, they have been in the middle of the net lanes before heading into the forest by dawn.

Just after we got the rest of the nets set Susan reported that the owls were right at the banding table giving their raspy calls. Luckily, the flash was working this morning.



The young Barred Owls have always been gone from our area before daylight and this marks the first photos we have of this year's brood.



Mama arrived with a meal shortly and the babies followed her to the opposite side of the river before the first rays of the Sun emerged.



Our first capture of the day was a Carolina Wren we first banded as a juvenile two years ago. It now has a brood patch telling us it is nesting nearby.

Unfortunately, Andrew's old point and shoot is out of commission so we had to rely on camera phones at the table. Either we are not very skilled with these new gadgets or they are just not up to the task of our photographic needs. Perhaps by next August we will have it all figured out.



Next up, Charles brought in a male Red-headed Woodpecker was caught near the table in almost the same spot we caught it at the end of last year's Session. That day we caught and banded the male and female pair at the same time.



As Andrew headed down to the lake, Becki and Corey were returning with a recaptured Northern Parula.



Not much bird activity out by the lake. We could hear Limpkins from time to time while the Red-winged Blackbirds defended territory and the resident Tricolored Heron did fly in for a visit.



The only thing really flying about were the various Dragonflies who periodically stop for a rest.



The number of species is really growing week by week.



For most of the morning we had been stepping over a patch of purple flowers down by Net 21. Finally, curiosity got the better of Christine and Ranger Frank identified the plant as Baldwin's Eryngo (Eryngium baldwinii).



A lingering 1st Spring male American Redstart was found behind Net 9. One of the last migrants to vacate the scene.



Overhead, three raptors circled high in the morning sky. We could easily tell the largest was a Bald Eagle.



The other pair were harder for us to make out easily but once on the computer screen we could tell that they were Red-tailed Hawks.



At first it seemed they were just hanging out together but soon the hawks would approach the Bald Eagle and there would be a near clash of talons. The eagle soon retreated to the other side of the park.



Becki and Corey also got a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird out of the same net we captured a female a couple of weeks ago. Probably a mating pair with a nest quite close by.



Session 7 is now in the books. Time to crunch the numbers and see the totals. It sure seemed like a slower catch rate than the last few years but the figures will have to bare that out. Our numbers would be much lower if not for that 82 total at the Orlando Wetlands Festival.

Until Session 8, take care and thanks for reading!!
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, August 2nd.
All nets will be opened by 6:15 A.M.