Mainly Babies

That time of year again. Finally.

Last year we were catching a lot of Carolina Wren chicks. Not yet this year but the Cardinals seem to be doing well. First bird of the day was a young male banded by Maria.



Speaking of Carolina Wrens, we did catch an older bird which appears to be a new adult but was probably born here last year. Guess we missed one.



Many other birds are caring for their young. Like this pair of Downy Woodpeckers.



Of course, we still have to keep an eye out for the Barred Owls. The young were calling before dawn and then we started to see the hunting adults later on.



This bird flew down to a spot on the river for a closer look at something along the banks and eventually grabbed its prey and flew off.



On 'our' side of the river just opposite the owl was a run of flowers we have determined to be cut-leaf Evening Primrose. They ranged from a mixed orange...



...to a pure yellow. Pretty!



For a total tangent, Maria discovered a small toad.



The Cicadas were telling us it was about time to head home and as we were folding nets we heard a loud ruckus near Net 11. Just across the river, woodpeckers, Jays, Titmice and a Red-shouldered Hawk looked toward the commotion occurring near the Elderberry.



The reason for all the attention was the fact that we captured two birds at the same time. A Cardinal and our first Red-bellied Woodpecker for this site. In fact, the reason this net was placed where it is is due to the Elderberry plants and knowing that Red-bellied woodpeckers eat the fruits of this plant. Only took them a year to start with this bunch!



Back at the banding table, we got to the Cardinal first. It seems our new little boy has a bit of a problem with his bill. Hopefully we can monitor it as he ages.



Still, he is a handsome addition to the neighborhood.



On to our newest species. Andrew adds the band to our first Red-bellied Woodpecker.



Then the bird gives us the raspberry! Such a pointed tongue it useful for prying out grubs and other insects from tree trunks.



The feathers are always a joy to behold when seen spread out. So often they are seen just edging around trees.



The day was ended. Whew! Interesting. New birds and a lot of invasives removed along the way. During the day and on the way out we noticed the the cold Winter may have help some of the local plants. For instance, the Muscadine Grapes bloomed like mad this Spring and the fruits are really filling out right now. Good food for the upcoming migration.



The last find of the day was a grouping of these small purple flowers. Fairly sure they are Blue Twinflower. There are a few in one spot near the fence. A lot of interesting plants right there.



Back into the heat next weekend! Maybe some new Wrens are ready to head out...
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Next Banding Day: Sunday, June 13th.

All nets will be opened around 6:00 A.M.

Who Needs Birds?

A very quiet day. Only two birds today, both recaptured Carolina Wrens. One was an older adult and one was one of the younger birds we banded last year about this time.

In other news...seems the bears are still around. There was a report of two bears roaming a nearby neighborhood and two of the net poles were bent to the ground and had to be replaced.



How else can we be sure? Poop.



On the insect front, many species were discovered. Starting with a blue damselfly.



Then a Blue Dasher dragonfly.



Lurking in the fennel was a new find here. A young Lubber Grasshopper. It will grow to about 3 inches in length when it reaches adulthood.



Fritillary numbers are on the rise and searching for more Passion Vine to lay their eggs upon.



Another good find was this Buckeye butterfly visiting the grassy edges.



Discovered at dawn, several white moths appeared to be mating near Net 8. We believe them to be Agreeable Tiger Moths. Thanks, Mary!



We found these eggs on some plants. Friend Mary also says they are eggs from a parasitic wasp. Probably an Ichneumonoidea species.



One of the more spectacular spiders found in our area is the Argiope or "black and yellow garden spider". Beautiful and almost always stationary, they weave a complex web with distinctive bright centers and lie in wait for prey. Apparently it worked here.



We often get a chance to chat with the rangers from across the river and sometimes they come over to check on our progress. Maria got them to smile for a shot as she spoke to Frank and Gary on their morning rounds.



Flower news, now. Mist Flowers are blooming again along the riverside. A nice change of color among the green radishes and grasses.



Nearby, the Button Bush is also in full bloom. Growing to over 6 feet in height, this plant shows off brilliantly this time of year. Maria thinks it resembles the ball that drops in Time Square on New Years.



The stranger in the mix is the begonia that we find from time to time. Probably washed down the river in the past, they take root and try to flourish once they land on the banks. We have found many over the years.



Can't band next weekend but we will be back for a couple more weeks before the Summer break. Should be time to start capturing new baby birds leaving the nest. Last year we caught 8 young wrens at one time and hope we can begin to trace the new brood when we return.

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Next Banding Day: Sunday, June 6th.

All nets will be opened around 6:00 A.M.

Interesting Catches

You can tell it is going to be an interesting day when the first thing you catch is a Flying Squirrel!

