A New Slew of Myrtle Warblers

The day began well enough as we headed toward dawn. First bird up was a special case. A Hermit Thrush was in Net 9 and as Andrew tried to get it out it bolted once the net was opened a bit for extraction. Lost bird, we figured. By the time Andrew returned in the other direction after checking the other nets, the same bird was back in the net at the exact spot it escaped from! Creature of habit. We first banded this bird last Fall.



Shortly thereafter, we picked up a new Gray Catbird.



Red-shouldered Hawks were patrolling early but seemed more intent on nest building than hunting for food. They are rebuilding the nest they have high in a Cypress tree across the river where they fledged two young last year.



Once the sun broke through the morning clouds a few Mallards cruised up the river. They usually stay down by the lake so it was a bit of a surprise.



We then caught a female Northern Cardinal and Danny got a shot of our typical process of providing a twig instead of fingers for it to bite onto.



Our pretty girl looked more like a rooster before being released.



During the morning the Yellow-rumped Warblers (Myrtle sub-species) began flooding out of the marsh and we began collecting them quickly. Our first rush netted us 6 of them and a Common Yellowthroat we banded last year. The table became a buzz of activity.



Any doubt that this is a Yellow-rumped Warbler?



Becki's Dad was along for the day and she handed off one of the birds for him to release.



Another Yellow-rumped Warbler banded and safely sent back into the wild.



The male Yellow-rumped Warblers are quickly molting into new plumage and looking great.



Next Saturday we will be at the Orlando Wetlands Festival and will not band the following Sunday at Lake Lotus. Our next post will show off how the day went during one of our longest running off-site banding demonstrations. One of our favorite days of February. Hopefully the weather will cooperate as rains are not forecast after this next cold front hits us mid-week.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, February 23th.
All nets will be opened by 6:30 A.M.

Foggy

Yet another Sunday after a Saturday rain event. Seems to be the norm this Session and might be again next week. Wet feet and no idea what we might find once we arrive on early Sunday mornings. Today, the operative word was Fog. Even late into the morning we had plenty to go around, especially out at the lakeside.



Oddly, even though we ended up with a fairly good amount of birds, we didn't take a lot of photos at the table. We did capture a couple of previously banded Carolina Wrens and even a new one that was rather more tawny than our usual local birds. Maybe a new male trying to establish a territory? It was very impressive in coloration and posed quite proudly.



One of the more spectacular sights as we walk the trails in this weather is the way the spider webs stand out in the misty conditions. They become so easy to see and are very detailed.



As you get closer to the lake, heading toward Net 21, the marsh area looked more like a northern woodland than some Central Florida river bank.



We captured several Ruby-crowned Kinglets today, including this younger male with only a scant amount of ruby feathers in its crown.



Earth Smoke (Fumaria officinalis) is in full bloom in its usual spots this year but is also being seen spreading all the way up to the main roads. In some spots it is now a couple of feet high.



This plant is widespread though out Florida and has been used medicinally by some but is also possibly poisonous. It is lovely to look at, however.



As we made the rounds and made bird captures we also took in some other wildlife as it appeared. Most of our attention was drawn toward the end of the lanes and out by the lake where our resident Marsh Rabbit is pretty easily found foraging beneath the Willows.



Wood Ducks were drifting by along the edge of the lake as Tree Swallows skimmed the water's surface over and over in large numbers.



We recaptured a White-eyed Vireo we first banded in October and then captured a new Gray Catbird to add to our tally.



Though pretty quite of late, Eastern Phoebes are still patrolling the marshes but they have not been in the vicinity of the nets for the past month or so.



Swamp Sparrows are also in good numbers down by the lake and in the marsh but have not ventured any closer.



Then, Lynn found a new bird for our species list. A Least Bittern was hiding along the edge of the lake in the reeds. It was watchful and made for a difficult subject. But it knew she was there.



When they could, others headed down to the spot to try their luck for a sighting. Danny got this shot from his cell phone as others jockied for position while trying not to get stuck in the muck.



Andrew battled swaying cattails and zoomed in for his shot. This secretive bird is probably around more than we know but is a first sighting for the banding crew in this area.



We also captured four Myrtle (Yellow-rumped) Warblers this morning ranging in different ages and sexes. The males are beginning their transformation into Spring plumage which is very different from the more dull version we in Florida get through the Winter.



Exploring the area and making new discoveries is alway a treat but we would love a few weeks of dry conditions found during the week. Makes for nice photo opportunities, though.



Yet another front is set to swing through the state by the end of the week and may even hamper our Sunday banding. Time will tell, as always.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, February 9th.
All nets will be opened by 6:40 A.M.

Birds Finally Come Down

A few sprinkled greeted us as we arrived to set nets but the forecast was for things to clear by mid-morning. However, we had overcast skies for the entire banding period. The morning began with an early House Wren.



Next, we recaptured a female Northern Cardinal. Our newest volunteer, Danny, showed no fear in wanting to hold the Cardinal and was promptly initiated with nice strong grosbeak bites. Welcome to the club, Danny!



Most of the Maple leaves now cover the ground beneath them as they push out their first buds and seeds. Large flocks of birds were feeding in the tree tops but the Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warblers are beginning to feed along the water. This lead to our first Myrtle Warbler capture of the season.



A recaptured Gray Catbird was brought to the table. This bird was first banded almost a year-and-a-half ago during the Fall migration.



