Wednesday, November 30, 2016

The Final Day

CAPTAIN SAM'S 

Today was the last day of the 2016 fall migration banding season.  I put in a solid 6 hours before the wind got too strong.  Contrary to the weather forecast, the wind was calm for the first 3 hours but it was foggy - a really wet fog.  The air was so dense that is looked like it was raining as the moisture dripped off of the trees.

I only banded 3 new birds today but had 12 recaptures of 9 different species.  The last bird banded of the season was a hatch-year female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.  Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are probably one of the least photogenic species that we regularly handle but this one was quite content in my hand.  She only put a couple of small pin holes in my fingers before I let her go.  

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (hatch-year, female)
The last bird captured of the 2016 fall season was a recaptured hatch-year, female Ruby-crowned Kinglet.  She was banded back on November 16th and has been recaptured several times over the last two weeks.  She will most likely be spending the winter on site.  

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (hatch-year, female)
Over the next couple of days, I will be finalizing the data and will post the preliminary results of the 2016 fall season.  So, stay tuned!

-Aaron

 SpeciesCaptain Sam'sLittle Bear
NewRecapsNewRecaps
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
1
-
-
-
Carolina Chickadee
-
2
-
-
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
-
1
-
-
Gray Catbird
-
1
-
-
Brown Thrasher
-
1
-
-
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)
1
4
-
-
Swamp Sparrow
-
1
-
-
White-throated Sparrow
1
-
-
-
Northern Cardinal
-
2
-
-









 Banding StatsCaptain Sam'sLittle BearTOTAL
# Birds Banded
3
-
3
# of Recaptures
12
-
12
# of Species
9
-
9
Effort (net-hours)
151.9
-
151.9
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)
9.9
-
9.9
# of Nets
26
-
26


Banding Staff
Aaron Given (CS)

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

29 November 2016

CAPTAIN SAM'S

The morning started out with me sitting in the truck on the beach from about 6:00-7:15 am waiting for the rain showers to move through.  Because of the strong south winds I decided to not open the 4 "dune" nets, net #21, and net #30.  The rest of the nets were, surprisingly, not that affected by the wind.

Bird activity was extremely slow this morning.  In fact, for the first 2.5 hours, I did not catch a single bird in any of the 20 nets that I had opened.  Finally, around 11:00 am I netted the first of only 7 birds captured this morning. For a while, I really thought that today was going to be the first time I have ever been skunked during a day of banding.  Fortunately, the last two net round of the morning produced 2 new birds and 5 recaptures of 5 different species.

The strong winds are going to continue into tomorrow but the threat of rain has diminished so I should be able to open on time tomorrow morning.

-Aaron  

 SpeciesCaptain Sam'sLittle Bear
NewRecapsNewRecaps
Gray Catbird
-
1
-
-
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)
2
1
-
-
Eastern Towhee
-
1
-
-
Swamp Sparrow
-
1
-
-
Northern Cardinal
-
1
-
-









 Banding StatsCaptain Sam'sLittle BearTOTAL
# Birds Banded
2
-
2
# of Recaptures
5
-
5
# of Species
5
-
5
Effort (net-hours)
78.0
-
78.0
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)
9.0
-
9.0
# of Nets
20
-
20


Banding Staff
Aaron Given (CS)

Monday, November 28, 2016

28 November 2016

CAPTAIN SAM'S

It was a perfect morning for banding with light winds and overcast skies.  Unfortunately, the birds did not think so, and I only banded 9 new birds and had 8 recaptures of 8 different species.

We have talked a lot about ageing Gray Catbirds over the years and have illustrated a number of different ageing techniques such as molt limits within the wing coverts, eye color, and the color of the mouth.  Another ageing technique that has received much less study is the color of the undertail coverts.  Contrary to some of the information that exists out there, the color of the undertail coverts appears to have more gray in older birds than younger ones.  Juveniles Gray Catbirds generally have more uniformly rusty undertail coverts with very little gray while older birds have more gray on average.

