First Full Day at Little Bear + FOS birds at Captain Sam's

CAPTAIN SAM'S

We had two "first of season" (FOS) species at Captain Sam's this morning: a pair of House Finches and one female Summer Tananger. The Summer Tananger was especially exciting for me because it was my first time seeing this species! In the birding world we call these "lifers." Adult males are bright red, and my fingers are crossed we will catch one soon!

AHY female Summer Tananger

Aaron dispatched his last nanotag, attaching it to an after second year, female Painted Bunting. Nanotags are tiny radio transmitters, and they are used with Motus radio telemetry towers to track the migration of songbirds. For more information about the Motus wildlife tracking system click here. 

ASY female Painted Bunting with nanotag

Here is an interesting Audubon article on how nanotags and Motus towers are being used to study the endangered Kirtland's Warbler.

-Beth

LITTLE BEAR

This morning was the first full banding session out on Kiawah's east end. It was a busy start, with many of the island's common species discovering the mist nets. Over a dozen Painted Bunting offered some interesting molt comparisons. The following series of photos shows the fall feather replacement, known to banders as the pre-basic molt, between a male Painted Bunting that is greater than 2 years old (After-Second-Year) and one that just passed it first birthday (Second-Year).

ASY male Painted Bunting, looking a little ratty while replacing its old feathers

ASY male Painted Bunting, with a temporary bald spot. Fresh blue feathers will grow in the coming days

Flight feather replacement in an ASY male Painted Bunting-
note the brighter colored new feathers vs. the duller old feathers

This male Painted Bunting was born last summer (a Second-Year bird)-
at a little over a year old, he is starting to grow in his first red body feathers

Flight feather replacement of a SY male Painted Bunting-
note the greater wear of the retained outer juvenile flight feathers (primaries)
compared to the retained adult primaries of the ASY pictured above

- Josh

Species	Captain Sam's		Little Bear
	New	Recaps	New	Recaps
Downy Woodpecker	3	-	-	-
Great-crested Flycatcher	-	1	-	-
White-eyed Vireo	-	-	1	-
Carolina Chickadee	-	1	1	-
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	1	-	-	-
Carolina Wren	-	2	4	-
Northern Mockingbird	2	1	-	-
House Finch	2	-	-	-
Eastern Towhee	-	-	1	-
Northern Waterthrush	1	-	4	-
American Redstart	1	-	-	-
Prairie Warbler	3	1	4	-
Summer Tanager	1	-	-	-
Northern Cardinal	-	1	9	2
Painted Bunting	7	6	12	2

Today's Banding Stats	Captain Sam's	Little Bear	TOTAL
# Birds Banded	21	36	57
# of Recaptures	13	4	17
# of Species	13	8	15
Effort (net-hours)	137.8	93.2	231
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)	24.7	42.9	32
# of Nets	28	20	48

2019 Fall Cumulative Banding Stats	Captain Sam's	Little Bear	TOTAL
# Birds Banded	166	49	215
# of Recaptures	81	6	87
# of Species	24	6	24
Effort (net-hours)	888.4	108.95	997.35
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)	27.8	50.5	30.3
# of Days	7	2	-

Banding Staff
Aaron Given (CS) 
Bethany Darby (CS)
Kristin Attinger (LB)
Josh Lefever (LB)