"Unofficial" First Day of Banding

The rain let up and I was able to get a full 6 hours of banding in this morning.  I only opened 9 of the 20 nets just in case I had to close them down quickly for a passing rain shower.  It was a good first day with 27 birds banded and 4 recaptures of 11 different species.  The first birds of the fall were a pair of Prairie Warblers, followed by a couple of Painted Buntings, and two Great Crested Flycatchers.  The bird(s) of the day were two Eastern Kingbirds that were captured on the very last net round of the morning.  Eastern Kingbirds were all over the banding station this morning carrying on and chasing each other from tree top to tree top.  I was surprised it took as long as it did to catch one in the nets.  We usually don't catch Eastern Kingbirds.  Before today we had only banded one in the five years KIBS has been in operation.

Painted Bunting (hatch-year, sex unknown)

This time of year we can fairly easily recognize hatch-year Painted Buntings by the buffy tips on the brownish colored greater coverts.  Adults Painted Buntings will have green greater coverts.   

Common Ground-Dove (after hatch-year, male)

 I am always amazed by the striking purplish-pink eye color of Common Ground-Doves. 

Eastern Kingbird (after hatch-year, sex unknown)

A field mark not usually seen in the field in Eastern Kingbirds is the hidden bright orange patch of feathers on the top of the head.

- Aaron

NEW BIRDS
1 Downy Woodpecker
2 Great Crested Flycatcher
2 Eastern Kingbird
1 Red-eyed Vireo
1 Carolina Wren
1 Northern Mockingbird
5 Prairie Warbler
1 American Redstart
5 Northern Cardinal
8 Painted Bunting

RECAPTURES
1 Common Ground-Dove
2 Northern Cardinal
1 Painted Bunting

BANDING STATS
# of Birds Banded:  27
# of Recaptures:  4
# of Species:  11
Effort:  54.0 net-hours
Capture Rate:  57.4 birds/100 net-hours
# of Nets:  9