Gray Catbird (4 year old adult with gray centered undertail coverts)

Gray Catbird (juvenile with mostly rusty undertail coverts)       

We also had some interesting recaptures with 7 of the 8 being from previous years.
1.  Ruby-crowned Kinglet (11/24/15)
2.  Blue-headed Vireo (11/18/15)
3.  Yellow-rumped Warbler  (11/22/15)
4.  Yellow-rumped Warbler (11/11/15)
5.  Gray Catbird (10/01/12)
6.  Northern Cardinal (10/21/13)
7.  Northern Cardinal (8/30/14)

There is only two days left in the 2016 fall banding season and the weather looks bad for both of them.  There is a chance for rain but wind is going to be the main issue.  South winds from 15-20 mph are predicted for the the morning, and Wednesday's going to be even stronger.

-Aaron

 SpeciesCaptain Sam'sLittle Bear
NewRecapsNewRecaps
Blue-headed Vireo
-
1
-
-
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
-
1
-
-
Gray Catbird
-
1
-
-
Palm Warbler (Western)
1
-
-
-
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)
5
3
-
-
Swamp Sparrow
2
-
-
-
White-throated Sparrow
1
-
-
-
Northern Cardinal
-
2
-
-









 Banding StatsCaptain Sam'sLittle BearTOTAL
# Birds Banded
9
-
9
# of Recaptures
8
-
8
# of Species
8
-
8
Effort (net-hours)
138.6
-
138.6
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)
12.3
-
12.3
# of Nets
26
-
26


Banding Staff
Aaron Given (CS)

Sunday, November 27, 2016

FOS Pine Warbler

CAPTAIN SAM'S

We did a little better today with 20 new birds and 6 recaptures of 10 different species.  The first net run of the morning provided most of the excitement for the day when 15 of our total 26 birds were captured (and 10 of those were in net #2).

We banded our 5th Cooper's Hawk of the season...another large female. I don't know if we have just been luckier this year to get to the net at the right time or if there are more Cooper's Hawks around this fall, but before this year we have only banded two others (1 in 2015 and 1 in 2014).

One of the 10 birds in net #2 during the first net round just happened to be a new species for the season - a Pine Warbler.  Pine Warblers are a fairly common bird on the main part of Kiawah but we rarely see or hear them at the banding station.  In fact, this is only the 6th Pine Warbler that we have banded since 2009.

A big thanks goes out to Chris Snook for helping me out the few days!

-Aaron

Pine Warbler (hatch-year. male)
   

SpeciesCaptain Sam'sLittle Bear
NewRecapsNewRecaps
Cooper's Hawk
1
-
-
-
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
1
1
-
-
Hermit Thrush
1
-
-
-
American Robin
1
-
-
-
Gray Catbird
-
2
-
-
Pine Warbler
1
-
-
-
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)
12
3
-
-
Song Sparrow
1
-
-
-
Swamp Sparrow
1
-
-
-
White-throated Sparrow
1
-
-
-









 Banding StatsCaptain Sam'sLittle BearTOTAL
# Birds Banded
20
-
20
# of Recaptures
6
-
6
# of Species
10
-
10
Effort (net-hours)
140.4
-
140.4
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)
18.5
-
18.5
# of Nets
26
-
26


Banding Staff
Aaron Given (CS)
Chris Snook (CS)

Saturday, November 26, 2016

26 November 2016

CAPTAIN SAM'S

A cold front moved through this morning bringing with it much windier conditions.  There appeared to be some very brief bird movement on the radar last night right after sunset.  Most of the activity was in the Piedmont region of South Carolina and the Coastal Plain of North Carolina  I'm not sure if it was the wind or if we had birds leave the area last night but it was very quiet around the banding station.  The ever present Yellow-rump "chips" that seem to resonate throughout the station this time of year were nearly silent and that was evident based on the number of birds we captured today.  We only banded 7 new birds and had 6 recaptures of 5 different species.  For the past week or two recaptures outnumbered new birds but not today.  It will be interesting to see over the next day or two when the wind dies down to see if we fall back into our normal late November pattern.