That is what Maria found when she opened Net number 3 this morning. A squirrel jumped into the net as she was opening it up. It was confused for a bit and them tumbled from panel to panel and then eventually made it back to the ground and headed back to the nest box in the tree where it was probably sleeping in the first place.

Better than caffeine! Andrew got such a jolt last year in the dark as another one jumped into a net before dawn.

Bird chatter was extra loud as it was last week long before dawn but subsided not long after the Sun rose. We still recaptured a Carolina Wren and caught a very young Brown Trasher probably just out of the nest. We were studying it so much that we neglected to get photo but it was the youngest on record for us.

As Andrew returned the Thrasher to the possible nesting area, he noticed a large parcel in the net nearby. A Barred Owl!



Fortunately, we keep a pair of thick gloves at the banding table and Andrew volunteered to give the extraction a try. The results were happy.



Once back at the table, Richard applied the band. We believe this is the eldest of the two chicks hatched this year.



We returned to the area where the owls hang out and released it toward the nest tree. The owl flew into the tree overhanging the river and shook off the incident.



That done, we got back to busy work around the area removing Camphor trees and exploring the flora and fauna. The Painted Leaf plants are really taking off!



The Leather Flowers are finally coming into bloom along the trails and by the outer fencing.



Nearby, the Sensitive Briar plants are spreading out and showing their brilliant, delicate pink flowers.



Visiting the flowers are some butterflies, of course. Mainly smaller versions like this Common/White Checkered Skipper.



Adding more color were many Dainty Sulphurs.



Not year ready to change into an adult, this odd (maybe not well) looking caterpillar was looking for food in the bushes.



On another plant, something seems to be getting ready, itself. Probably a Bagworm Moth (Thanks, as always, Randy and Mary for insect help!) .



Resting on a stem was some sort of Scarab Beetle that caught our attention.



Here is a closer view which really shows the reddish-brown and gold markings.



Our final bug was actually rescued from a net and sat on our hands for a while for some shots. We ID it as an Indiana River Cruiser. New to us.



Those eyes were hypnotic!



But wait! We are here for birds and we did get yet another interesting one as the day was winding down. An American Redstart. We usually see many during the season but this one is a little late. Plus, it had a new plumage variation for us. It might appear to be a female. However, note the black feathers around the face and scattered elsewhere.



It is actually a First-Spring male. Later, it will acquire the familiar black and orange when it becomes an adult.



Finally, we got one last unexpected bird as we gathered the nets. Mourning Doves hang around but rarely get captured. They seem to have a good sense of the nets and will fly around them even when flushed when they are right next to them.

What makes this one interesting is that it is a young bird.



You call tell this by examining the feathers which are edged with light tan instead of the smooth blends of adults.

Whew! Many events unfolded that we never would have guessed as we rolled out in the pre-dawn hours. Maybe next week will bring more surprises. Here's hoping.

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Next Banding Day: Sunday, May 23th.

All nets will be opened around 6:00 A.M.

Loud but Quiet

Birds were up extra early today, well before sunrise. We thought it was going to be a rather active day of banding based on that alone. Four Chuck Will's Widows were heard, the most ever at one time around Lake Lotus for us.

However, the banding was a near bust with only 2 birds captured throughout the morning. Our first bird was a new female Northern Cardinal. Still enjoy seeing the extra bright colors on the Cardinals here.



Our other bird was a recaptured Brown Thrasher. We actually banded this bird across the river during the recent Earth Day event.



Other birds were seen most of the morning but most were way up in the tree canopy. Except for this busy Red-bellied Woodpecker making a hole in a dead tree.



So, with a little time on our hands it was off to wander and discover new things in the area. Near the river was a large patch of fungus which was rather pretty.



Chomping away on a leaf was a Giant Leopard Moth (Hypercompe scribonia) caterpillar.



Another insect we found was this pretty little Stink Bug nymph.



Hanging out on a tree was a Lady Beetle crawling over some sort of growth on the leaves.



These growths (galls) caught our attention as they are all over certain trees. Then it was noticed that they are only on this particular kind of tree.



Now we wanted to find out more so I contacted Tom MacCubbin. Turns out that the trees are Red Bay. The galls are Red Bay psyllid galls. Tom explains in better detail, "They are very common and cause no more harm than what you see. The insect is the psyllid and there is only one generation a year but the damage to the leaves remains forever. We do not try to control this insect."



Thanks for the info, Tom!

Hanging on a vine on the edge of the woods was a cocoon. Not sure which critter it belongs to yet as it decided to emerge already. We are leaning toward the Polyphemus Moth.



Andrew finally decided that the Camphor trees had to go. The Camphor is an invasive and this year they are really growing fast. We will continue to hack away at them when we have a few minutes.



Hope to have more birds next week. Maybe the parents will let their kids out to play for a little while.

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Next Banding Day: Sunday, May 16th.

We will open around 6:05 A.M.