Wintering Species Encounters

Not shrouded in fog today but the dew point was hit early so plenty of wet feet. The oaks were dripping all morning and dew clung to everything in sight including our nets and spider webs.



As the day wore on the dew gathered in larger drops.



Catbirds were very vocal and more active to day. We captured one first thing in the morning and we saw them scooting through the brush up and down the river.



The Earth Smoke is showing bigger and brighter blooms.



Most of the birds we captured today were recaps. These birds have either returned from previous years or were recently banded and staying for the Winter like this little House Wren.



We did get one new bird today. A female Northern Cardinal. Becki got her first opportunity to band a bird here and did a fine job.



The Holly we planted along the river is filling up with berries.



Other flowers are speckling the ground cover all the way to the lake.



Andrew and Greg have been extending the path through the grass and have made it to the edge of the lake. Now that things are warming up, the gators are starting to swim all over the place. Time to watch our step.



Becki spotted a Black and White Warbler up in the tree. It was scanning the bark for something to eat.



It seemed most interested in a piece of bark before heading back to another tree.



A White-eyed Vireo joined us for some data and photo time.



Some data we get simply by taking photos. Andrew was trying to take a picture of one of the many Blue-headed Vireos but they never came into the light. Pictures were taken anyway. Once on the computer an interesting sight. This is one of our banded birds!



Back out at the lake edge, a Palm Warbler hops through the trees but the sunlight glints off of something. Another banded bird!!



The Black and White Warbler made another appearance in the shade. Still a pretty bird even out of the sunlight.



These warblers are seen climbing all over the trees, even upside down. Check out those large feet which enable their nimble climbing.



Trying to hide lower on the tree was a male Downy Woodpecker. We can see you...



No new migrant captures but we could hear many Waxwings around and the Red-winged Blackbirds are getting more active. Next Saturday, the crew heads to the Gulf coast to round up sparrows and then back here on Sunday!
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, January 20th.
All nets will be opened by 6:50 A.M.

The Great Backyard Bird Count for 2013 is February 15-18th.
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An Interesting Mix

Weather and birds were a mixed bag today. Weather-wise, it was forecast to either be a chance of rain or outright pouring in the morning but we ended up with fog for a while, no rain, and then a gorgeous morning. Bird-wise, things were very noisy and we never caught the same species twice. Our first bird of the day was an unexpected Ovenbird.



Ovenbirds are one of the earliest migrants through Florida but they are a bit more hit-or-miss in January. Charles got to release the bird which stayed on his hand for a minute before heading off into the scrub.



Next up, a Hermit Thrush we originally banded two months ago.



Greg and Becki lead the way as we check the nets in the increasing fog.



Across the river, the Wild Radish has begun to bloom.



An adult Gray Catbird added to the list for the day.



A Western Palm Warbler brightened our gray morning.



A female Myrtle Warbler made a welcome appearance. There were many down at the mouth of the river but most stayed at the tops of the willows..



Another recapture for the day was a Swamp Sparrow.



Our last bird for the morning was an Eastern Phoebe. We were just discussing how we don't hear as many all of the sudden and then this one shows up.



As we were closing up for the day, Christine discovered a Katydid hanging out in the Guinea Grass.



This very large Katydid didn't like to sit for too long so these were the best shots we could get.



Just before we closed up, the Sun came out. A Limpkin was feeding close by for most of the morning and provided excellent viewing.



Weather is to remain unseasonably warm for next week. Maybe we can catch a Waxwing. We can continue to dream.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, January 13th.
All nets will be opened by 6:50 A.M.

A Sharpie Warms Our Day

Three hearty souls braved the cold morning (39-ish degrees-Don't laugh) for the first time in weeks to see what might be flying. Our hands never warmed up until we were about to leave. The capture of a special bird did warm our hearts, though. More on the Bird-of-the-Day and the end, of course.

Our firs bird of the day was a young Gray Catbird.



It displayed an interesting tail molt.



Next up, our first of three Palm Warblers for the day.



The final Palm Warbler of the day was caught as we were closing up the nets.



Nice to have another Swamp Sparrow for the season. Yes, the gloves never came off.



Checking on the lake, we found a Pied-billed Grebe, a Limpkin, and dozens of vultures lifting up into the increasing winds.



Also down by the lake was an Orange-crowned Warbler.



Can you tell we are rushing right along? Why? Our Bird-of-the-Day.

As Greg and Andrew walked the trail they noticed a curious sight. Hanging in Net 14 was a hawk. A Sharp-shinned Hawk.