-Aaron       

SpeciesCaptain Sam'sLittle Bear
NewRecapsNewRecaps
Downy Woodpecker
-
1
-
-
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
1
-
-
-
American Robin
1
-
-
-
Gray Catbird
-
2
-
-
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)
5
3
-
-









 Banding StatsCaptain Sam'sLittle BearTOTAL
# Birds Banded
7
-
7
# of Recaptures
6
-
6
# of Species
5
-
5
Effort (net-hours)
113.6
-
113.6
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)
11.4
-
11.4
# of Nets
26
-
26


Banding Staff
Aaron Given (CS)
Chris Snook (CS)

Friday, November 25, 2016

25 November 2016

CAPTAIN SAM'S 

We banded 9 new birds and had 11 recaptures of 9 different species.  We banded two more Orange-crowned Warblers this morning bringing our total to 18 for the season (plus a couple of returns from previous seasons).  You might think that the following photos are of different individuals but, they are, in fact, of the same bird.  One photo taken in the shade and one taken in the sun.  This is a good illustration of how lighting conditions can affect the appearance of a bird.

-Aaron  



Orange-crowned Warbler (after hatch-year, male)
Photo taken in the shade

Orange-crowned Warbler (after hatch-year, male)
Photo taken in the sun
 

 SpeciesCaptain Sam'sLittle Bear
NewRecapsNewRecaps
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
2
1
-
-
Hermit Thrush
-
1
-
-
Gray Catbird
-
2
-
-
Brown Thrasher
-
1
-
-
Orange-crowned Warbler
2
-
-
-
Common Yellowthroat
-
1
-
-
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)
5
3
-
-
Swamp Sparrow
-
2
-
-









 Banding StatsCaptain Sam'sLittle BearTOTAL
# Birds Banded
9
-
9
# of Recaptures
11
-
11
# of Species
9
-
9
Effort (net-hours)
130.0
-
130.0
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)
15.4
-
15.4
# of Nets
26
-
26


Banding Staff
Aaron Given (CS)
Chris Snook (CS)

Thursday, November 24, 2016

24 November 2016

CAPTAIN SAM'S

I got a few hours of banding in this morning and captured 5 new birds and 12 recaptures of 8 different species.  I recaptured the Prairie Warbler that I banded on Tuesday.  When I caught him on Tuesday, he had a trace amount of fat in his furculum and weighed 7.4 grams.  Today he did not have any fat and weighed 6.8 grams.   The fact that he has not accumulated any fat and has not put on any weight may mean that he has reached his destination and will be sticking around with us this winter.

Happy Thanksgiving!

-Aaron

 SpeciesCaptain Sam'sLittle Bear
NewRecapsNewRecaps
Downy Woodpecker
-
1
-
-
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
-
1
-
-
Hermit Thrush
-
1
-
-
Gray Catbird
-
3
-
-
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)
4
4
-
-
Prairie Warbler
-
1
-
-
Song Sparrow
1
-
-
-
Swamp Sparrow
-
1
-
-









 Banding StatsCaptain Sam'sLittle BearTOTAL
# Birds Banded
5
-
5
# of Recaptures
12
-
12
# of Species
8
-
8
Effort (net-hours)
83.2
-
83.2
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)
20.3
-
20.3
# of Nets
26
-
26


Banding Staff
Aaron Given (CS)

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

23 November 2016

CAPTAIN SAM'S

It was very slow out there today with only 9 new birds and 14 recaptures of 7 different species.  And that's pretty much all I have to say about that...

-Aaron

SpeciesCaptain Sam'sLittle Bear
NewRecapsNewRecaps
Eastern Phoebe
-
1
-
-
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
1
2
-
-
Hermit Thrush
-
1
-
-
Gray Catbird
-
5
-
-
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)
7
4
-
-
White-throated Sparrow
1
-
-
-
Northern Cardinal
-
1
-
-









 Banding StatsCaptain Sam'sLittle BearTOTAL
# Birds Banded
9
-
9
# of Recaptures
14
-
14
# of Species
7
-
7
Effort (net-hours)
130.0
-
130.0
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)
17.7
-
17.7
# of Nets
26
-
26


Banding Staff
Aaron Given (CS)
Michael Gamble (CS)
Chris Snook (CS)

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Prairie Warbler (late migrant or winter resident?)

