Saved by the Cuckoo

 Captain Sam's:

Today was our first "classic" August day for the banding station with a total number of 11 birds caught. We had just been so fortunate to have these past few days that were so plentiful they spoiled us. With that said it allowed us to take very meticulous looks at the individuals we did catch. Of the birds caught today most notable was a new hatching year Painted Bunting! So our group of "triplets" might've been the quadruplets and we just hadn't caught this youngster yet, or this bird is from a different group entirely. Here's to hoping it picks back up again sooner rather than later!

Unbanded bunting

Are the triplets quadruplets

Or are you new here

- Nathaniel

Little Bear:

Our slow, hot August day yielded very few birds in the nets (8 total, to be precise). Each time we saw a Painted Bunting in a net, we were way more excited than we would usually be. Just as were giving up hope for the day and were about to close nets, Josh extracted a first-of-season species for Little Bear from net 1: a Yellow-billed Cuckoo! Striking to see in the field while birding, they're even more captivating in the hand. It was a hatch-year, and was making quite a ruckus, but it was awesome to see its long tail and unique bill from in the hand. Thanks, young Cuckoo, for the nice surprise at the end of the day (even though you were uncooperative and would not pose for a nice photo).

Sunrise at Little Bear, from net 23.

-Kandace

Species	Captain Sam's		Little Bear
	New	Recaps	New	Recaps
Yellow-billed Cuckoo	-	-	1	-
White-eyed Vireo	-	1	-	-
Red-eyed Vireo	-	-	1	-
Eastern Towhee	-	-	-	-
Ovenbird	-	1	-	-
Prairie Warbler	2	-	1	-
Northern Cardinal	-	1	1	-
Painted Bunting	3	2	3	1

Today's Banding Stats	Captain Sam's	Little Bear	TOTAL
# Birds Banded	5	7	12
# of Recaptures	6	1	7
# of Species	6	5	8
Effort (net-hours)	138	93.2	231.2
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)	8	8.6	8.2
# of Nets	30	23	53

2021 Fall Cumulative Banding Stats	Captain Sam's	Little Bear	TOTAL
# Birds Banded	240	121	361
# of Recaptures	72	20	92
# of Species	34	24	38
Effort (net-hours)	1579.5	662.45	2241.95
Capture Rate (birds/100 net-hours)	19.8	21.3	20.2
# of Days	12	6	-

Banding Staff

Aaron Given (CS)

Kristin Attinger (CS)

Ben Stalheim (CS)

Nate Watkins (CS)

Kandace Glanville (LB)

Josh Lefever (LB)