This is the first Sharpie we have captured here. We used to get a couple out at Wekiwa Springs. Which made us wonder once we noticed this bird was already banded!



It was a juvenile so it couldn't be one of those banded by us. Must have been banded this year and arrived here during migration. Probably.



The number was sent to the Bird Banding Laboratory. They say they do not have a record of this band. Yet. They will get back to us with that info when they can. For now, we get to enjoy the moment before Greg releases the bird back into the wild.



Next week should be warmer. Better be...

Happy New Year!!!
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, January 6th.
All nets will be opened by 7:00 A.M.

Foggy Start/Bright Finish

We arrived at the site revealing the 4th day in a row of heavy fog in the Central Florida area. We set nets and waiting until dawn but not many birds were moving. While waiting for the next net run, Bob and Greg relax at the banding area.



Well after sunrise and the fog is still thick as demonstrated by scanning the lake. The Window on the Lake is just becoming visible. Not even the lake residents were out in this soup.



Finally, Charles found our first bird of the morning. A young Gray Catbird.



A bit later we recaptured a White-eyed Vireo.



Quiet time leads to bird watching. Out near the lake, a few birds are feeding through the willows and cattails. One bird was a female Downy Woodpecker. Not just any Downy. It is one of our banded females. The band has been circled since it is partially hidden by the branch.



Also near the lake, we noticed a flowering plant that was usually seen only around the pier and now seems to be spreading our way. Christine did some searching and we believe it to be a Bur-Marigold species. Hard to get a shot of them here as they point toward the rising Sun.



Time wore on and it was looking like it was going to be difficult to get more birds today in these conditions. After a while, Andrew managed to talk an Orange-crowned Warbler into Net 21. The Sun was beginning to burn off the thinning overcast.



We decided to stay open for just a little longer since the light was finally streaming through. However, along with the welcoming sunlight was a quick increase in the winds. Leaves began gathering in the nets and the decision was made to close up. We headed up the trail and plucked leaves and shut nets along the way.

Greg had gone up ahead of the crew and he soon was heading back asking for bags. Seems our fortunes just changed. Greg was carrying a Blue-headed Vireo back to the table on the way to get more bags and reporting there were at least a dozen more birds out near the lake!

There were a total of 15 birds in Net 21! Most were Palm Warblers but there was that vireo and in the center of the net was a Downy Woodpecker. The same one we were watching earlier in the day.



Our guess is that the Downy flew into the net first and began making noise trying to escape. This attracted a nearby flock of feeding birds straight into the net. Every bird we caught on this round entered the net on the same side and were arranged around the woodpecker. Twelve of the flock were Eastern Palm Warblers.



Eastern Palm Warblers usually seem to hang out in drier spots but it is nice to see so much yellow up close.



The other birds were the typically more common, duller Western Palm Warblers.



We don't catch a lot of Palm Warblers we we catch even fewer Blue-headed Vireos as they tend to prefer higher branches. For that reason we will call this one our Bird-of-the-Day, even though we had fifteen.



Blue-headed Vireo are one of Greg's favorites. We heard several overhead at the banding table as we banded the flock of Palm Warblers.



This bird's eyes were so dark that it was hard to tell they were not completely black. However, Bob got a side shot that shows that actual color is hiding in there.



So, the Sun broke through in time to help us get an excellent catch before we headed home. Birds go where they wanna. Glad we waited a few more minutes today and look forward to next weekend.
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NOTE: Circumstances have led us to take a break. No banding 12/16th and cold weather has canceled our planned 23rd. Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, December 30th.
All nets will be opened by 6:45 A.M.

Really Quiet, But an Interesting Recovery

Well, that was a quiet day. We could hear birds all around during the morning but there were not many moving through the area. Just hanging out and feeding. We only captured a Hermit Thrush and a Gray Catbird.

The interesting thing is the Catbird. We first banded this bird as a young bird on February, 6th, 2011. What makes that important is that we often recapture Catbirds that stay in the area for the Winter and through the Spring but we have never recaptured a bird in a later year! We always wonder why. We have banded thousands of Catbirds but they never have returned that we know of. Until today.

With little else to do, besides checking the nets, we did some bird watching and looked for anything to photograph. The only striking view was a Balsam Apple fruit against the vegetation down near the lake.



After banding, Andrew returned to check out the Hooded Mergansers at Maitland Center. There were nine birds there as opposed to last week's five.



There are now two males and seven females.



The males are always a wonder to behold.



Weather patterns might shift by next weekend and hopefully that will get the birds moving around a bit more.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, December 9th.
All nets will be opened by 6:30 A.M.