Another very slow day - only 7 new birds and 2 recaptures of 6 different species. I am looking forward to Sunday as there is a cold front that is supposed to move through overnight. If that holds true, Monday and Tuesday should be productive banding days!
We did band a new species for the fall - a Baltimore Oriole! We don't band many orioles so it was nice to get this one. At first we sexed this bird as a male based on the white edged median coverts however after looking at the pictures and consulting other sources, I think it may be a female. It just doesn't seem "orange enough" for a male. Additionally, the wing chord was 89.5 mm and as a general rule, females will have a wing chord < 91mm and males > 91mm.
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| Baltimore Oriole (hatch-year, female?) |
Lovebugs were everywhere today - in the nets, on the banding table, on my shirt. I wonder why they call them lovebugs . . .? These guys usually emerge for a short time during the spring and fall to breed usually after rainy periods. They are oftentimes seen coupled to each with the larger female leading the smaller male around. The rest of the year the larval form is feeding on organic material in the soil.
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| Lovebugs on my Thermos |
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