CAPTAIN SAM'S

Things went back to normal today with 14 new birds and 22 recaptures of 10 different species.  The highlight of the day was a late (or overwintering) Prairie Warbler.  The last time we banded a Prairie was way back on 23 October.  Most Prairie Warblers spend the winter in Florida and the Caribbean but it seems an increasing number of individuals are calling South Carolina their wintering home, especially along the coast.

-Aaron  

 SpeciesCaptain Sam'sLittle Bear
NewRecapsNewRecaps
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
3
-
-
-
Hermit Thrush
-
1
-
-
Gray Catbird
-
3
-
-
Brown Thrasher
-
1
-
-
Orange-crowned Warbler 
1
1
-
-
Yellow-rumped Warbler
9
10
-
-
Prairie Warbler
1
-
-
-
Eastern Towhee
-
1
-
-
Song Sparrow
-
1
-
-
Northern Cardinal
-
4
-
-









 Banding StatsCaptain Sam'sLittle BearTOTAL
# Birds Banded
14
-
14
# of Recaptures
22
-
22
# of Species
10
-
10
Effort (net-hours)
147.3
-
147.3
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)
24.3
-
24.3
# of Nets
24
-
24


Banding Staff
Aaron Given (CS)

Monday, November 21, 2016

Not So Fast Winter...There's Still a Little Migration Left

CAPTAIN SAM'S

Just when I thought migration was over and the winter birds had settled in...we have a day like today.

We banded 28 new birds and had 24 recaptures of 14 different species.  We processed 6 species of warblers which is actually really good for the end of November.  Some of those are expected species such as the Yellow-rumped Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, and Palm Warbler.  But the other two species were a little more rare for this time of year - American Redstart and Blackpoll Warbler.  The Blackpoll is especially late as most of them come through in mid October.  American Redstarts move through starting in August and continue through October but there are usually a few stragglers into November.  

Blackpoll Warbler (Hatch Year, sex unknown)

On Wednesday's blog posting, Michael mentioned that we have a Loggerhead Shrike hanging around the banding station and that we have been unsuccessful in capturing it despite trying several different trapping techniques.  Well guess what?

Loggerhead Shrike (Hatch year, sex unknown)

We finally got him (or her)!  Over the last week or so, we tried a walk-in trap baited with a caged live mouse under its favorite perch.  We tried setting up a mist net near its perch.  We set out a caged live mouse near a mist net under its perch.  We even tried baiting a mist net with crickets underneath.  None of it worked.  And wouldn't you know it, we ended up catching this bird passively in one of our "everyday" mist nets.  

-Aaron    

 SpeciesCaptain Sam'sLittle Bear
NewRecapsNewRecaps
Loggerhead Shrike
1
-
-
-
House Wren
-
1
-
-
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
1
-
-
-
Hermit Thrush
-
2
-
-
American Robin
1
-
-
-
Gray Catbird
1
6
-
-
Orange-crowned Warbler
-
2
-
-
American Redstart
1
-
-
-
Common Yellowthroat
-
1
-
-
Blackpoll Warbler
1
-
-
-
Palm Warbler (Western)
1
-
-
-
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)
21
8
-
-
Swamp Sparrow
-
2
-
-
Northern Cardinal
-
2
-
-









 Banding StatsCaptain Sam'sLittle BearTOTAL
# Birds Banded
28
-
28
# of Recaptures
24
-
24
# of Species
14
-
14
Effort (net-hours)
161.2
-
161.2
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)
32.3
-
32.3
# of Nets
26
-
26


Banding Staff
Aaron Given (CS)
Michael Gamble (CS)
Matt Johnson (CS)

Sunday, November 20, 2016

20 November 2016

CAPTAIN SAM'S

The thermometer read 44° F at 6:00 am out on the "Spit" but the wind was not as strong as had been predicted.  Because it takes me about 45 minutes to open all 26 nets by myself, I decided to open the nets in two phases this morning.  This ensured that the birds were not sitting in the nets too long in the colder temperatures.

