Captain Sam's:
-Kristin
Little Bear:
This morning we had 2 exciting surprises in our nets at Little Bear. On our first net run, we captured a very unassuming little gray warbler, one of the classic 'confusing fall warblers' that give birdwatchers angst every autumn. Not only does this bird's plumage create confusion, but its a species not expected to be migrating through South Carolina until early September at the earliest. Our bird's greenish rump, faint side streaking, and white wing bar, along with its overall drab color, were conclusive plumage traits to identify it as a female Cape May Warbler. This species breeds in the Spruce forests of central Canada, and are currently on migration to their wintering grounds, primarily on the Caribbean islands. Most Cape May warblers are still working their way down through New England and the Great Lakes region this time of year, so it was a real treat to see one today! Based on Ebird data, it seems like this individual will be the first verified record of a Cape May Warbler in South Carolina for the month of August. This is one of my favorite warblers, and has created some premature excitement for the many more that will be arriving here next month.
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| Cape May Warbler, female |
A couple net checks after the Cape May Warbler, we ended up with an even bigger thrill in our nets, a Cooper's Hawk!
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| Immature Cooper's Hawk |
Cooper's Hawks are year-round birds on Kiawah Island (and across most of the country), but are difficult to catch in our songbird nets. Because of how big they are, most raptors either bounce off of our mist nets or are able to quickly escape with a few strong wingbeats. It's always a treat to get to handle a bird of prey; they're rambunctious personalities liven up the station and provide some fun photo opportunities.
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| Immature Cooper's Hawk |
| Species | Captain Sam's | Little Bear | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New | Recaps | New | Recaps | |
Chuck-will's-widow | 1 | - | - | - |
Cooper's Hawk | - | - | 1 | - |
Downy Woodpecker | 1 | - | 1 | - |
Great Crested Flycatcher | - | 1 | - | - |
Red-eyed Vireo | 3 | - | 4 | - |
Carolina Chickadee | - | - | 1 | - |
Carolina Wren | 2 | - | 1 | - |
Ovenbird | 2 | - | 4 | - |
Worm-eating Warbler | 1 | - | - | - |
Northern Waterthrush | 3 | 1 | 5 | - |
Black-and-white Warbler | 1 | - | - | - |
Prothonotary Warbler | 1 | - | 1 | - |
Common Yellowthroat | - | 1 | - | - |
Hooded Warbler | 1 | - | - | - |
American Redstart | 2 | - | 3 | - |
Cape May Warbler | - | - | 1 | - |
Yellow Warbler | - | - | 1 | - |
Prairie Warbler | 5 | - | 3 | - |
Northern Cardinal | - | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Painted Bunting | 3 | 1 | - | - |
| Today's Banding Stats | Captain Sam's | Little Bear | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| # Birds Banded | 26 | 27 | 53 |
| # of Recaptures | 6 | 3 | 9 |
| # of Species | 16 | 13 | 20 |
| Effort (net-hours) | 153 | 132.25 | 285.25 |
| Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours) | 20.9 | 22.7 | 21.7 |
| # of Nets | 30 | 23 | - |
| 2021 Fall Cumulative Banding Stats | Captain Sam's | Little Bear | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| # Birds Banded | 189 | 80 | 269 |
| # of Recaptures | 51 | 8 | 59 |
| # of Species | 31 | 21 | 35 |
| Effort (net-hours) | 1,164 | 380.65 | 1,544.65 |
| Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours) | 20.6 | 23.7 | 21.2 |
| # of Days | 9 | 3 | - |
Banding Staff
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