Last Migrant?

Hoping for any remaining migrants, we set-up pre-dawn as usual. The dawn chorus was strong but not much was flying. Just after official sunrise we had our first bird. Odd thing was that you could smell it from a distance.

It was a red morph Eastern Screech Owl. Boy, did he stink. Maybe it had a rotten rat for breakfast. Maria wanted to call it Popeye. Eastern Screech Owls do this often for some reason. Andrew insisted on calling it Stinky.



Once the data was gathered we were ready to release Stinky. It didn't want to go. This is another thing Screech Owls do. They just kind of hang out until they are ready to head back to the woods.



We had other birds to process so we put Stinky over on our other table and gave him a clear view of the woods. Still he sat.



As we were taking info on a recaptured Northern Cardinal, Stinky suddenly took flight toward the river. Seems like approaching volunteers was enough to send it on its way. It landed overhead and Becki got a shot before it flew deeper into the trees. Bye, Stinky!



A pair of Northern Cardinal were caught in adjoining nets. A female and a male that showed clear brood patches. A nest must be nearby.



Becky and Killian rounded out the crew for the day. It would end up being pretty quiet after they arrived.



The Barred Owl was very active this morning. Baby was heard calling before dawn and the parents were hunting and flying back and forth across the river. Baby is not looking too baby-like any more. Just a little fuzz left on the head.



Mama Barred Owl finally settled on branch above Net 1. Since they were so active we decided to close the middle section of the net lanes to keep any birds that might fly in from becoming a snack.



Later on the owls were fed and ready for a rest. Time for some preening.



We had plenty of time to explore today. Unfortunately. Over in the neighbors pond, a baby American Alligator cruised.



Speaking of cruising, Becki added to our insect checklist by finding a Royal River Cruiser.



Queen and Viceroy butterflies took flight mid-morning. Zebra Longings are also along the river.



Above the river, a Great Egret settled atop a Cypress tree.



Deeper in the branches a Pileated Woodpecker called and foraged.



More things with wings emerged including a lot of Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)



Tussock Moth Caterpillar roamed along the oak leaves.



If not for gravity, we may have never seen this snail. While we were at the banding table the snail slimed its way up a palm frond. By the time it got high enough it tilted into view as if on a see-saw.



Finally, this Gray Catbird may be our final migrant of Session 8. Hopefully not but they are quickly leaving the state.



Four weeks to go in the season. Might just start catching fledglings before we pack up for the Summer.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, May 8th.
All nets will be opened by 6:10 A.M.

Getting Back on the Horse

Andrew here. Sorry for the lack of postings. My father passed away unexpectedly Friday, April 22nd. Had to cancel our demo at the Lake Lotus Earth Day and I have been just a little busy.

Observances and memorials are for Friday and Saturday but I plan on getting out for next Sunday. I will need some fresh air and we just might get some late migrants.

Only one month left in our banding season.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, May 1st.
All nets will be opened by 6:15 A.M.

Cool Morning, Nice Mix

A late cold front pushed through Friday night leaving us with morning temperatures in the upper 50's to begin our day. Only a few more weeks to get some migrants and it was a very pleasant surprise to find a Prothonotary Warbler in a net just after sunrise.



We caught a pair of Northern Cardinals in the same net. Nesting is in full swing!



Also just off the nest is a foraging Carolina Wren.



This is probably the last of the House Wrens for the season. They come down in the Fall and stay all through the Winter. Last week they were singing.



Not much out on the lake today. Didn't even hear a Common Gallinule. Must be busy. Something did make a quick appearance out near the Window on the Lake. An American Bittern. Seconds after this shot it simply vanished back into the vegetation.



For some reason it has been pretty quiet around Net 21 since we moved it into the Willow and Maples. Just not much feeding down there. However, today we had two birds caught at the same time. First was a male Common Yellowthroat.



The best surprise was the bird right next to it. An Indigo Bunting! Seems like we manage to catch one around Earth Day which is next Friday.



Nick got to hold and release the Indigo Bunting for its remaining journey to the North.



Great-crested Flycatchers have been back for weeks but they are staying high in the trees so far.



Our final bird of the day was another species we see around Earth Day. A Black-throated Blue Warbler. We will have to wait for next Fall to see anymore of them.



A rather interesting day until the wind picked up again.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, April 24th.
All nets will be opened by 6:30 A.M.

1A Kind of Day

It was a fairly productive day but mostly with Gray Catbirds and Northern Cardinals. Both take a band size of 1A. Still too windy in our opinion.

Our first bird of the morning was an Ovenbird.



Then, we caught a blurry male Northern Cardinal.



Followed by a female Northern Cardinal.



Our next 1A bird was a Gray Catbird.



As the weather warms up the spiders come out. It is hard to miss the large webs of the Golden Silk Spider.



We then brought in an adult male Common Yellowthroat.



Our final capture of the day was an adult Carolina Wren. We should start capturing the new round of juveniles next month.



On the way out, we spied our newest baby Barred Owl tucked in the tree top.



Seems like the majority of migrants where on the West coast this week. Hopefully we can get more of them next Sunday.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, April 17th.
All nets will be opened by 6:30 A.M.

Of Migrants and Raptors

(Getting caught up on blog posts that were not possible due to a crashed computer. Forgive us if the photos are out of actual order. Memory is a tricky thing! The species documentation is still correct. -Andrew)

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Migration is picking up in both directions on this typical Spring morning. Some birds will be heading North soon like our first bird of the day, a House Wren



Our locals like this Carolina Wren are settling in to nest and raise the next generation by the river.



More North-bound birds soon followed like Gray Catbirds. Why they even leave Florida is beyond me. They breed as far South as Georgia.



We recaptured a familiar Gray Catbird today. Mr. White Chin! This is the third time we have captured it.



Our first surprise of the day was a beautiful adult Northern Parula. Fledglings are just now being heard in the trees.



Second surprise was not too far behind. A Louisiana Waterthrush headed home somewhere to the North and West.



Down the lanes the Thistle is beginning to bloom in earnest.



Dragonflies are coming out in larger numbers, too.



Out over the lake, the resident Osprey searches for breakfast near the fishing pier.



Since we moved Net 21, Richard decided to plant a couple of Wax Myrtles along the river before you reach the lake. Hope they hold on through the rainy season.



Down in the river, the Alligator Gar are staging at the bend to pick off unsuspecting prey.They have also been seen into the marsh after a heavy rain. This one was about 3 feet long.



Our next surprise of the day was found closer to the banding table. We caught an adult Sharp-shinned Hawk! The eyes really give it away. Adults have red eyes, juveniles are golden.



Such an exciting catch! Sharp-shinned Hawks are another Winter visitor and should be gone soon.



Even more interesting, what is this bug crawling on Andrew's arm? Pretty.



Almost as pretty as the male Northern Cardinal we captured as the morning was winding down.



Across from Net 11 we found a new moth for us. Becky did some sleuthing and discovered it was an Eight-spotted Forester, (Alypia octomaculata).



We missed whatever ate all of the last crop of holly berries but the trees are blooming once again already.



We captured one more bird as we were closing nets. An adult male Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. They have been teasing us for most of the Winter/Spring. Nice mono-brow!



An excellent mix today and Spring migration is just kicking in.
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Next (planned) Banding Day: Sunday, April 10th.
All nets will be opened by 6:30 A.M.