The highlight of the day was a Common Ground-Dove.  Common Ground-Doves have shown a sharp decline in the number of birds being captured since 2012.  There appears to be a decent population of ground-doves out a Little Bear with 10 individuals banded in each of the past two years.  It will be interesting to monitor the trends at both sites over the next several years.  

# of Common Ground-Doves Banded and Recaptured since 2012 at the Captain Sam's Banding Site:

YEAR    NEW   RECAP
2016          6           1
2015          4           4
2014         14         11
2013         21         16
2012         13         10

-Aaron

 SpeciesCaptain Sam'sLittle Bear
NewRecapsNewRecaps
Common Ground-Dove
1
-
-
-
Carolina Chickadee
-
1
-
-
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
-
3
-
-
Hermit Thrush
1
-
-
-
Gray Catbird
-
9
-
-
Orange-crowned Warbler
-
1
-
-
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)
9
6
-
-
Swamp Sparrow
1
2
-
-









 Banding StatsCaptain Sam'sLittle BearTOTAL
# Birds Banded
12
-
12
# of Recaptures
22
-
22
# of Species
8
-
8
Effort (net-hours)
159.7
-
159.7
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)
21.3
-
21.4
# of Nets
26
-
26


Banding Staff
Aaron Given (CS)

Saturday, November 19, 2016

19 November 2016

CAPTAIN SAM'S

Bird activity was down today with only 15 new birds and 18 recaptures of 11 different species.  Today's catch was mostly made up of the usual cast of characters for this time of year....Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, Gray Catbird, and Yellow-rumped Warbler.  A couple of Orange-crowned Warblers (1 new, 1 recap) provided some brief excitement.  It has been a really good year for Orange-crowned Warblers.  We have already banded 15 of them this year with at least two more returns from previous years.  During the previous 5 years, we have averaged less than 9 individuals per fall season.

Tomorrow will be a chilly one - the coldest day of the fall so far.  The wind might also pose some issues.  Depending on what the wind chill when I get out to the banding station in the morning, I may have to delay opening the nets until the temperature comes up enough to safely catch birds.

-Aaron

One of my helpers today!
  

 SpeciesCaptain Sam'sLittle Bear
NewRecapsNewRecaps
Downy Woodpecker
-
1
-
-
House Wren
1
-
-
-
Carolina Wren
-
1
-
-
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
2
1
-
-
Hermit Thrush
1
-
-
-
Gray Catbird
2
1
-
-
Orange-crowned Warbler
1
1
-
-
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)
8
10
-
-
Eastern Towhee
-
1
-
-
Swamp Sparrow
-
1
-
-
Northern Cardinal 
-
1
-
-









 Banding StatsCaptain Sam'sLittle BearTOTAL
# Birds Banded
15
-
15
# of Recaptures
18
-
18
# of Species
11
-
11
Effort (net-hours)
171.6
-
171.6
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)
19.2
-
19.2
# of Nets
26
-
26


Banding Staff
Aaron Given (CS)
Amy Given (CS)
Aidan Given (CS)
  

Friday, November 18, 2016

18 November 2016

CAPTAIN SAM'S

We started out with a bang this morning with 20 birds on the first net round.  Unfortunately, that did not last and we ended the day with 29 new birds and 12 recaptures of 7 different species.  Cedar Waxwings and American Goldfinches have been present flying around, over, and through the banding station during the past week but we have yet to catch any in the nets.  Both species tend to stay higher in the vegetation and don't come down to net level very often.  We usually catch a few goldfinches each fall but have only captured one Cedar Waxwing in 8 years of banding (and that was during the winter).


Yesterday was the last day for the remaining banding assistants (Mattie, Michael G., Blaine, Col, Ryan, and Alison).  I'd like to thank them all for there hard work during this fall season and wish them the best in their future endeavors.  