As we walked the net lanes at one point there came a strong whooshing sound, nearly like fast approaching rain. Instead, the sound was from the wingbeats made by flocks of low flying Double-crested Cormorants. Around 100 of them all headed to the lake.



The morning was slow but the variety was nice. Eventually we captured a bird and offered it to Danny for a try at banding.



It was an Eastern Palm Warbler. Westerns are far more common here so it is always nice to see a brighter yellow version.



Down in the river along the boardwalk, a Limpkin was cruising for breakfast.



Didn't take long to pry some shellfish from the sand as the bird ignored us as we enjoyed the view.



Back near Net 7, Andrew found a Yellow-shafted Flicker feather on the ground. We have never captured one of them but when we hear them it is usually in this area.



Then things began to pick up as we considered closing up. We were bringing birds back one at a time earlier but suddenly we had four all at once.



We always hurry to get the Ruby-crowned Kinglets banded and released first as they can suffer from stress more easily.



The others were all Myrtle Warblers, including transitioning males, and we got a good shot of the 'yellow rump'.



This even older male clearly reveals its yellow crown which is usually difficult to see in wintering Yellow-rumped Warblers.



More birds were being captured quickly including an adult White-eyed Vireo.



We had more Myrtles and Kinglets and ended the morning with a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. They are even more difficult to capture as they see the nets better and usually can get themselves free even when they do land in the nets.



If folks didn't have to leave we could have captured many more birds as the sunshine finally arrived. Maybe next time we can have a bit more warmth and increase our capture rate earlier in the day.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, February 2nd.
All nets will be opened by 6:45 A.M.

Slow But Exciting

Once again, rains moved through the night before and left us with some soggy sneakers. Fortunately, the weather cleared overnight and we only had to deal with a bit of a chill through the morning.



We captured a new Gray Catbird first off but things were really pretty slow. Richard repaired a nest box that was compromised last year. Now, we have it set up with added flashing around the tree trunk in hopes that predators will be kept at bay. Susan, Richard, and Andrew pose after the handy-work. Perhaps the Wood Ducks will use it again.



Richard and Susan began to check the other boxes. Down below the banding table, box 3 only held a single Flying Squirrel.



As Susan and Richard continued to move on to other boxes, Andrew headed up the lanes to check the nets. He noticed a single Mourning Dove feather floating down from above. There was no sign of the bird so he moved along and noticed a bunch of feather around Net 15. A dove had been in the net at least briefly. Then they all began to notice more and more feathers along the net lane.



Andrew continued to scan for signs of a predator with prey in the trees. Suddenly, Susan was shouting up ahead, followed by Richard calling out for assistance. Up in Net 1, Susan was holding the net closed to contain a Cooper's Hawk. And the Mourning Dove. Andrew came in to extract the hawk.



Richard continued down the lanes to get the other volunteers over to witness the catch. Picture time!



Lynn got a great close-up of the hawk before we headed back to the table to take information and band it.



Andrew took his own close-up before processing the data on this bird.



To verify the proper band size needed, we use measuring tools that confirm that the right band size is applied. All the while avoiding those formidable talons!



We placed a holding bag over the Cooper's Hawk upper body to keep it calm and to avoid any chance of a bite. While Becki held the hawk in place, Andrew secured the lock-on band.



We decided to bring the now deceased Mourning Dove along with us in hopes that if we placed in near the net lanes the hawk would find it later after release. Nothing else we could do for this bird now.



Once banded, the Cooper's Hawk was set free and flew over the river and then back into the woods, no worse for wear.



Whew! That was a rush for all of us. Cooper's Hawks are not rare in the area and we nearly caught one last year, but Red-shouldered Hawks are more common.

Time to check nets again and Christine noted the recently deposited Bobcat scat near Net 22. The cat is here, but not often seen, and always uses this spot as its bathroom.



Nearby, several Eastern Phoebes were haunting the Cypress trees. They were hunting but not calling much. There were three of them in this small area but not coming close enough to the nets.



Another bird that keeps taunting us are the American Goldfinches. They are close to Net 21. So close...



Out along the mouth of the river, Becki scans the flocks of Red-winged Blackbirds cruising from the marsh to over the pier.



Forster's Terns were soaring over Lake Lotus and a pair of male Anhinga were vying for positions in the trees and chasing one another into the sky.



The resident Osprey was hunting overhead and posed in the wind before plunging into the lake in search of food.



Back in the willows, a few Palm Warblers were moving through and they were joined by a lone Orange-crowned Warbler. Only a Western Palm Warbler from this flock was captured today.



Back by the table we recaptured a Hermit Thrush while Ranger Frank stopped by for a visit.



In a quick rush, we caught three Ruby-crowned Kinglets. The Sun was warming the area and birds were finally coming out to feed.



An odd discovery. While we were busy with the day, some bird seemed to have dropped its breakfast. A Gizzard Shad was resting on a sand spit in the river. Puncture wounds confirm it was held by some bird at some point but no one saw this event happen.



That concluded our day and the air was finally getting warmer. One last view of Net 1 with a Mourning Dove feather still clinging to it reminded us of our earlier capture.



You never know what might show up in the nets. Today's Cooper's Hawk was a nice surprise and all of the other captures and observations made for a full morning. Some of us will head to the Gulf to round up sparrows for a friend's project and if the weather is not too cold we will be back at Lake Lotus next Sunday.

NOTE: Wind chills are forecast to be near freezing on the 19th. We are staying home for our comfort and the safety of the birds.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, January 26th.
All nets will be opened by 6:50 A.M.