-Aaron


 SpeciesCaptain Sam'sLittle Bear
NewRecapsNewRecaps
Carolina Wren
-
1
-
-
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
3
1
-
-
Hermit Thrush
1
1
-
-
American Robin
3
-
-
-
Brown Thrasher
-
1
-
-
Yellow-rumped Warbler
22
6
-
-
Swamp Sparrow
-
2
-
-
Painted Bunting
1---




 Banding StatsCaptain Sam'sLittle BearTOTAL
# Birds Banded
30
-
30
# of Recaptures
12
-
12
# of Species
8
-
8
Effort (net-hours)
140.4
-
140.4
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)
30.0
-
30.0
# of Nets
26
-
26


Banding Staff
Aaron Given (CS)
Christy Hand (CS)

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Last day of the season at Little Bear

Captain Sam's 
It was another consistent morning at Captain Sam’s with 34 new birds and 23 recaptures, comprised of 13 species.  For the past few days, there has been a noticeable increase in male Yellow-rumped Warblers at the station.  Over the years, we have noticed a different pattern in the arrival times of male and female Yellow-rumped Warblers.  During the first half of yellow-rump season, females make up the majority of the catch with just a few males mixed in.  As we get further into the season, the number of males captured begins to increase.  We are not exactly sure what causes this pattern but it is interesting nonetheless.      

Today marked the last day for the banding crew and for the next few weeks Aaron will be flying solo at Captain Sam’s.  As always, I have enjoyed my time working at KIBS.  Each and every season, has been interesting and unique in its own way.  I was able to end this season with a species that is always a joy in the hand, a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.  Of the eastern North American woodpeckers, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are the only ones that are completely migratory.  Their wintering range consists of the southern United States and Central America.   

-Mattie    

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (hatch-year, male)

Little Bear  
Today we closed up shop at Little Bear for the fall. It was a fairly slow morning, with 23 new birds and 10 recaptures representing 10 different species. Stay tuned for a full summary of the season once Captain Sam's finishes its fall protocol!

--Blaine

SpeciesCaptain Sam's Little Bear
New Recaps New Recaps
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
1
-
-
-
Downy Woodpecker
-
1
-
-
Golden-crowned Kinglet
-
1
-
-
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
8
4
5
-
Hermit Thrush
1
-
1
1
American Robin
-
-
1
-
Gray Catbird
-
3
1
3
Northern Mockingbird
-
-
-
1
Orange-crowned Warbler
1
-
1
-
Palm Warbler (Western)
1
-
-
-
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)
21
9
11
3
Eastern Towhee
-
1
-
-
Song Sparrow
1
-
3
-
Swamp Sparrow
-
3
-
1
Northern Cardinal
-
1
-
1




 Banding Stats Captain Sam's Little Bear TOTAL
# Birds Banded
34
23
57
# of Recaptures
23
10
33
# of Species
13
10
15
Effort (net-hours)
141.75
70.0
211.75
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)
40.2
47.1
42.5
# of Nets
26
20
46


Banding Staff
Aaron Given (CS)
Blaine Carnes (LB)
Mattie VandenBoom (CS)
Alison Nevins (LB)
Col Lauzau (LB)
Michael Gamble (CS)
Ryan Donnelly (CS)

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

November 16, 2016

Captain Sam's
It was a pretty consistent morning out at Captain Sam's with 34 new birds and 24 recaptures of 12 species. Almost half of the recaptures were banded in previous years, the majority of these being Yellow-rumped Warblers. We also caught a couple more Golden-crowned Kinglets, which must have had a good year as it seems we are hearing and catching more than last year.

Also, there has been a Loggerhead Shrike hanging out behind the banding table the last few days. We set up another net and tried to lure him in, but he has outsmarted us and has avoided getting caught in any of our other nets. Loggerhead Shrikes eat a variety of food, which includes insects, amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, and even other birds. Even though they're small, they can kill and carry an animal that is as large as themselves. Loggerhead Shrikes are known for their behavior of impaling prey on objects before eating them. They will do this with poisonous prey, like monarch butterflies, and wait up to three days before eating it to allow for the toxins to break down. Hopefully we get lucky and catch this one in our nets!

-Michael Gamble

Little Bear
At Little Bear today we had 38 new birds and 13 recaptures of 12 different species. Yellow-rumped Warblers dominated the total, making up over 80% of the new birds and a little under one-third of the recaptures. The first couple of hours were pleasantly cool and foggy, and we were treated to the sound of a calling Common Loon somewhere out on the ocean in the fog.

This season you may have noticed the occasional (Myrtle) inserted into the species table in the row for Yellow-rumped Warbler. Currently, Yellow-rumped Warbler is thought of as one species consisting of 4 distinct subspecies in different areas of North America, but this was not always the case. Prior to 1973 the birds that breed throughout the boreal forest and winter in the eastern US were known as "Myrtle Warblers" and the birds that breed in the Rockies and other western mountain ranges were called "Audubon's Warblers". The discovery of a small hybrid zone in the Canadian Rockies in the early 1970s caused ornithologists to merge the two species under one name: Yellow-rumped Warbler.

Several other species were "lumped" in 1973 as well, such as all the subspecies groups of Dark-eyed Junco, all forms of flickers in North America, and Baltimore and Bullock's Orioles (which were given the new name of "Northern Oriole"). Since then, genetic data has shown that Gilded Flicker is very distinct from the Red-shafted and Yellow-shafted forms that make up Northern Flicker, and that Baltimore and Bullock's Orioles are not even each others' closest relatives. A type of junco that occurs only on one island off the coast of Baja California has been split off into its own species as well: Guadalupe Junco.

A number of recent genetic studies has indicated that what we now call "Yellow-rumped Warbler" is likely made up of at least three and possibly four distinct species. If ornithologists continue to confirm these findings over the next few years, then the old Myrtle and Audubon's names will come back, as well as species designation for a nonmigratory group found only in the highlands of Guatemala and far southeast Mexico ("Goldman's Warbler"). It's possible that the group found in the mountains of western Mexico ("Black-fronted Warbler") will be split as well, but that group has received less study than the other groups.

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle), After Second Year male in Canada
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's), After Second Year male in California



Pretty different-looking, aren't they? Myrtle has a black mask, a white eyebrow, and a white throat. Audubon's has a gray face, no eyebrow, and a yellow throat, plus more black on the body, more white in the wings, and they're typically larger than Myrtles. The songs of the two groups are different too.

So by keeping track of current subspecies group we've prepared the data for the likelihood of an official split between the two species. Plus, the name "Myrtle Warbler" is so much more appropriate and specific for the South Carolina coast than the more general "Yellow-rumped Warbler".

--Blaine



  Species Captain Sam's Little Bear
New Recaps New Recaps
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
1
-
-
-
Eastern Phoebe
-
-
1
-
Blue-headed Vireo
1
-
-
-
Carolina Chickadee
-
1
-
1
House Wren
-
-
-
1
Carolina Wren
-
-
-
1
Golden-crowned Kinglet
2
-
-
-
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
5
2
1
2
Hermit Thrush
2
1
-
-
Gray Catbird
-
6
-
2
Orange-crowned Warbler
1
2
1
-
Common Yellowthroat
-
1
-
-
Palm Warbler (Western)
-
-
1
-
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)
22
8
32
4
Eastern Towhee
-
-
-
1
Song Sparrow
-
-
1
1
Swamp Sparrow
-
2
1
-
Northern Cardinal
-
1
-
-




 Banding Stats Captain Sam's Little Bear TOTAL
# Birds Banded
34
38
72
# of Recaptures
24
13
37
# of Species
12
12
18
Effort (net-hours)
164.7
120.0
284.7
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)
35.2
42.5
38.3
# of Nets
26
20
46


Banding Staff
Aaron Given (CS)
Blaine Carnes (LB)
Mattie VandenBoom (CS)
Alison Nevins (LB)
Col Lauzau (LB)
Michael Gamble (CS)
Ryan Donnelly (CS)